Make a Sketch From a Photo
Watch a flash movie demonstrating the technique of photo-to-sketch conversion with AKVIS Sketch.
Click here (flash-movie, 6,8 Mb)
In the Sketch tab you can adjust the parameters for the photo-to-sketch conversion.
There are four parameter fields: Effects, Strokes, Edges, Direction.
Note: You can see the conversion result immediately, as you move the slider, only in the Quick Preview window. To convert the whole image, press the button
 or click on the After tab.
Effects:
Watercolor. The Watercolor parameter lets you create watercolor drawings. This parameter accepts values between 0 and 50. By default it is set to 0 which corresponds to a pencil drawing. As you move the slider to the right (that is, increase the value of the parameter) the strokes get blurred, contrast and detail get weaker, as if the strokes were drawn on wet paper. The higher the value of the parameter, the stronger the effect.
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| Watercolor = 10 |
Charcoal. The parameter changes the drawing technique from a fine pencil drawing to charcoal. The higher the value of the parameter, the more it looks like the charcoal technique.
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| Charcoal = 7 |
Coloration. The effect adds color to a drawing provided by the color information from the original image. By default the value is set to 0, which corresponds to a graphite pencil sketch. As you move the slider to the right, the drawing gets colors from the original image. If at the same time the parameter Watercolor has a value higher than 0, the sketch looks like a watercolor drawing. The parameter Coloration accepts values between 0 and 100. The default value is 0; it means that the pencil sketch is not mixed with the original image. As you move the slider to the right the drawing acquires colors from the original image.
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| Coloration = 40 |
Strokes tab (including hatching parameters):
Color Pencil. When the check-box is enabled, the program imitates a color pencil drawing. When the check-box is disabled, the strokes are black.
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| The check-box "Color Pencil" is enabled |
The check-box "Color Pencil" is disabled |
When the check-box Color Pencil is enabled, you can change the Saturation of the image by moving the slider to the right of the check-box. As the value of this parameter is increased, the intensity of colors in the image become more intense, and colors of the strokes become more "bright".
Saturation = 0 |
Saturation = 100 |
Angle. This parameter Angle sets the pitch angle of the strokes when hatching a uniform area (an area that does not contain edges and intensity swings). By default the strokes in such areas are drawn at a 45 degree angle. The parameter has values between 0 and 180 degrees; the step is 5 degrees.
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| Angle = 45 |
Angle = 135 |
Angle = 90 |
Size. This parameter sets the stroke size. If you reduce the value of the parameter the strokes on the picture get thinner and harder, if you increase the value the strokes get wider and blurred on their edges.
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| Size = 5 |
Size = 9 |
Min Length/Max Length. This parameter sets a range within which the stroke length can vary. There are two sliders to define the range borders: the left slider sets the minimum length, the right slider sets the maximum length. The resulting sketch will be made up of strokes that fall within this range.
If you reduce the minimum length, the number of strokes and the detail of the image increase. Visually the drawing becomes darker. If you increase the value of the minimum length, the number of strokes is reduced (strokes shorter than the set minimum do not get drawn). Visually the image becomes lighter and neater.
If you increase the maximum length, the hatching becomes less uniform. The higher the value of this parameter, the longer strokes can be drawn on the picture. However, if the value is too high it may worsen the precision of the hatching.
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| Min Length/Max Length=1/4 |
Min Length/Max Length=8/16 |
Midtones Intensity. This parameter defines the intensity of the midtone strokes, as if drawn with different pressure. As you move the slider to the left, the midtone strokes fade - becoming dim and blurred. As you move the slider to the right the midtone strokes become thicker and more intensive.
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| Midtones Intensity = 1 |
Midtones Intensity = 10 |
Midtones Hatching. This parameter defines the level of hatching in the midtone areas. If you want to reduce hatching move the slider to the left.
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| Midtones Hatching = 1 |
Midtones Hatching = 100 |
Edges tab:
This tab contains parameters that affect how edges are drawn.
Edge Strength. This is the main parameter used to control edges, by adjusting the intensity of lines and details. At lower levels there are fewer edges and the level of detail decreases, while at higher values more edges are drawn and more detail is present.
Edge Strength = 0 |
Edge Strength = 50 |
Edge Strength = 100 |
The Edge Tracing check-box is used to detect the additional edges between areas that don't have well-defined transitions in brightness. Its affect can be adjusted further by these two parameters:
Direction tab:
The parameters under this tab affect hatching when the Stroke Direction tool is used  .
The Stroke Direction tool gives you full control over how hatching is drawn on an image. Use this special tool to define the guiding lines, and the program will convert the image into a sketch, directing the hatching to follow them. With this technique you can achieve a truly realistic drawing with patterns and textures going in the right direction.
The tool is not available for the basic Home license; it is active only for advanced licenses like Home Deluxe, Business.
You can use it more effectively by adjusting these parameters:
Zone of Influence - the width of the area affected by stroke guide lines. The higher the value, the more hatching will follow the direction of stroke guide lines.
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| Zone of Influence = 0 |
Zone of Influence = 35 |
Preserve Edges check-box. When this check-box is deselected, hatching will be drawn past edges.
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| Check-Box Activated |
Check-Box Deactivated |
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— Make a Sketch from a Photo