AKVIS Sketch for Mac

Transform photos into pencil and watercolor-style images

One of the most dramatic edits you can make to a photograph is converting it into a pencil sketch or a watercolor-like rendering. Monochrome pencil strokes can give an ordinary photo fresh character, and AKVIS Sketch handles this effect quickly and convincingly.

How to create a sketch in seconds

AKVIS Sketch is straightforward. Open a photo, mark the region you want to convert, and press the Play/run button at the top of the window. The program processes the image within moments and produces the sketch automatically.

Adjusting the look

After the initial conversion you can refine the result using the effect controls. Sliders let you change things like watercolor intensity, charcoal strength, and color saturation. The default conversion is usually strong, so you may only need a few tweaks rather than extensive adjustments.

Current limitation to be aware of

The selection tool can be frustrating: it appears to restrict you to converting only a small portion of the image rather than the entire picture. That makes full-image sketches less convenient when you want a single-step conversion of the whole photo.

What’s new in this release

• Now compatible with Photoshop CS4–CS5 64-bit on both Windows and macOS.
• Added 64-bit support for the plugin version to improve performance on modern systems.
• Introduced a toggle between simplified and advanced interface layouts for quicker workflows.
• You can export and import stroke guides using a *.direction file for consistent results.
• Minor bugs have been corrected to improve stability and reliability.