AKVIS OilPaint is a surprisingly easy way to turn photos into mini-masterpieces and create stunning digital art without spending hours layering on light and tone. In some cases, the process only takes a few minutes. It’s available as a standalone app in four flavours, as well as a convenient plug-in for Adobe Photoshop and Photoshop Elements.
The software is easy to handle. Simply import a photo, then apply one of the custom filter settings using the sliders on the right or use one of OilPaint’s predefined options. You can change everything from the brush-stroke density and size, to the thickness of digital paint, to give your work a more detailed or impressionistic feel. You can also edit the canvas texture and save any settings you specify for later. Your painting is then rendered each time to achieve optimum results. There’s a quick preview tool for you to see a sample of your final work.
Unlike standard filters, in OilPaint the brushstrokes match the contours of your photo rather than appearing in set places on the screen, which makes the final images seem much more crafted. You can further fine-tune your image by defining brush-stroke directions using the Stroke direction tool. This tool is great for making sure that the contours on a face are correctly defined. In this new version of the software, there’s also a History Brush, which enables you to paint back in areas of detail. Or you can call upon an “Oil Brush” tool to add more paint effects, while a smudge tool enables further tweaking.All of which allow you much greater flexibility than a traditional oil painting filter and let you produce stunning results with ease.
The bottom line. More than just another filter, OilPaint turns photos into paintings with its great range of tools.
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