Convert Photos to Pencil Drawings with AKVIS Sketch

AKVIS LLC announces the release of AKVIS Sketch  v.5.5 for Windows and Macintosh. The software converts photos to realistic pencil and watercolor drawings. The new version is available as a stand-alone application, as well as a plugin to a photo editor.  Version 5.5 offers a new effect – “Color Strokes”.  Upgrade for registered users is free.

AKVIS Sketch is an award-winning program for conversion of photos into pencil sketches and watercolor drawings. Make any photo look like a B&W or color drawing, imitate the technique of graphite or color pencil, charcoal or watercolor painting.

Photo-to-sketch conversion can be a lot of fun and open for you new ways of creativity.  If you have always been wondering how to draw or paint, now you can embody your ideas with AKVIS Sketch.
Many photo editing enthusiasts have already appreciated the Sketch’ s features. You can see a gallery of examples (many created by users) at http://akvis.com/en/sketch/examples-pencil-drawing.php. 
AKVIS Sketch also enjoys attention of professional designers. The program was awarded “Best Image Editing Software 2006”  by "DT&G Magazine".

Earlier Sketch was available only as a Photoshop plugin. Now it can be used independently – as a stand-alone application.  The download contains both versions.

Version 5.5 of AKVIS Sketch offers new possibilities. The check-box "Color Strokes" introduced in version 5.5 allows converting a photo to sketch in such a way that it looks like drawn by color pencils. In contrast to the Coloration effect that just adds colors from the original image, the new option allows imitating hand made color strokes. Note that it is only possible if the original image is a color image. Besides, in version 5.5 color profiles handling has been improved.

You can use Sketch in many ways. 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.
AKVIS Sketch has a simple interface with a few sliders. At first you can process the image with the default settings and then touch up the photo adding color, or trying different techniques – from pencil to charcoal or watercolor. You can make the hatching denser or finer and change the pitch angle of strokes.

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: http://akvis.com/en/sketch-tutorial/cartoon-film.php. 

For a free trial, AKVIS offers 10 days of fully functional use.
Details are available at http://akvis.com/en/sketch/index.php

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  USD or  55 Euro,  downloadable from www.akvis.com . Home users can enjoy the full line of AKVIS plugins in the AKVIS Alchemy bundle (Enhancer, Chameleon, Stamp, Retoucher, Coloriage, Noise Buster,  Decorator, Sketch, LightShop and Frame Suite) for USD $325 USD, a savings of $387 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.