How to Turn a Photo into a Line Drawing You Can Trace
To turn a photo into a line drawing, you keep the outlines and the most important inner lines, and you leave out the shading and color. You can do it by hand by tracing the photo, with the filters in a photo editor, or with an app that finds the lines for you. If you want to draw the result on real paper, pick a clear photo, simplify it to clean lines, then trace those lines with a pencil.
What makes a good line drawing from a photo
A photo is full of information: color, light, shadow, texture and background. A line drawing keeps only the edges that tell you what you're looking at. For a pet portrait, that might be the outline of the head, the ears, the eyes, the nose and a few lines for the fur pattern.
Fewer lines are usually better, especially if you're a beginner. Every extra line is one more thing to trace, and lots of tiny lines turn into a fuzzy mess on paper. You can always add shading later by looking at the original photo.
How to pick the right photo
The photo you start with matters more than the method. A clear, simple photo gives clean lines. A busy or blurry one gives a tangle, whatever tool you use.
A photo that makes a good line drawing
- Sharp focus on the subject, especially the eyes for people and pets
- One clear subject that fills most of the frame
- A plain background that stands out from the subject
- Soft, even light, without harsh shadows across the face or body
- Clear edges where the subject meets the background
- A photo you took yourself, or one you have permission to use
Pets, people and flowers usually work best. Wide landscapes, crowds and dark photos are harder, because the edges you want get lost among the ones you don't.
Crop the photo close around your subject before you start.
Method 1: Trace the photo by hand
This is the most flexible method, because you decide every line.
1. Print the photo at the size you want to draw, or show it on a tablet at full brightness.
2. Lay thin paper or tracing paper on top. Tape both down so they can't slide. A window or a light box makes the photo easier to see through the paper.
3. Trace the outline first, then the main inner shapes, like the eyes, the mouth or the petals of a flower.
4. Leave out the shadows. Where a shadow makes an edge, ask yourself whether it's part of the shape or just the light. Only trace the shape.
5. Transfer your line drawing to good paper with a pencil transfer, transfer paper or a light box, or simply keep the tracing.
This takes longer than the other methods, but it teaches you a lot about which lines really matter.
Method 2: Use a photo editor's sketch filter
Most photo editors can make a "sketch" or "pencil drawing" look. A common recipe is to turn the photo black and white, duplicate the layer, invert it, set it to a "color dodge" blend mode and blur it until lines appear. Many editors and phone apps also have a one-tap sketch filter or an "edge detection" or "find edges" effect.
These filters are quick, but they're made to look like a finished pencil sketch, not a clean outline to trace. They keep a lot of shading and texture, so you'll often get gray patches and broken lines. They're useful as a reference, but plan on cleaning up the result or tracing only the lines you want from it.
Method 3: Use Pencilbloom's photo to line drawing
Pencilbloom turns your photo into clean lines that are ready to trace onto paper.
1. Pick your photo in the app.
2. Let the app find the lines. Pencilbloom turns the photo into a clean line drawing for you.
3. Adjust it. Use Fewer lines or More lines to choose how much detail you keep, and change the Line weight if the lines look too thin or too heavy. When it looks right, tap Use these lines.
4. Trace it on paper. Put your phone on a stand, hold it, or use Trace on screen on a tablet, then follow the lines with your pencil. You can also save the outline instead.
If the app says it couldn't find clear lines, try a photo with a sharper subject and a plainer background.
To turn your photo into lines, the app uploads it to your private storage, and our server finds the lines in it. Your photos are never public or shown to anyone else unless you share a drawing with a link yourself. You can turn a few photos into lines each day for free, and Pro gives you more. See before-and-after examples on our photo to line drawing page.
Which method should you use?
| Method | Speed | How much control you have | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trace by hand | Slow | Full: you choose every line | Learning, special photos |
| Photo editor filter | Fast | Low: lots of cleanup | A shaded sketch look |
| Pencilbloom | Fast | Medium: fewer or more lines, line weight | Clean lines to trace on paper |
Tips for tracing a photo-based line drawing
Start with the outline. Get the big shape right before you add any detail.
Pick your inner lines on purpose. For a face, the eyes, nose and mouth carry most of the likeness. For a pet, add the ears and the main fur markings.
Keep the photo nearby. After tracing, look at the photo again to add shading or color by eye.
Try more than one version. Trace a simple version first, then a detailed one, and compare them. You'll quickly see how many lines you really need.
Want to practice with ready-made line drawings first? Our free step-by-step lessons and coloring pages are a good place to start, and how to trace a picture onto paper covers the tracing itself.
Try it on real paper
Open Pencilbloom, pick a picture and trace it with your own pencil.
Frequently asked questions
How do I turn a photo into a line drawing for free?
You can trace the photo by hand with a window or a light box, or use a free photo editor's sketch or edge filter and clean up the result. Pencilbloom is free to start and lets you turn a few photos into lines each day, then trace them onto paper.
What kind of photo works best for a line drawing?
A sharp photo with one clear subject, a plain background and soft, even light. Pets, people and flowers usually give the cleanest lines. Busy, dark or blurry photos give messy results.
Can I turn a photo into a line drawing without an app?
Yes. Print the photo, tape thin paper over it on a window or light box, and trace the outline and the main inner shapes. Leave out shadows and texture, and you'll have a clean line drawing.
Is my photo uploaded when I use Pencilbloom?
Yes. To turn your photo into lines, the app uploads it to your private storage and our server finds the lines. Your photos are never public or shown to anyone else unless you share a drawing with a link yourself. Our privacy policy has the details.
What's the difference between a line drawing and a sketch effect?
A line drawing keeps only clean outlines and key inner lines, which makes it easy to trace. A sketch effect copies the look of a shaded pencil drawing, with gray areas and texture, so it's harder to trace cleanly.