Vintage Paper Sketch Portrait With Watercolor Details
SMALL CENTERED SUBJECT + STRONG FACE IDENTITY LOCK + EXACT POSE
INFORMATION TO REQUEST BEFORE GENERATION
Ask only:
“Please upload one clear, high-quality photo of your face. Front-facing or slightly angled, with the full face clearly visible.”
Then STOP and wait for the upload.
Do not generate the image until the face photo is provided.
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AFTER THE USER UPLOADS THEIR PHOTO
Create a premium minimalist hand-drawn paper-cover portrait illustration using the uploaded person's photo as the absolute identity reference.
Use the supplied pose-reference image ONLY for pose, body positioning, framing, clothing direction, arm placement, and overall composition.
The final artwork must clearly look like the same person from the uploaded identity photo, not the person in the pose reference.
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HIGHEST PRIORITY — FACE IDENTITY LOCK
Preserve the uploaded person's real facial identity as accurately as possible.
Match:
- face shape
- forehead proportions
- natural hairline
- hairstyle
- hair texture
- eyebrow shape
- eye shape
- eyelids
- eye spacing
- nose structure
- nostril shape
- lips
- mouth width
- cheek structure
- jawline
- chin shape
- ears where visible
- beard and moustache pattern
- skin tone
- natural age
- facial asymmetry
- distinctive facial features
The final result must remain immediately recognizable as the uploaded person.
Do not:
- beautify the face
- replace it with a generic AI face
- alter skin tone
- redesign facial proportions
- smooth away natural details
- make the subject look like a different model
Even though the final result is illustrated, identity accuracy must remain stronger than stylization.
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EXACT POSE LOCK
Reproduce the same sleeve-adjusting pose from the pose reference.
Maintain:
- torso facing mostly toward camera
- slight body rotation
- relaxed shoulders
- upright head
- chin subtly raised
- confident posture
- one arm extending diagonally downward
- opposite arm crossing the torso
- crossing hand gripping/adjusting the opposite sleeve near the forearm
- extended hand hanging naturally with relaxed fingers
Preserve the correct overlapping order:
torso → crossed arm → gripping hand → extended forearm → extended hand
Do not:
- reverse the arms
- fold both arms
- put hands in pockets
- leave both arms down
- change the sleeve-adjusting gesture
- create awkward wrists or fingers
Hands must remain anatomically correct.
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SUBJECT SIZE & POSITION — VERY IMPORTANT
Keep the main subject relatively small in the overall canvas.
The person should occupy approximately:
35–45% of the total image height
and should NOT fill the frame.
Position the subject:
- exactly or almost exactly centered
- balanced horizontally
- around the visual center of the canvas
- with generous empty space above the head
- with generous empty space on both sides
- with generous breathing room around the entire figure
The overall image must feel like a minimalist paper-cover artwork, not a close-up portrait.
Negative-space rule
At least 55–65% of the overall canvas should remain mostly clean background / negative space.
Do not zoom in.
Do not crop tightly around the body.
Do not enlarge the subject to dominate the page.
The small centered figure with large surrounding blank paper space is a mandatory composition feature.
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FRAMING
Use a vertical portrait composition.
Show approximately:
upper thighs to slightly above the head
while still keeping the overall person visually small within the full page.
The figure should be completely readable without awkward cropping.
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CLOTHING
Use the same premium casual outfit direction:
- dark charcoal or black button-up shirt
- shirt slightly open around upper chest
- sleeves rolled or pushed toward the forearms
- dark blue denim jeans
- brown leather belt
Maintain realistic clothing folds generated by the arm pose.
Do not add:
- logos
- typography
- graphics
- jackets
- bright colors
- unrelated accessories
Minor jewelry from the identity photo may be preserved subtly.
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SUNGLASSES
Add classic dark aviator-style sunglasses.
They must:
- fit naturally on the uploaded person's real face
- align correctly with the nose bridge
- follow facial perspective
- use realistic dark lenses
- include subtle natural reflections
- not distort the facial structure
The sunglasses must never be used to hide inaccurate identity.
