Photo styles

A photo to sketch prompt you can paste

If you already use ChatGPT or Gemini, the prompt below gives a consistent sketch look. If you would rather skip the chat tab, send your photo to the bot and it applies the same instruction in one step.

Make it in Telegram 7 images free, then from 49 Stars

2 credits per image
Result in 1–2 minutes
No sign-up

In short: A tested prompt for turning a photo into a pencil or ink sketch in ChatGPT or Gemini, and a Telegram bot that runs it for you. 7 images free.

Where: the VisuMate bot in Telegram, no app or sign-up.
Cost: 2 credits per image, 7 images free, then packs from 49 Telegram Stars.
Time: 1 to 2 minutes per image, rerun with a new instruction at the same price.
Credits never expire, there is no subscription and no auto-renew. You pay once for a pack inside Telegram with Stars.

When you need this

Short prompts like 'make this a sketch' give random results each time.
Chat assistants sometimes change the face when redrawing.
You want the same look across a whole set of photos.

How to do it

1
Press the button to open @visumate_ai_bot in Telegram. No sign-up, and new users get 15 free credits, which is 7 images.
2
Copy the prompt, attach your photo as a file and add one extra line about mood, such as 'quick sketchbook style'.
3
In 1-2 minutes you get the image for 2 credits. Rerun with a changed adjective if the lines feel too busy.

Try it on your own photo: 7 images are free, no sign-up.

Make it in Telegram

The prompt behind this style

In the bot this prompt is applied by the button. Copy it if you want to use it in another image tool.

Redraw the attached photo as a hand-made graphite sketch on white sketchbook paper. Keep the face, pose and proportions unchanged. Fine hatching in the mid tones, soft smudged shadows, detailed eyes, loose unfinished lines toward the edges. Grey tones only. No text, no signature.

Why the wording matters

Image models respond to concrete art vocabulary. 'Hatching', 'unfinished edges' and 'sketchbook page' point at a real drawing habit, while 'artistic' points at nothing. The prompt here names the medium, the paper and the handling of the eyes, which are the three things that decide whether a sketch looks hand-made. Change the medium word and the whole look moves with it.

Using it elsewhere

The text works in any assistant that accepts a photo. The bot adds one thing a chat does not: the same style on every run, so a batch of family portraits looks like a matching set. If you run the same prompt on a second photo, ask for 'same style as before' to keep the pencil weight, paper tone and shading direction consistent across the whole set of drawings. Experiment with two or three variations of the paper color and the stroke weight, then keep whichever pairing suits your photos best and reuse it every time.

Tips

Name the medium: graphite, fineliner, charcoal.
Say 'keep the face unchanged' to protect likeness.
State the paper: white, cream, toned grey.
Keep one idea per prompt, because long wish lists get averaged out.

Questions and answers

Can I change the style words?

Yes. Swap graphite for ink or charcoal and keep the rest.

Will it work on a group photo?

It works, but faces get smaller and less detailed. Two or three people is a safe limit.

Why does the face sometimes drift?

Models guess when the source is blurry. A sharp, front-facing photo reduces drift.

What does it cost?

2 credits per image. New users get 15 free credits, so 7 images cost nothing. After that packs start at 49 Telegram Stars and credits do not expire.

Does the bot work in English?

Yes. It picks up your Telegram language on first launch. You can switch it any time with /lang.

What the bot does not do

Works from one photo. Likeness depends on the photo you send, and some styles change features more than others.
Does not make video or animation.
Does not output a transparent PNG.
Does not retouch passport or ID photos.