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Introduction

AKVIS ArtWork, a Photoshop compatible plug-in transforms your pictures by imparting professional painting styles to them. Change the default settings through convenient sliders, and you can end up with any number of painted styles. A special tool brush defines the guiding lines, and a virtual painter can convert any image into a painting directing the strokes to follow the lines within the actual picture. You can add an artist's signature, and there is a choice between a flat background and a rough surface (canvas, paper, etc.).

AKVIS ArtWork is from AKVIS, a company based in Russia that specializes in graphics programs. Apart from ArtWork, AKVIS also creates other Photoshop compatible plug-ins like Retoucher, Chameleon, Stamp, Sketch, Enhancer, Decorator, Magnifier, Noise Buster, SmartMask, LightShop, ArtSuite and Coloriage.

You can download a free 10 day trial version of ArtWork from the AKVIS site...

My contact at AKVIS for this review was Kat Kharina, thank you Kat.

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How To Use

Follow the steps to use AKVIS ArtWork:

1. Open any image in an image editor such as Adobe Photoshop.
   
   
2. Choose Filter | AKVIS | ArtWorks, as shown in Figure 1.

   
   Figure 1: AKVIS ArtWork

3. This opens the AKVIS ArtWork interface, that you can see in Figure 2 below.

   
   Figure 2: AKVIS ArtSuite interface

   The interface is explained below:

   1. Preview has two tabs -- Before and After, which show the original and changed images.
      
      
   2. On the top right, you'll find the Navigator.
      
      
   3. Here you can see three tabs which are explained below:

      Painting allows to tweak photo-to-paint conversion parameters such as stroke length, stroke thickness, etc.

      Text here you can add any text such as artists name.

      Canvas choose between a flat background and a rough surface such as canvas, paper, etc. to give your painting a realistic effect.

   4. Presets allows you to save the changes you made which can be used in future.
      
      
   5. Here you can see Stroke Direction button which can activates the guiding lines drawing tool and the Eraser tool used to erase the guiding lines, either partially or fully.

4. Once done apply the changes within the plug-in press the Apply button.
   
   
   
   
5. This applies and creates a preview of the image. If you want to make more changes, you can change the Painting settings. You can preview the changed image in the After tab, as shown in Figure 3.
   
   
   Figure 3: Preview the changes
   
   
6. Once you’re done with playing with the effect, apply the result to the image by pressing the Apply icon (see icon below) to return to the image editor.
   
   
   

Here are some before and after samples:

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Specifications

Photoshop Versions:	5+
Platforms:	Windows, Mac
Site:	AKVIS
Price:	US$72 and above
Trial Version:	10 days

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