Characters from 'Encanto' get made into portraits so lifelike they look like real people
Digital portraits as magical as the Madrigal family.

Where is the live action movie already?
What do you get when you mix artificial intelligence with editing software?
Mind-blowing images, apparently.
Brazilian digital artist Hidreley Leli Dião creates ultra realistic portraits of beloved cartoon characters as well as historical figures.
The magic is in a unique blend of Photoshop, FaceApp, Gradiente and Remini, according to his contributing article on Bored Panda. Using this formula, even The Simpsons characters feel like real people you would pass on the street.
Some of DiĆ£oās latest works include the characters of Disneyās āEncanto,ā like:
Bruno
I think the song will change to āEverybody Is Talking About Brunoā after seeing this picture.
Camilo
Itās like he could hop out of the frame and start shapeshifting in real life. Wow.
Pepa
As a fellow redhead constantly trying to keep emotions at bay, this one was my personal favorite.
Julieta
Here is Mirabelās mother Julieta, giving off major Aunt Voula vibes from āMy Big Fat Greek Wedding.ā
And, of course,Ā Abuela Madrigal
I think itās safe to say even if DiĆ£o doesnāt have a magic door like the Madrigal family, heās got superpower: digital wizardry.
But of course, this is not DiĆ£oās first Disney deep dive. Feast your eyes on some of these:
Carl Fredrickson from āUpā
Moana from āMoanaā
Ariel from āThe Little Mermaidā
Also Prince Eric
Pocahontas from āPocahontasā
Joe Gardner from āSoulā
Are you more of a history buff than a Disney nerd? Never fear. DiĆ£oās work has something for everyone.
One collection includes what certain celebrities that met an early death might look like today, such as:
Amy Winehouse
Bruce Lee
John Candy
Janis Joplin
Prince
Marilyn Monroe
Another reimagines what historical figures might have look like in modern times:
George Washington
Hidreley Diao uses AI to capture what historical figures would look like if they were modern people.
ā Tim Urban (@waitbutwhy) February 20, 2022
George Washington: pic.twitter.com/Wh5bi9FAgL
Benjamin Franklin
Ben Franklin pic.twitter.com/7p5U61olrl
ā Tim Urban (@waitbutwhy) February 20, 2022
NapoleonĀ
Napoleon pic.twitter.com/lDmWpYs5KX
ā Tim Urban (@waitbutwhy) February 20, 2022
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci pic.twitter.com/lpFzsZDMun
ā Tim Urban (@waitbutwhy) February 20, 2022
Mozart
Mozart pic.twitter.com/rAc2wZwgYP
ā Tim Urban (@waitbutwhy) February 20, 2022
Beethoven
Beethoven pic.twitter.com/A5dpNfVilV
ā Tim Urban (@waitbutwhy) February 20, 2022
Sir Isaac Newton
Newton pic.twitter.com/Ah6EBBorrF
ā Tim Urban (@waitbutwhy) February 20, 2022
William Shakespeare
Shakespeare pic.twitter.com/qPKWICC1EY
ā Tim Urban (@waitbutwhy) February 20, 2022
Vincent Van Gogh
Van Gogh pic.twitter.com/h0QR4Uy41y
ā Tim Urban (@waitbutwhy) February 20, 2022
Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette pic.twitter.com/PY6SmIvJiV
ā Tim Urban (@waitbutwhy) February 20, 2022
Cleopatra
Cleopatra pic.twitter.com/r21AbkRHFF
ā Tim Urban (@waitbutwhy) February 20, 2022
Alexander the Great
Alexander the Great pic.twitter.com/DXxjbpBlXR
ā Tim Urban (@waitbutwhy) February 20, 2022
And just for fun, hereās what the Statue of Liberty might look like as a real person:
The Statue of Liberty pic.twitter.com/m9dY8VEvt0
ā Tim Urban (@waitbutwhy) February 20, 2022
Thank you Hidreley for giving us some genuine wonder to peruse through on the internet. If youād like to see more of Hidreley's work, you can follow his Instagram here.
This article originally appeared on 04.25.22
- AI tech brings 19th century portraits to life - Upworthy āŗ
- Stephanie Beatriz sings 'The Family Madrigal' from 'Encanto' - Upworthy āŗ
- AI portraits reimagine young celebrities as they age - Upworthy āŗ
- A 6-yr-old's art teacher said she did her painting 'wrong' - Upworthy āŗ
- AI artist creates realistic portraits of dead celebrities - Upworthy āŗ
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for informationānot just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimicā¦could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if theyāve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESLābut English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I donāt know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! Iām 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."