Turn a photo into a pencil sketch

A classic effect: the photo is turned to grey, and the sketch lines come from blending it with a blurred negative of itself.

Drop images here

Your files stay on your device. You can also paste or drag files in.

How to turn a photo into a pencil sketch

  1. Add a photo. Portraits and high contrast subjects work best.
  2. Slide to a lower value for fine detail or a higher one for bolder shading.
  3. Press Make the sketch and download it.

Good to know

  • The effect is the colour dodge blend between the grey picture and its blurred inverse, the same recipe image editors use.
  • Faces and buildings with clear edges give the best results. Busy, flat-lit pictures come out grey and blank.
  • Large pictures are scaled down to 3000 pixels on the long side to keep it quick.

Questions

How does it work?

The picture is turned grey, inverted and blurred, then divided into the original. Edges stay dark and flat areas go white, which resembles pencil.

Why is my sketch almost white?

Low contrast photos have few edges. Try a picture with stronger lighting.

Can I keep the colour?

No, this effect is grey only.

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