Tutorial: AKVIS ArtWork

Workspace

AKVIS ArtWork can work independently as a standalone program as well as a plug-in to a photo editor.

To call the AKVIS ArtWork plug-in in Adobe Photoshop select the menu item Filter -> AKVIS -> ArtWork; in Paint Shop Pro select the menu item Effects –> Plugins -> AKVIS –> ArtWork; in Corel PHOTO-PAINT select the menu item Effects -> AKVIS -> ArtWork.

To launch the standalone version of AKVIS ArtWork follow the instructions:

• On a Windows computer:

  - In the main menu: press the button Start and select from the pop-up menu the command AKVIS -> ArtWork.

  - Using the program's shortcut on the Desktop: put the cursor on the icon of the program AKVIS ArtWork and double-click it with the left mouse button.
  

• On a Macintosh computer:

  - Using Finder: select the folder Applications on the side bar of the Finder window, select the application AKVIS ArtWork and double-click it.

Under Windows the AKVIS ArtWork program window looks like this:

Workspace of AKVIS ArtWork

The left part of the AKVIS ArtWork window is taken by the Image Window with two tabs: Before and After. Under the Before tab you can see the original photo. The After tab shows the resulting image. You can switch between the windows by pressing the Tab key or by left-clicking on the tab with mouse button. To compare the original and the resulting images, click on the image and hold the button pressed - the program will currently switch between tabs.

In the upper part of the window you can see the Control Panel with the following buttons:

• The button (only in the standalone version) opens an image for processing.
• The button (only in the standalone version) saves an image to the disk.
• The button (only in the standalone version) prints the image.
• The button exports presets (user settings for the image processing). You can save any number of presets to a separate file with the ending .artwork.
• The button imports a list of presets (from the .artwork file).
• The button / shows/hides the guiding lines.
• The button deletes the last drawn stroke. The hotkey for the command is Ctrl+Z (+Z on Macintosh).
• The button restores the last drawn stroke. The hotkey for the command is Ctrl+Y (+Y on Macintosh).
• The button initiates image processing with the current settings. The resulting image is shown in the After tab.
• The button (only in the plugin version) applies the result of the conversion. When you click on the button, the changes are applied to the image and the AKVIS ArtWork window closes.

• The button shows information about the program.
• The button opens the help files of the program.
• The button calls the Preferences dialog box.

Тo the left of the Image Window there is a Toolbar with the following buttons:

• The button switches on/off the Preview Window.
• The button activates the guiding lines drawing tool Stroke Direction (available in Home Deluxe and Business versions only).
• The button activates the Eraser tool used to erase the guiding lines, either partially or fully.

The result of the adjustment can be seen in the Preview Window on the Painting tab. Navigate and scale the image using the Navigation window. In the Navigation window you can see the reduced copy of the image. The red frame shows the part of the image that is now visible in the Image Window; the areas outside the frame will be shaded. Drag the frame to make other parts of the image visible. To move the frame, bring the cursor inside the frame, press the left mouse button and, keeping it pressed, move the frame in the Navigation window.

Navigation window

To scroll the image in the Image Window you can press the spacebar on the keyboard and drag the image with the left mouse button. Use the scroll wheel of the mouse to move the image up/down, by keeping the Ctrl key pressed – to the left/to the right, by keeping the Alt key pressed − scale the image. Right-click on the scroll bar to activate the quick navigation menu.

Use the slider or the buttons and , to scale the image in the Image Window. When you click on the button or move the slider to the right, the image scale increases. When you click on the button or move the slider to the left, the image scale reduces.

You can also change the image scale by entering a new coefficient into the scale field and pressing the button Enter (Return in Macintosh). The fall-down menu shows some frequently used coefficients.

You can use hot-keys to change the image scale + and Ctrl++ (++ in Macintosh) to increase the image scale and - and Ctrl+- (+- in Macintosh) to reduce the scale.

Under the Navigation Window there is a Settings Panel with three tabs: Painting, Text and Canvas.

• On the Painting tab you can adjust the settings for photo-to-paint conversion.
• On the Text tab you can add an inscription to your painting.

• On the Canvas tab you can adjust the settings for the canvas, to which the resulting image is applied.

In the Presets field you can save the current settings as a preset to use them in the future. The current settings can be saved, edited, deleted. When you launch the program, it uses the settings of the last used preset.

Under the Settings Panel you can see hints: a brief description of AKVIS ArtWork (the first time you launch it) or the description of the parameter that was used last.