Tutorial: AKVIS ArtWork

How to Work with the Program

AKVIS ArtWork is photo to painting software, designed to imitate different painting techniques. It can work independently as a standalone program and as a plug-in to a photo editor.

Follow the instructions below:

Step 1. Run the standalone edition of AKVIS ArtWork or open your photo editor (if you work with the plugin version of AKVIS ArtWork).
Step 2. Open an image.
- If you work with the plugin:

Open an image in your photo editor by calling the command File -> Open or using the key combination Ctrl+O (+O on Macintosh).

- If you work with the standalone edition:

The dialog box Select File to Open appears if you double-click on the empty workspace of the program or if you click on the button on the Control Panel. You can also drag the required image into the workspace of the program. The Standalone edition of AKVIS ArtWork supports JPEG, RAW, PNG, BMP, and TIFF file formats.

The AKVIS ArtWork window
Step 3. In the plug-in version only: call the AKVIS ArtWork plug-in. For this purpose in Adobe Photoshop select the menu item Filter -> AKVIS -> ArtWork; in Corel PaintShop Photo Pro select the menu item Effects –> Plugins -> AKVIS –> ArtWork; in Corel Photo-Paint select the menu item Effects -> AKVIS -> ArtWork.
Step 4. Select the painting technique in the drop-down menu Style in the Settings Panel.
There are six painting styles - Oil, Watercolor, Comics, Pen & Ink, Linocut, and Pastel.
Step 5. Adjust the settings for the chosen painting style on the Painting tab.
The result of image processing will be shown in the Preview Window. The quick preview area takes settings of the Painting and Canvas tabs. It is not available in Linocut effect, since the algorithm should process the entire image to produce a good result.
The Preview Window is a square frame outlined with a dotted line ("marching ants"). To drag the Preview Window, bring the cursor inside the square, press the left mouse button and, keeping it pressed, drag the frame to the required position. One more way to move the Preview Window is to double-click with the left mouse button on the required point. Every time the Preview Window is moved, the program processes the area within automatically. The Preview Window disappears after the start of image processing and appears again, if you switch to the Before tab (if the button is pressed).
To compare the result of automatic conversion in the Preview Window with the original picture, click on any point of the image keeping the left-button or the right-button of the mouse pressed.
The Preview Window Size is adjusted in the dialog box Preferences (the button ).

Preview Window
Step 6. Press the button to convert the original photo into a painting with the new settings. If you have not adjusted the values, the program will process the image with the default settings (AKVIS Default preset or the last used preset).
The Esc key interrupts the process; if there is no processing, then it closes the program's window and all the changes are lost.
Step 7. In the Oil and Pastel styles there is an additional smart tool available only under the Home Deluxe/Business licenses - the Stroke Direction tool .
With this tool you can add your own creative touch by selectively changing the direction of the brush strokes.
It gives you full control over the strokes. Use this special brush to define the guiding lines, and the program will convert the image into a painting directing the strokes to follow the drawn guiding lines. With this technique you can achieve truly realistic paintings with human hair, patterns and textures going in the right direction.
To edit the guiding lines use the tools and and the buttons and (remove/restore the last drawn line).
- Stroke Direction . Draw with the tool over the image to define the "guiding lines", along which the strokes will be drawn. The changes will be shown in the Preview Window. To process the entire image, click on the button .
- Eraser . Use this tool to erase the lines. The size of the tool can be adjusted by right clicking on the image.
Hint: Guiding lines can be saved to a file with the .direction extension (with the button), to use them for further processing in case of work interruption. Loaded guiding lines (with the button) adapt automatically to the size of the image.
Step 8. If needed, adjust the settings on the Canvas or Text tab. Click on the button to start the processing again.

Step 9. In the Oil, Watercolor, and Pastel styles you can also use the Post-Processing Tools which are available only under the Home Deluxe/Business licenses:
Smudge (in Oil/Watercolor/Pastel) and Blur (in Watercolor).
Step 10. It is possible to save the settings you like as a preset and use them in the future. A preset is shared by all three tabs.
To save a preset, enter a name for the preset into the Presets field and press the button Save. Now, as you start the program, it will use the settings of this preset. If you change the values of the parameters, you can always come back to the default settings of the preset by pressing the button Reset.
To delete a preset, select it from the list and press Delete.
To process an image with the settings of a certain preset, you should select it from the drop-down menu and press the button .
It's possible to import and export your presets by clicking on and .
Step 11. In the plug-in version only: press the button to apply the result and close the plugin window. The AKVIS ArtWork plugin will close and the picture will appear in the workspace of the photo editor.

Result
Step 12. Save the processed image.
- If you work with the plugin:

Call the Save As dialog box using the command File -> Save As, enter a name for the file, choose the format and indicate the target folder.

- If you work with the standalone edition:

Click on the button to open the Save as dialog box. Enter a name for the file, choose the format (TIFF, BMP, JPEG or PNG) and indicate the target folder.
Step 13. The standalone edition of AKVIS ArtWork lets you print the image. For this purpose press the button , adjust print settings in the Print dialog box and press the button Print.
Step 14. Close the program AKVIS ArtWork.