AKVIS Sketch 8.5: Photo-to-Sketch Conversion
New Version Adds Signature/Greeting to Pencil Drawing
December 9, 2008 — AKVIS Software Inc. announces the release of AKVIS Sketch v.8.5 for Windows and Macintosh.
The software converts photos to pencil drawings and watercolor paintings.
Version 8.5 offers a new tab Text, which allows adding a signature or a greeting to your drawing. The new version is available as a stand-alone application, as well as a plugin to a photo editor. Upgrade for registered users is free.
AKVIS Sketch is an award-winning program for conversion of photos into pencil sketches and watercolor paintings. Make any photo look like a B&W or color drawing, imitate the technique of graphite or color pencil, charcoal or watercolor painting. The program works in an entertaining way. It allows observing the conversion of a photo into a drawing/watercolor in real time and even interrupting the process when the required result is achieved.
Artists always put a signature to their works. Version 8.5 gives you also this possibility. Add a signature or a greeting to your pencil drawings to personalize your work of art. Also version 8.5 improves the Print dialog and corrects some minor bugs.
Once you have converted your photo into a drawing, you can add some special effects (the Background tab). Create a blend of a drawing and a photo; imitate motion or add “time machine effect” by swirling the background. Put an accent to certain parts of the image by blurring the rest of it in an artistic way. It proves especially useful when the final drawing contains too many details on the background that divert attention.
These manipulations are easy to perform thanks to the Keep/Drop pencils. For example, to single out one person at a party, you can draw a rough outline within the figure with the blue pencil, and cut off the background with the green (blur) pencil. When the image is processed, the background will be blurred in a special way – it may look like a slight haze; or be in motion, as if everything around is passing by like on a highway; or the background can swirl like in a sci-fi film. It all depends on the effect settings.
Besides, the parameters on the Canvas tab allow adding a rough surface to your image, as if it has been drawn on canvas, corrugated paper, brick wall, etc.
Many photo editing enthusiasts have already appreciated the Sketch’ s features. Take a look at the examples gallery (many created by users) at akvis.com.
Sketch can be useful on many occasions. Surprise your friends and relatives by presenting them their pencil portraits. Make a watercolor drawing out of a photo from your last nature shooting to decorate your room. Convert your own photo into a color sketch to print on a T-shirt. Create a comic out of your party videos.
The program can be helpful to designers who need to quickly bring images to one style for a web-site or an advertisement booklet.
Using batch processing in Photoshop or Paint Shop pro (only for the plug-in version) you can even convert a film into a cartoon. Like here.
For a free trial, AKVIS offers 10 days of fully functional use. Upgrade for registered users is free.
AKVIS Sketch is available as a stand-alone application, as well as a plugin to a photo editor. The plugin version of AKVIS Sketch is compatible with Adobe Photoshop and Photoshop Elements, Corel Painter, Corel Photo-Paint, and Paint Shop Pro, ACD FotoCanvas, and Ulead PhotoImpact. AKVIS Sketch runs on Microsoft Windows 2000/2003/XP/Vista and on Macintosh Mac OS X 10.4, PowerPC G3 and above.
AKVIS Sketch Home license (plug-in or standalone) sells for $72, downloadable from www.akvis.com . Home users can enjoy the full line of AKVIS plugins in the AKVIS Alchemy bundle (Sketch, Chameleon, Stamp, Retoucher, Coloriage, Noise Buster, Decorator, Enhancer, LightShop, SmartMask, ArtSuite, Magnifier and ArtWork) for USD $325 USD, huge savings over purchasing each separately. For business licenses consult the official web-site. One license key allows activating the software on two computers, for example, on a desktop and a laptop.
About the Program: akvis.com/en/sketch/index.php
What's New: akvis.com/en/sketch/whats-new.php
Screenshot: akvis.com/en/sketch/screenshots-pencil-drawing.php
Download: akvis.com/en/sketch/download-pencil-drawing.php
Tutorial: akvis.com/en/sketch-tutorial/index.php
Graphics: akvis.com/en/company/graphics.php
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