How to Use AI Art and Photo to Anime in PhotoDirector
Turn a portrait into a themed character or an anime scene, with the face carried over.
Updated Oct. 25, 2026 · 3 min read
In a hurry? Use the AI Art quick guide instead.
PhotoDirector's AI Art turns a portrait into a themed character, such as a baby sitting in someone's palm. Photo to Anime redraws it as an anime scene, such as a festival night. Both build a new picture around your subject and keep the face, so you get a fresh version of the same person. Pick AI Art for a photo-like character and Photo to Anime for a drawing.
- In PhotoDirector, open Guided & GenAI, click Portrait, choose AI Art or Photo to Anime, and click Start Now.
- Open your portrait and click a style. In AI Art, first pick the Female or Male tab that matches the person.
- Click Generate, and use Re-generate for another take.
- Click Export at the top to save the result.
Steps to Use AI Art and Photo to Anime
Step 1: Open AI Art or Photo to Anime
From the PhotoDirector launcher, choose Guided & GenAI.
Click Portrait in the rail on the left, then click AI Art under GenAI on Faces. Or click Photo to Anime, right beside it, for anime scenes. On the intro screen, click Start Now.
Step 2: Open a Portrait and Pick a Style
Open the photo you want to transform. It fills the canvas, and the style gallery opens on the left. A clear, well-lit face gives both tools the most to work with.
For the best results in AI Art, first choose the Female or Male tab that matches the person in your photo. Then open the All list under the tabs to narrow that tab's gallery to one category. It has Portrait, Cartoon, Figurine, and Avatar, plus holiday themes such as Christmas.
Each tile shows the style on a model. Click the one you want, such as Baby Face.
In Photo to Anime, each tile shows the style on an anime model, so you can see the scene it brings. Soccer puts your subject on a field, School in a classroom, and Cyberpunk in neon. Scroll for more. Click the one you want, such as Festival.
To describe your own anime look instead, click Custom, the first tile at the top of the Photo to Anime gallery. Then type the transformation you want in the box, such as an American superhero anime. The tiles under Example show sample results.
Step 3: Generate
Click Generate at the bottom of the panel.
The canvas dims and a percentage counts up over the photo, so you can tell it's still working.
Step 4: Review and Export the Result
The result replaces the photo on the canvas, and the button becomes Re-generate. It runs the same style again for a different take, so try it before you switch styles.
Each result is also saved to My Creations at the top of the window, so you can come back to an earlier take. Look in the AI Art or Photo to Anime tile.
When you like the result, click Export at the top to save it. For the file types you can save, see PhotoDirector's supported file formats.
We tested these steps in PhotoDirector 365 version 18.0.10 on Windows.
Don't have PhotoDirector yet? Turn one portrait into a baby photo, an anime hero, or a graduation shot, and see every style on a model before you pick.
Download PhotoDirector Free →FAQ About AI Art
Yes. Click Re-generate to run the same style again for a different take, and try that before you switch to another style.
Photo to Anime redraws your photo as anime, and the style sets the scene. AI Art turns the person into a themed character in a new picture, often photo-like, and anime is one of its styles too. Both sit under Guided & GenAI > Portrait, and the features page lists Photo to Anime as AI Anime Generator.
Use a portrait with a clear, well-lit face. The styles are built around a person, so the face is what carries over into the result.
