Looking to learn a bit more about the digital art portrait world? Need self portrait art ideas to help get the creative juices flowing? You’ve arrived in the right place. As a company dedicated to creating wacky, wild and realistic illustrations for everyday people, we like to think we have a good handle on what people are looking for when it comes to creating unique art portraits. From dramatic lighting to popular styles to exaggerated proportions, self portraits are meant to be filled with character and emotions! So how do you make that happen for you? For those who want digital portraits for themselves or as a gift and don’t exactly know how to go about doing that, read on.  

What Is a Digital Portrait? 

Thanks to modern technology, the artwork today’s artists are able to accomplish using various types of software is astounding! Digital art is an artistic composition that relies on technology for creating pieces of art, as opposed to the traditional mediums for creation.  

It’s actually been around since the 70s, mostly for advertising, but has since found its way into the types of art that people seek. Contrary to popular belief, digital art is not computer generated. Although it can be, the best digital art portraits are custom-made by real artists who know how to handle different types of software to make digital portraits look like real paintings. 

At Cartoonely, every piece of digital art is totally customized. That means you’re never limited to what a simple AI-based application can do with your photos. Digital art may, well, sound digital but it’s still 100% human driven. That human touch is what makes digital art still so filled with emotion, details, and those special touches that only a human could create. It’s also how we get these art portraits to look so similar to the person in the photo. Every person in an art portrait should be easily recognizable. Because without that, where’s the fun and excitement?  

Self Portrait Art Ideas  

As mentioned, there are so many different ways that an artist can turn your portrait into a dreamy artistic solution. So to help you get a better understanding, here are our top ideas. 

Prism light: Prism photography is a huge trend when it comes to art portraits. When taking a selfie, you need to use a glass prism in front of the camera. The prism will twist the light and display an impressive rainbow flare, lighting up your face with colour. Use the same concept for a digital portrait idea! 

Alternate reality: Have you ever wanted to step into a new universe? See yourself as a totally different person for the hell of it? Self-portraiture is an amazing way to experiment with various looks. Use a digital portrait as an excuse to have eccentric makeup, coloured hair, tattoos, whatever is new for you! 

Milk bath: Another trend in the photography industry is milk bath photos. It involved water with milk which produces a silky, ethereal scene. Many people add botanicals to the water for a fairy vibe and wow effect. However, an actual milk bath takes a lot of work to produce and is… well, messy. Get yourself a digital portrait and say “no, thanks!” to the complicatedness.  

Pop art: An exciting art movement that emerged in the 1950s, pop art is still very alive today. Pop art usually includes commonplace items such as soup cans, road signs, and comic strips. Have fun with the style and use it for a digital portrait! 
Graffiti: You might not be featured on a mural in the likes of Berlin or New York, but you can still see what you’d look like in Graffiti style. Graffiti for portraiture usually involves organic shape outlines with flesh-coloured fill-in colours. Graffiti is the fun of a cartoon but elevated with urban power and excitement.

 
Watercolour: One of our absolute favourites, watercolour also happens to be one of the earliest forms of art. Dating back to early Palaeolithic times, this method involves pigments in a water-based solution. In the case of digital art, the artists use brushstrokes that mimic this beautiful, ethereal style.  

Cross-Hatching: Cross-hatching is a simple-looking but not-so artistic shading technique. It's composed of layers of hatching lines which create texture and contrast. 

Royal Portraiture: Yeah, we saved the best for last. When people think of art portraits, many conjure up images of people of royal stature: kings, queens, dukes, duchesses, etc. In today’s day and age, there’s no need to sit for hours for a real oil painting like the royals and rich used to do. You can get a realistic yet digital portrait in this very royal style.  

What Are Art Deco Portraits  

Art deco portraits and the overall visual arts originated in Paris, France in 1925. The first exhibition where it debuted was at the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts. Although he was originally against decorative art. Famous architect Le Corbusier gave into the art deco style and became one of the biggest names in the movement. The art deco architecture and art was defined by various motifs, ornamental details, sunbursts, geometric shapes like chevrons, and more. 

If you’re into this style, you may want to get art deco portraits for yourself or for an artistic friend of yours. In that case, try  “Autoportrait (Self-Portrait in a Green Bugatti).” Created in 1929 by Art Deco artist Tamara de Lempicka, it is a portrait of herself. In it, she sits behind the wheel of a classic green Bugatti, wearing cream-colored gloves.

Create Your Digital Art Portrait  

And once you have that digital artwork, you can turn it into so many things! Of course we always recommend printing and framing it, as that’s what most of our customers do! A print and frame turns your standard digital art into a real work of art for the house and makes an even greater gift for the person opening it up on their special day! But you could also put it on a T-shirt or use it to customize a coffee mug. The options are endless.