Turn a photo into a pencil sketch

Turn a photo into a pencil drawing. Choose how thick and dark the lines are, and whether it looks like graphite or coloured pencils.

Drop an image hereAdd an image

JPG, PNG, WebP, GIF or AVIF, up to 80 MB. You can also paste an image.

Result previewOriginal image

Processed on your device. Your image is never uploaded.

How it works

  1. Your browser turns the photo grey, then makes a blurred negative of it.
  2. Dividing one by the other (a “colour dodge”) turns edges into pencil lines and flat areas into paper white.
  3. Darkness deepens the lines; Colour mixes in the photo’s own colours, like coloured pencils.

Supported formats

Opens
JPG, PNG, WebP, AVIF, BMP and GIF (the first frame of an animation)
Saves
The same format, or JPG, PNG or WebP
Limits
Files up to 80 MB. The saved image can be up to 16.7 megapixels on iPhone and iPad, 36 on Android and 64 on computers, and 16,384 pixels on its longest side.
  • Line thickness is relative to the image, so it looks the same at any resolution.
  • Photos with clear edges and good light give the cleanest drawings.
  • Metadata such as camera details and location is not copied to the new file.

Your image stays on your device

This tool runs entirely in your browser. The image is never uploaded, so there is nothing for us to store, see or delete.

To check, open your browser’s developer tools, switch to the Network tab and use the tool: you will not see your image being sent anywhere.

Questions

Are my images uploaded anywhere?

No. The image is read and processed by your own browser. Nothing is sent to our servers, so there is no copy of your image anywhere but your own device.

My sketch looks faint.

Raise Darkness, or use thicker lines. Low-contrast photos give faint sketches, so raising contrast first with Brightness & Colour also helps.

Can I print it?

Yes. Save as PNG for the cleanest lines, and use the Print Size Calculator to check the size.