Sketch Drawer: Effortlessly transform any picture into a crisp, printable stencil for creative projects.

1️⃣ Open Image in Sketch Drawer.
2️⃣ Select Preset for Stencil Conversion.
3️⃣ Adjust Sketch Details (Optional).
4️⃣ Convert Image to Stencil.
5️⃣ Save Stencil File.

Needed a bat stencil for a homemade bat signal (don't ask). Regular photo wasn't cutting it. Tried scanning a drawing – looked messy. Searched online for photo to stencil magic. Found Sketch Drawer – way easier than wrestling with Photoshop. Downloaded, uploaded my bat pic, clicked a button, and bam! Stencil city. Just perfect for my, uh, crime-fighting needs.

📙Quick summary

Sketch Drawer: Turns photos into artistic sketches with ease. [Consider adding target audience if relevant, e.g. for photographers, casual users]
Photoshop: Industry-standard software for image editing and graphic design.
Illustrator: Vector graphics editor ideal for illustrations, logos, and icons.

Make stencils from pics two ways: with a SoftOrbits Sketch Drawer or Photoshop!

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Why do you need a stencil from a photo?

To add extra detail or shading to your artwork.
To create a unique design.
To make a bold statement.
To have fun!

SoftOrbits Picture Stencil Maker: How to make a stencil from a picture without Photoshop

Open the photo

To start, open the program and pick one or more photos.

Make a stencil from a picture without Photoshop..

Select Preset

Next, select the panel and set the options to your preference.

Various tools and options

You can customize the various tools and options however you like!

When it comes to line width, detalization level, and colors, the choice is yours.

Covert and save

Click the Convert button and wait for the software to convert the picture into a stencil illustration.

Sketch Drawer

Sketch Drawer: a Handy Photo to Sketch Converter

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Video Tutorials

Way #2: How to make a stencil from a picture using Photoshop

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Photoshop is another excellent program for creating stencils. It offers more flexibility and options than Sketch Drawer but can be a little more complicated. You can download Photoshop here.

To create a stencil in Photoshop:

Open Photoshop and select File> New. Set the Width and Height to whatever size you want your stencil to be. Click OK.

Select File > Import and choose the picture you want to convert into a stencil. Click Open.

Select Image > Adjustments > Levels Curves or Threshold.

Select Filter > Stylize > Find Edges. This will convert the image into a black-and-white sketch with sharp edges.

Now you can start editing the sketch however you like! Use the various tools and options in Photoshop to turn photos into stencils!
When you are finished editing the image, save it as a PSD or JPEG file and use it for all kinds of projects!

Way #3: How to make a stencil from a photo in Illustrator?

Convert your image before opening the File with Photoshop and use Pen Tool.

Prepare Reference Image I recommend finding good reference material, like this one here, where you can see what it looks like when someone paints on top of another artwork while still being able to see all around them!

Now, import that into vector software as an outline instead so we get some practice working our way around these tools without worrying too much about making mistakes or incorporating misplaced pixels.

Create a stencil from a photo in Illustrator..

Then, Use the Pen Tool (P) to draw a series of anchor points that trace the outermost line of the image. If you hold down Alt as you click, you can add extra anchor points to fine-tune your trace. With the image selected, go to Object > Path > Outline Stroke to turn it into a solid shape.

The next step is to apply a blur effect

After you have your basic shape, it's time to give it some style. Go to Effect > Blur > Gaussian Blur and apply a radius of your choice. I used a setting of 12px. Ensure the Preview box is checked to see what the effect will look like before you apply it. When you're happy with the result, click OK.

Finally, you can add your stencil to any wall in Photoshop or Illustrator; add it as a layer with transparency set to Multiply. That's it; you're done with turning a picture into a stencil!