Turn Your Couple Photo Into a Romantic Sketch

Making a sketch of the two of you

A couple's sketch is usually a gift: for a birthday, Valentine's Day, an anniversary, or for no reason at all. It turns an ordinary phone photo into something that looks drawn by hand, which is the part that makes it feel personal.

The best source photos are the ones that already feel like the two of you. A shared laugh, a trip, a quiet moment at home. The sketch keeps the expression and loses the clutter.

Choosing the photo

• Keep both faces a similar size

  If one person is much closer to the camera, their face dominates the drawing. Photos where you stand side by side, or lean in together, give a balanced result.

• Avoid sunglasses and deep hat shadows

  The eyes carry most of the emotion in a sketch. If they are hidden in the photo, the drawing loses the connection between you.

• Selfies work, with one catch

  Arm's-length selfies stretch the face nearest the lens. Hold the phone a little further away, or use a photo someone else took.

• Crop before you upload

  Cut away empty sky or a crowded background so the two of you fill most of the frame. More pixels on the faces means more detail in the sketch.

Styles that suit it

• Charcoal Sketch. Deep contrast and smudged shading. Dramatic and romantic, and the style of the first example above.
• Pencil Sketch. Understated and timeless. Easy to frame and at home in almost any room.
• Watercolor Sketch. Soft washes of color over pencil lines. Warm, and good for photos taken outdoors.

Questions people ask

Can you combine us from two separate photos?

No. The tool draws the photo you upload, so both of you need to be in the same picture. If you only have separate photos, a simple side-by-side collage made in any photo app can work as the source.

Can I make a few versions?

Yes. Each sketch uses one credit, so it is easy to try the same photo in two or three styles and keep your favorite. You start with 3 free credits.