The look
- A head roughly the same size as the entire body.
- Very large eyes with a simplified nose and a small mouth.
- Short rounded limbs with no drawn joints or knuckles.
- Clean even line weight with no hatching.
- Flat bright fills and one soft shadow tone per color.
Where it comes from
The proportions come from Japanese comics and animation. Britannica notes that manga characters are frequently drawn with oversized heads and large expressive eyes, with the facial features drawn in simple lines and the eyes carrying the emotion. British Museum material on manga describes the medium as immersive storytelling through pictures, where the images rule. Shrinking the body and enlarging the head pushes that concentration on the face as far as it will go, which is why the register works so well at avatar size and so poorly at full length.
What it suits
- A small, friendly profile picture
- Chat stickers and reaction packs
- Matching avatars for two people
- Birthday cards and party favors
How to shoot for it
- Shoot from chest height straight on so the head is not foreshortened.
- Show a clear, open expression; these proportions exaggerate whatever you give them.
- Keep hair visible and uncovered, since the silhouette carries most of the likeness.
- Bright simple clothing helps the tiny body stay readable.
This look is not in Toonsta today. It is described here so you can recognize it; the closest Toonsta styles are listed below.
Related styles
- 3D cartoon avatar: A 3D cartoon avatar rebuilds your face as a smooth sculpted character lit like a studio render.
- Manga style portrait: A manga style portrait redraws you as a printed comic page rather than a color illustration.
- Anime style filter: An anime style filter redraws your photo as a cel painted frame.