How to turn a photo into a sketch on a Mac
Open Photo to Sketch
With a canvas open, click Magic ▸ “Photo to Sketch…” in the toolbar.
Choose a photo
Click “Choose Photo…” and pick an image file. It is converted on your Mac.
Pick a style
Under “Style”, choose “Ink Outline”, “Pencil Sketch”, “Comic” or “Blueprint”. With Pro, tune the lines with “Line Weight” and “Detail”.
Compare before and after
Drag the divider across the preview to compare your photo with the sketch.
Add it to the canvas
Click “Add as Layer”. The sketch lands on a new layer named “Sketch”, centered and scaled down to fit if needed. Undo removes the sketch but keeps the empty layer.
Draw over it
Pick a brush and trace, ink or color over the lines. Your marks go on a new layer above “Sketch”. If a free painting already has 3 layers, they go on the selected layer instead.
Turn a photo into a sketch or line drawing on Mac
Photo to Sketch turns a photo into a sketch inside Paint My, a drawing and painting app for Mac. It is a filter: it traces the edges in your picture and renders the photo in the style you pick.
The result is an ordinary layer named “Sketch” on your canvas, not a finished picture to download. Trace it, ink it, color under it or erase what you don’t need, with the same brushes you use for everything else.
Starting from paper? Scan a drawing with your iPhone to your Mac instead. Or draw from scratch: Paint My is also a sketching app for Mac, with graphite pencils, charcoal and ink.
Four styles: ink outline, pencil sketch, comic and blueprint
Pick a look under “Style”. “Ink Outline” and “Pencil Sketch” keep only the lines, so your canvas shows through. “Comic” and “Blueprint” fill the whole photo area. With Pro, two sliders tune “Ink Outline”, “Pencil Sketch” and “Blueprint”: “Line Weight” changes the line thickness, and “Detail” keeps more or fewer edges.
- “Ink Outline”: dark lines on transparency, for a photo to line drawing. This is the free style.
- “Pencil Sketch”: graphite-gray lines on a transparent background, for a photo to pencil sketch on Mac.
- “Comic”: a comic effect applied to the whole photo.
- “Blueprint”: light lines on solid blue.
Photo to line art for coloring or tracing
Choose “Ink Outline” for line art to color in or trace. Its lines sit on a transparent layer, so color painted on a layer beneath shows everywhere except under the lines.
Your marks usually start a new layer above “Sketch”. To color under the lines, drag your color layer below “Sketch” in the Studio sidebar, or set the color layer’s blend mode to “Multiply”. Our guide to layers and blend modes explains both.
To save just the lines, select the “Sketch” layer and choose File ▸ “Export Selected Layers…” (⇧⌘E). You get a PNG cropped to the artwork’s edges, and every export is free. Kids can color the lines on screen too: Paint My also works as a drawing app for kids on Mac.
An offline photo to sketch converter
Photo to Sketch does not upload your picture. It runs on your Mac, and the sheet says so: “Your photos never leave this Mac.”
There is no account to create, and the conversion makes no network connection, so it works offline. Free input is scaled to at most 1600 px on the long side; with Pro, up to 4096 px.
Which styles are free, and what Pro adds
“Ink Outline” is free, with “Line Weight” and “Detail” set for you. The other three styles show a sparkle while your one free use remains: you can preview them, and the first “Add as Layer” with a Pro style spends that use. After that they show a lock.
Free paintings keep 3 layers. If yours is full, “Add as Layer” offers “Combine Layers” instead, and your free use is not spent. Pro gives you all 4 styles, both sliders, 4096 px input and no layer limit.
Questions
How do I turn a picture into a drawing on a Mac?
In Paint My, choose Magic ▸ “Photo to Sketch…”, click “Choose Photo…” and pick a style. Then click “Add as Layer” to put the drawing on its own layer.
How do I get line art from a photo for tracing or coloring?
Use “Ink Outline”: it gives dark lines on a transparent layer. Paint colors on a layer below “Sketch”, or save just the lines with “Export Selected Layers…” (⇧⌘E).
Is there an offline photo to sketch converter for Mac?
Yes. Photo to Sketch runs on your Mac with no upload and no account, so it works without an internet connection.
Which Photo to Sketch styles are free?
“Ink Outline” is free, at up to 1600 px. You also get one free use of a Pro style. Pro unlocks all 4 styles, the sliders and 4096 px input.
What’s the difference between Photo to Sketch and Paint It for Me?
Photo to Sketch is a filter: it turns the whole photo into a sketch on one layer. Paint It for Me draws a painting stroke by stroke with real brushes, in pencil, colored pencil, watercolor or crayon. See how to turn a photo into a painting.
