Just drop in a photo and trace right over it. No AR and no extra gear โ anyone can practice drawing with nothing but a phone screen.
PencilFlow shows your photo semi-transparently so your screen works like digital tracing paper. Trace portraits, animals, characters, and logos to build your drawing skills.
๐ช Step-by-step Trace Guide
Go beyond simple tracing โ learn "in what order and how" to draw well.
โข Auto-generated guide from your photo: outlines are split into steps, from big strokes to fine details, overlaid as "draw this line now" guidance. โข Practice the process broken into steps (layers). โข Hide and reveal each step to redraw from memory. โข Toggle the guide lines on and off anytime, and add your own steps.
No internet needed โ even first-time learners can master the basics.
โ๏ธ Trace photos with ease
โข Pick any photo from your gallery. โข Adjust the photo's opacity for comfortable tracing. โข Draw directly over the photo, line by line โ no pressure for beginners.
๐ผ Photo filters (Outline Mode)
Instantly turn a photo into a form that's easier to trace: Original, Black & white, Outline (Edge), and High contrast. Even busy photos become far easier when only the lines remain.
๐ Grid guide (Grid Mode)
The same grid method used in art classes: 3ร3 / 5ร5 / 10ร10 grids to match proportions between the photo and canvas. Toggle it on and off anytime.
๐ช Reference window
A small floating window keeps the whole original in view even when you zoom the canvas way in. Drag it wherever you want โ handy for detailed work.
โ Right- and left-handed optimization
Choose right- or left-handed in settings and the tool palette sits on the opposite side of your drawing hand, so it never blocks your view during long tracing.
๐จ Varied brushes and natural drawing tools
Each brush feels distinctly different:
โข Pen โ a crisp, even ink line โข Pencil โ graphite texture with natural shading โข Marker โ thick and semi-transparent, darkening as it overlaps โข Highlighter โ a wide, transparent highlighter
Plus the essentials: adjustable brush/eraser size, brush opacity, color selection, and clear-all. Works with your finger or a stylus.
๐ Pick colors from the photo
โข Use the eyedropper tool to tap the photo and grab its color, with a zoom preview of the exact selection. โข Choose from a representative color palette auto-extracted from the photo.
Keep the true colors of skin tones, petals, character outfits, and logos.
๐ Undo, redo & quick fill
Step back to any previous state with Undo/Redo, and tap a closed area once to fill it fast with your selected color.
๐ Free zoom and pan
Zoom in, zoom out, and drag with two fingers so even the smallest details trace accurately.
๐ฏ Align your drawing (nudge to fit)
Photo and drawing slightly off? No need to redraw. Keep the background fixed and drag only your drawing to align it. The position is saved automatically, and undo can revert it anytime.
๐ผ Multiple canvas options
Choose white, color, or a custom background color to suit your drawing.
๐พ Auto-save & ๐ sketch gallery
Everything is saved automatically โ close and reopen the app and pick up right where you left off. Manage finished work in one place: open, continue editing, delete, and export.
๐ค Easy save and share
Save as PNG, share with friends, or upload to social media. Only your drawing is saved cleanly โ without the original photo.
๐ฑ Try practicing drawings like these
Portraits, anime characters, comics, animals, flowers, cars, logos, hand lettering, and calligraphy โ made for first-time drawers, parents, hobby illustrators, and students alike.
๐ Privacy
PencilFlow works offline, processes everything on your device, and never sends your photos or drawings to any external server.
๐ Start drawing right now!
Trace photos, practice sketching, and create your own artwork โ easily and quickly.
With Trace & Draw - PencilFlow, anyone can start drawing with joy!
Practice offline tracing with photo color picking, and step-by-step guides