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ART STYLE — LOCKED
Create a minimalist hand-drawn paper-cover illustration combining:
- fine ink sketch lines
- hand-drawn contour work
- subtle pencil-like detailing
- light watercolor washes
- dry-brush texture
- restrained pigment
- handcrafted imperfections
- premium editorial illustration quality
The rendering should feel like:
a realistic portrait carefully translated into a refined handmade sketch-and-watercolor illustration printed on textured paper.
Keep the face slightly more detailed than the rest of the body.
Avoid:
- cartoon style
- anime
- comic-book exaggeration
- thick oil paint
- glossy digital painting
- 3D rendering
- vector-flat appearance
- hyper-polished plastic skin
- excessive watercolor blur
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BACKGROUND — MINIMAL PAPER COVER
Use a warm vintage paper background.
Background qualities:
- ivory
- warm cream
- soft beige
- subtle handmade paper grain
- light natural fiber texture
- slight aged-paper appearance
Keep the background predominantly clean.
Behind the subject, add only a small restrained cluster of loose watercolor / dry-brush strokes.
Use:
- tan
- beige
- muted ochre
- very light brown
- subtle gray-brown accents
The brush strokes should stay close to the subject and must not cover the whole page.
Do not create a full environmental scene.
No:
- buildings
- furniture
- rooms
- landscapes
- objects
- decorative borders
- typography
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BRUSHWORK PLACEMENT
The background brushwork should function only as a subtle visual anchor behind the person.
Keep it:
- centered around the subject
- slightly larger than the person
- organic
- irregular
- understated
- softly faded at the edges
Add only minimal:
- paint splatter
- light drips
- broken dry-brush marks
Do not make the splashes too large or visually noisy.
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SUBJECT EDGE TREATMENT
Keep the face and upper torso relatively crisp.
Toward the:
- lower shirt
- jeans
- outer sleeves
- bottom of the figure
allow the drawing to softly transition into:
- unfinished pencil strokes
- light watercolor fading
- dry-brush edges
- broken pigment marks
Do not dissolve the face.
Do not blur facial features.
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HEAD & EXPRESSION
Keep:
- head nearly upright
- slight three-quarter orientation
- chin subtly raised
- composed expression
- confident presence
- relaxed or closed lips
Do not create an exaggerated smile.
The uploaded person's facial structure always takes priority.
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CAMERA / REALISM FOUNDATION
Build the portrait as if photographed using:
- 70–85 mm portrait perspective
- natural facial proportions
- minimal lens distortion
- realistic head-to-shoulder scale
- anatomically correct arms and hands
Then translate that photographic structure into a hand-drawn illustration.
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QUALITY PRIORITY
Prioritize in this exact order:
1. Uploaded person's facial identity
2. Small centered subject composition
3. Large clean negative space
4. Exact sleeve-adjusting pose
5. Correct arms, hands, and fingers
6. Minimalist hand-drawn paper-cover style
7. Premium editorial finish
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NEGATIVE CONSTRAINTS
Do not:
- enlarge the subject excessively
- make the person fill the frame
- place the person near the edge
- crop tightly
- reduce the negative space
- create a busy background
- copy the pose-reference person's face
- alter the uploaded person's identity
- generate a generic handsome face
- change skin tone
- significantly alter age
- alter facial proportions
- reverse the arm pose
- create extra fingers
- create missing fingers
- merge hands
- deform wrists
- shorten or stretch arms unnaturally
- create an oversized head
- create a tiny head
- hide the face in shadows
- cover too much of the face with sunglasses
- use cartoon/anime/3D/CGI style
- add text
- add logos
- add watermarks
FINAL VISUAL GOAL
The finished artwork should look like a premium minimalist illustrated paper cover featuring a small, centered, recognizable portrait of the uploaded person, surrounded by large areas of clean warm paper, with subtle hand-drawn lines and restrained watercolor brushwork behind the figure.