Why make a character from a photo

Most often, people use a photo to make themselves, just in another life: an elf, a starship captain, the owner of a late-night coffee shop. Sometimes it's a shared character with a friend who sent the picture and can't wait to see what comes of it. And sometimes there's simply an image that nails the look, and you want your chat partner to look exactly like that.

A photo saves time: you don't have to find words for a face from scratch. But what makes it a character isn't the picture, it's the personality. More on that at the end.

The rule: your own photos, or with consent

The character will talk, flirt, argue, and live a life that isn't theirs. So you can use a real person's face only if it's you, or if they know about it and are fine with it.

  • Okay: your own photo, or one of a partner or friend who agreed and might even be waiting to see the result.
  • Not okay: an ex, a coworker, a crush, a celebrity, a random person from social media. Even if it's "just to see," it's someone else's face in someone else's story.
  • If the character will be public, remember that strangers will see it. Putting your own face in the catalog is also a decision worth making deliberately.

Want someone who "looks like that actor"? Describe the type in words (face shape, hairstyle, the way they carry themselves) and generate a portrait from scratch. You'll get your own person who evokes the look without actually being anyone.

Way one: upload the photo as the avatar

The fastest route. In the my-idol.ru character builder, in the "Appearance and avatar" block, click "Upload photo" and pick an image. It goes through an automatic check, and then you can crop it, with separate previews of how the avatar will look in the catalog and in chat.

What makes a good photo:

  • one person in the frame, face clearly visible;
  • good lighting, no heavy filters or masks;
  • a close-up of the face, since the avatar is small and a full-body shot turns into a dot.

After uploading, be sure to add a written description of the character's appearance. In conversation, the character relies on the card's text, not the image. If the person in the photo wears glasses and the description says nothing about them, the character will never push them up their nose.

Way two: describe the photo and generate a portrait

This route takes a bit longer, but it's often better. You look at the photo and translate it into words, and the portrait is drawn fresh in the style you choose.

  1. Write down the two or three most noticeable features: face shape, hairstyle, eyebrows, a mole, a lopsided smile. Not everything, just what makes the face recognizable.
  2. Add what the photo doesn't show: build, how they move, clothing style, the character's age.
  3. Pick a style: anime, manhwa, realistic, dark, or random.
  4. Generate the portrait, and ask for another version if the likeness isn't there.

The upside of this method is consistency. The portrait and the text come from the same description, so the pictures the character sends you during the chat will look like the avatar. Plus, a portrait drawn from a description doesn't copy a real face one-to-one, which is handy if other people will see the character.

We break down how to describe features so the face comes out alive in designing a guy's look for your character. The vocabulary works for women too.

Upload a photo or describe it, and your portrait will be ready in a minute.

Create a character

You in a different role: ideas

  • You as an anime characterSame face, but big eyes, bright hair, and a school uniform or a hunter's cloak. Perfect for anime roleplay.
  • You in a fantasy worldAn elf, a witch, a mercenary from a border town. Describe what twenty years on the road would change in your face.
  • You, twenty years from nowCrow's feet, gray hair, a different look in the eyes. It's strange and fascinating to talk to that character about the choices you're making today.
  • You as the villainSame face, but a cold half-smile and a perfect suit. A great excuse to find out what you'd do with no brakes.

A photo isn't a character yet

The most common letdown: the face came out spot-on, but the conversation is dull. That's because a photo only gives you looks. The voice, habits, fears, and wants you'll have to make up, even if the character is you. Especially if it's you: we describe ourselves in the vaguest possible terms.

Start with one inner contradiction and one speech habit. We explain how in how to give your character a personality.