Help with CvS POTS style

[Jinzo7]

Could someone please teach me how to convert effect sprites to the CvS POTS style—getting rid of the pixelated look and adding that dark outline around them?

[alongcaca]

https://mugenguild.com/forum/topics/highres-effects-blink-an-eye-photoshop-180014.0.html

[Gêmeos dos Jogos]

Hi, how are you? There is a topic on the forum where PoTS teaches how to create the effect you want: here

But here, we will briefly explain how it's done (The program used is Photoshop, but if you want something free with nearly the same functions as Photoshop, we recommend the free online editor Photopea:

1 - With the effect ready, leave some space so that the blur effect, which will be used later, works correctly. If the effect includes a background, use the magic wand to remove it. Increase the canvas size using centimeters. Increase by +1 horizontally and vertically.

2 - Insert a black background.

3 - Convert an image to grayscale. We think it's best to use Image → Mode → Grayscale, but you can also use Image → Adjustments → Black & White.

4 - If you think you need to add light, you can use Image → Adjustments → Brightness/Contrast.

5 - Increase the image size by 2x.

6 - Use the blur effect, which is located under Filter → Blur. The blur effect depends on the shape of your effect. For example, if it's a circular effect, use Filter → Blur → Radial Blur with the Zoom method and set the Amount to 15. If it's a wide horizontal effect, Motion Blur may work better. For more general effects, you can use Field Blur, Box Blur, or Gaussian Blur. As we mentioned, it all depends on the shape of your effect. As a suggestion, experiment with whichever blur filters you think will look best, and don't hesitate to combine multiple blur effects.

7 - If you used Image → Mode → Grayscale, now use Image → Mode → RGB Color.

8 - Now it's time to color your effect. You can use a New Adjustment Layer (located at the bottom of the Layers panel) and choose either Color Balance or Gradient Map. We recommend using Gradient Map because it's more flexible and makes it easier to achieve the colors you want. If you use a Gradient Map, it's a good idea to set the layer's blending mode to Overlay, but feel free to try other blending modes to see which one looks best.

9 - (Optional) If you want to save the image directly, merge all visible layers (Ctrl + Shift + E).

We hope this has helped.