It has been some time since we last visited the Windows Phone photography app Sketch. It is a simple, yet effective way to turn your photographs into pencil sketches. The app was recently updated and rebranded to PicSketch. The update also offers a revised user interface that the developers hope is more engaging.
The original was not too shabby within its own right but the updated version does seem to have a bit more gusto. The concept is still the same but the design changes works rather well making PicSketch a Windows Phone photography app worth a try.
PicSketch Editing Screens
The functionality of PicSketch has not changed much. The opening page of the app will offer you a choice to launch the camera app and convert a new image to sketch form or open your Windows Phone Pictures Hub to choose an existing photo to convert. Converting images to sketches offers you four editing options.
- Effects: Here you have fifty-three sketch filters that can be applied to your photo.
- Paper: Thirty-three styles of paper backgrounds/textures
- Vignette: Twenty-five options to apply a little vignetting to your image
In the upper right corner of the editing screen, you can pull up additional options to adjust the intensity, contours, brightness and contrast of your filter.
PicSketch Sharing/Saving Options
Once you have your image conversion just right, you can save the image to your Pictures Hub or a variety of social/photography websites. Images can be saved at three resolutions low, medium and HD. Saving the below image at the HD level yielded a resolution of 1685 x 1258 pixels (original resolution was 2592 x 1936 pixels).
PicSketch Sample
All totaled the changes to Sketch (now PicSketch) helps give the photography app a boost. The only issues with the beta version that I experienced was at times the tiles to choose an effect could be a little stubborn, requiring multiple taps before applying the effect. Just keep in mind PicSketch is still in the beta stages so these little quirks aren’t unusual.
As far as the layout/design of PicSketch is concerned, the only complaint I have is that after you save the image you remain on the sharing choice screen. While this makes it easy to save the image to multiple locations, a home button would be a nice touch to send you back to the main page of the app. As is, you will have to tap the Windows Phone back button a few times to start editing another image.
If you are looking for a way to give your images a unique, dare I say sketchy, feel, PicSketch should be on your short list. The updated version is still a beta and is available for both Windows Phone 8 and 7.x devices. PicSketch is a free, ad-supported app and you can find it here in the Windows Phone Store. There is also an ad-free version of PicSketch that is running $1.99 that you can pick up here in the Windows Phone Store (second QR Code).
Reader comments
Sketch for Windows Phone gets updated with a new name and user interface
What do you mean by GUSTO? Like?
more meat on the bones, more wind behind their sails, more zip, more hutzpah, more get up and go...
Less hat, more cattle, Taste Great, Less Filling, Melts in your mouth, not in your hands, Kid tested, mother approved, Stays crunchy, even in milk.
Nice to see someone us the word "hutzpah"! Haha nice one George!
I don't understand either, and Spanish is my primary language
Gusto basically means enthusiasm or immense enjoyment e.g. Eating with gusto
Links are reversed, free is paid and vice versa
The links are correct, just the name is wrong. Just making the fix now, sorry for the confusion.
I apparently don't have permission to download this app. Got that message on the free version.
Same here
no permission for canada here....
Got the same for free on tmo us 925
Same here
"You don't have the required permissions to download this app." Here in the US. That's a new one. I think maybe you accidentally provided a link to the beta. Here's the actual link:
http://www.windowsphone.com/en-us/store/app/picsketch-free/e68a06de-0bfb...
This is a fantastic app and the new design makes it so much more cooler!
delete
delete commenting failure
No permission forIndia
As a Nokia user, I wish I had these two apps from Samsung:
http://www.wpcentral.com/samsung-releases-mangacamera-and-paper-artist-windows-phone
This is an excellent app. The new interface looks fabulous. Finally after a long long time the app has got an update and i'm very pleased.
The links seem to be all messed up in the US region. The free version is paid and the paid version is free. The India region shows them correct.
Thought it was "sketch camera" but apparently it's another sketch.
Recently maxed our my memory on my 1020 and had to purge some apps
What the article doesn't mention is that most of the paper and vignette filters must be purchased via in app purchase.. At least all the effects are free.
No permission in Malaysia
I like this app alot!
What is the name of that case of the first image? I want that... D: