Crayon Hug
Free, no sign-up

Turn a photo into a pencil sketch

Upload a photo and get a realistic graphite sketch with soft, natural shading in about 15 seconds. One free sketch a day.

1. Your photo
Drop a photo hereJPG, PNG or HEIC, up to 20 MB

Only upload photos you took or have permission to use. For a child, that's their parent or guardian.

Your photo is only used to make your sketch, deleted after 7 days, and never used to train AI.

Your sketch will appear here

Compare the photo with the sketch

The same couple as a graphite pencil sketch with soft shadingA smiling grandfather and grandmother on a sofa, in colorPhotoSketch
Drag the handle to compare. This example shows one possible result; results vary by photo.

How to turn a photo into a sketch

  1. Upload a photo from your phone or computer.
  2. Wait about 15 seconds while it's drawn in pencil.
  3. Download the PNG, then print or frame it.

Faces, poses and clothing stay recognizable, with soft shading and the background drawn more lightly. Clear, well-lit photos give the best sketches.

Questions

What does the sketch look like?
A realistic graphite pencil drawing on white paper: hand-drawn strokes, soft shading and no color. Landscape photos stay landscape.
Is it really free?
Yes. One sketch a day is free, with no sign-up. Download it as a PNG straight away.
Can I make more than one sketch?
Yes. Each extra sketch uses 1 page credit. $5 gets you 5 page credits that never expire.
What happens to my photo?
It's only used to make your sketch, deleted after 7 days, and never used to train AI.
Can I color the sketch?
A sketch is shaded, so it's made for framing and printing rather than coloring. For a page to color, use the photo to coloring page tool.