sketch program

[alira]

I am looking to get a sketch program, can anyone tell me which is better akvis sketch or redfield sketch. Akvis is more expensive, is it worth the difference. I was trying to find a comparison between the 2 but couldn't.

what about free sketch plugins? are there any ?

[pavel123]

They are somewhat difficult to compare because renderings look so different. I personally prefer Akvis, didn't like what I get with Redfield, but I can not claim that I tried very hard to get optimal settings. Easiest way is to download a free trial and check for yourseft.
I am not aware of free sketch plug ins but photoshop itself has a few build in filters that could give you a basic sketch.

[palms1]

Here is a review of Akvis by Danny
I have redefields sketch and havent used it, in about two years
I use just photoshop now and a action i made which can be got from here

There are different actions for sketches to be found here

Palms

[jch71566]

Fotosketcher is a free program that has some decent results. Available here: http://www.fotosketcher.com/

-Jeff

[pavel123]

Below a few sketch tuts from Innograpx

http://www.innographx.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=274
http://www.innographx.com/forum/view...php?f=5&t=3909
http://www.innographx.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=444
http://www.innographx.com/forum/view...php?f=5&t=3223

Pavel

[Peter S]

Another one to try is Little Inkpot
http://www.littleinkpot.co.uk/FreePlugins.htm
May help.

Peter

[ISeek]

Topaz Simplify is a good one for the edge pencil work.

[Kraellin]

filter forge has many sketch filters. the program isnt free, but the 6000+ library of filters is.

[alira]

thanks for the replies, regarding filter forge how can the filters be free if the program is not.

palms, will check out your action

pavel and jch thanks for those links

peter the inkpot chalkoholic looks like it might be good

i am interested in doing a colored sketch or colored pencil look not black and white.

[pavel123]

Originally Posted by alira

thanks for the replies, regarding filter forge how can the filters be free if the program is not.

palms, will check out your action

pavel and jch thanks for those links

peter the inkpot chalkoholic looks like it might be good

i am interested in doing a colored sketch or colored pencil look not black and white.

Once you have B&W, converting it to color sketch is fairly straightforward- duplicate background, move it at the top of layer stack and set layer blending to color

[Estrella]

Then, you may find Akvis Sketch useful, Pavel.
It offers two ways to add color to result drawing.

[pavel123]

Originally Posted by Estrella

Then, you may find Akvis Sketch useful, Pavel.
It offers two ways to add color to result drawing.

I do like Akvis Sketch and use it very often, not in watercolor setting, thought. Probably I need to take another look. Still, by my book it would be preferable to have color blended in as a separate layer, this gives more control. On the other hand pure white areas would not be colored, so that calls for yet another layer filled with grey.

Pavel

[Estrella]

I meant Color pencil option and Coloration effect in Sketch (not watercolor).
BTW, Coloration effect gives color blending (like adding colors from original "virtual" layer). While Color pencil gives color strokes (and it may lead to empty areas).
Sometimes I use them together - Coloration and Color pencil in Sketch.

[pavel123]

Estella, thank you.
I will take a look.

Pavel

[Kraellin]

thanks for the replies, regarding filter forge how can the filters be free if the program is not.

with filter forge, the main program is the plugin. the filters simply come with that program and only work through the program. in fact, if you ever opened and looked at a filter file, you'd see it is all text. so the main program has to input that text and then more or less interpret it and voila. so, there can basically be an unlimited number of filters in your filter forge program. they simply work together. thus, you buy the program and the filters come with it free. and, even better, this library is all user made and continues to grow and still is all free. so, for the cost of the program you get an ever-growing library. at over 6000 free filters, even at full price of the program, you're paying something like a nickel per filter if you wanted to assign a cost to each filter and nothing to the program.

now, i shld also mention that, being user-made, that nickel per filter also is a nickel per every really, really good filter and a nickel for some of the complete turkeys in there, as well. "they aint all gems, mrs." it's still a pretty damn good value, though.