Technology
How SoftOrbits’ Sketch and Painting Converters Help Amateur Photographers Express Their Creativity
SoftOrbits is a photo editing software development company founded by Eugene Ustinenkov in 2006. Today SoftOrbits is one of the leading niche developers with more than 1,000,000 yearly downloads and 300,000 users. Recognized among the top software developers by Softonic, OISV, and CNET, the company focuses on building utilities that help amateur photographers easily deal with routine tasks as well as express their creativity.
After a recent update, two of SoftOrbits’ tools — Sketch Drawer and Picture to Painting Converter — have shown up to a 15% increase in monthly downloads, with Sketch Drawer leading the way.
“We attribute this trend to the fact that the market is currently flooded with low-quality, hastily-made AI image editors that often show disappointing results. Experimenting is fun, but Sketch Drawer and Picture to Painting Converter are polished and well-known tools that can reliably provide the desired effect and significantly outperform most AI models. That’s why users return to them and recommend it to their friends,” says Eugene Ustinenkov, CEO of SoftOrbits, Candidate of Technical Sciences.
How SoftOrbits’ tools provide reliable non-AI results for photo enthusiasts
SoftOrbits’ Sketch Drawer is a utility that converts photographs into colorful or monochrome sketches, working in three main modes: Realistic, Detailed, or Classic. The tool also provides over 40 presets to help amateur users quickly achieve the desired effect. These include:
Types of Sketches Offered by Sketch Drawer
| Types of Sketches Offered by Sketch Drawer | |
| Pencil Sketch | The software will outline the photograph, filling it with hatching to achieve an impeccable sketch look and feel. |
| Anime Drawing | Sketch Drawer transforms photos into traditional anime pictures, with their signature lines and lighting effects. |
| Stencil Graphic | The tool can make your photo look like a stencil graphic with its iconic shapes and high-contrast colors. |
| Line Drawing | The utility will meticulously outline your photo with a Simple or Schematic pencil, or use a Pen or Felt Tip for more contrast. |
While Sketch Drawer is among the most popular tools SoftOrbits has built, the team isn’t rushing to introduce the latest AI features to it, even though it would predictably result in an influx of new customers.
“We could have implemented AI a long time ago and followed the example of these startups, but we knew that the technology wasn’t advanced enough to provide high-quality results. There are still issues with small details, human anatomy, and facial features, and fine-tuning the algorithm requires a lot of work, testing, and QA procedures. We plan to introduce AI features in the future, but we are currently mostly focused on helping with boring mundane tasks, not the artistic expression itself,” says Eugene Ustinenkov, CEO of SoftOrbits with more than 10 years of software development expertise.
SoftOrbits’ Picture to Painting Converter enables users to transform their photographs into oil, watercolor, comic, or impressionist-style paintings with just a click. Not only that, the tool also allows users to create custom filters using the provided features and settings. This way SoftOrbits ensures that the author has the final say in their work.
“Ever since the early days, our team always aimed to deliver simple and effective tools that help non-professionals achieve professional-grade results. Photography isn’t just for the elite experts who work with fashion magazines — it is an expression of awe, wonder, and many other emotions that the world imprints on us. Everyone can create beauty with the right tools — and that’s what we provide” says Eugene Ustinenkov, CEO of SoftOrbits and AlarmFront.
Currently, both Sketch Drawer and Picture to Painting Converter operate as independent software installed on a personal computer, but the team looks forward to switching its distribution model to SaaS, increasing accessibility and convenience. Considering how the team’s products are used in over 200 countries by people of all ages, various lines of work, and different levels of expertise, this decision seems to be a logical next step for the company.
“We were planning this process for a long time, but the timing wasn’t right, and there were multiple other tasks that required urgent handling. However, now we’re finally able to get to the next chapter of our journey as a team, and we’re excited for the changes that it will bring,” says Hannes Jansen, writer and editor at SoftOrbits.
Want to connect with SoftOrbits?
Whether you’re a client interested in SoftOrbits’ products or a business owner willing to partner with the team, you can reach out at support@softorbits.com or visit softorbits.net.
