The Oil Paint filter is a great tool for smoothing out the details. Go to Image > Adjustments > Shadows/Highlights and increase the shadows value to around 35% to brighten the darkest areas. To allow the subsequent filters to define the edges of the subject, it first needs brightening.
Before making any changes, convert the image into a Smart Object so all the edits are applied non-destructively. I’ll be using this photograph of “Beautiful Woman” by Daniel Dash on Shutterstock as an example for this tutorial, but the effect will work with any image. All the Photoshop filters that are used each play an important role in smoothing out the details, outlining edges and creating colourful shading effects to achieve a bold art style. This effect can be applied to any image to transform a real photograph into an illustrated cartoon graphic. Subscribe to the Spoon Graphics YouTube Channel
