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AKVIS Sketch v.11: Transform Photos Into Pencil Drawings. Two New Interface Modes

AKVIS Sketch is an award-winning program for conversion of photos into pencil sketches and watercolor paintings. The program has already won the recognition of professionals and delighted home users with its neat results. However, there is no end to perfection and the company released a new version of AKVIS Sketch with many improvements.

With AKVIS Sketch you do not need to handle a pencil to feel like an artist. All you need to create your original work of art is good taste and AKVIS Sketch. Make any photo look like a B&W or color drawing, imitate the technique of graphite or color pencil, charcoal or watercolor painting.

The Stroke Direction tool makes the effect of a hand-drawn sketch yet more realistic thanks to ultimate control over the hatch direction. Draw guiding lines to set the hatching, for example, for round objects (like apples, the moon, etc) and the hatching will follow the curves of the object, as if it was drawn by a human artist. In version 11 it's now possible to save guiding lines to a file (.direction format), which can be loaded at another time. Files in .direction format are also compatible with AKVIS ArtWork. You can open an image in ArtWork and use the same guiding lines for that image, which you saved in Sketch. A pencil drawing and an oil painting can be created from the same photo with ease.

Version 11 also offers the ability to switch between two interface modes: Express and Advanced. Express mode provides just the features and parameters you need to quickly obtain a satisfactory result, while Advanced mode reveals the features and parameters hidden in Express mode, giving the user access to the full functionality of Sketch. Those features work in Express mode, but are given default values or those of a chosen preset. Note: The features and parameters available in either mode also depend on the type of license chosen.

Once you have converted your photo into a drawing (in Advanced mode), you can add some special effects (the Background tab). Create a blend of a drawing and a photo; imitate motion or add a "time machine effect" by swirling the background. Bring attention to something in an image by blurring the rest of it in an artistic way. It is especially useful when the final drawing contains too many details in the background that divert attention.

Also, the parameters on the Canvas tab let you add a rough surface to your image, as if it has been drawn on canvas, corrugated paper, brick wall, etc.
It is also possible to add a signature or a greeting to your pencil drawings to personalize the work of art.

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