Camera Lucida

Name: Camera Lucida
Rating: 4.84169 (1276 reviews)

Graphics & Design

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Camera Lucida

Graphics & Design

4.8

1.3K ratings

Age Rating

Seller

Peter Moeykens

In-App Purchases

$4.99

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User Reviews for Camera Lucida

Amazing

I was going to skip this because of the price and no try it offer. Glad I didn’t. It doesn’t project, you are looking at the image on your phone and can see the canvas underneath so enlarging isn’t an issue and neither is focus. It has a fade adjustment, tilt, you can change the effects of the picture you are using, it can be set to automatically fade in intervals so you can see the canvas taking shape or you can use the slide and just move the picture out of the way as you go. It’s super easy to doodle your own sketch, save to your photos and then open it in this for a more complex painting. I’ve had it for 5 minutes and I can see a ton of creative ways to use this. I’m glad I took a chance. I’m using iPhone 8.

BethNadler, Mar 30, 2020

Great app for artists!

I bought this app as a Christmas present for my husband. The app is phenomenal! It allows him to line up the picture he wants to draw from, and lets him get the general placement of what he is drawing, such as the eyes and the shape of the head. We are older, and I must admit, it was a bit confusing at the very first. However, I reached out to the Camera Lucida community I follow on FaceBook, and received the help I needed. Also, the apps developer built in a help section right into the app. It even has the e-mail address of the developer himself. I e-mailed him and he got right back with me. His tips were exactly what we needed to use the app to obtain the desired results. Couldn’t be happier with the app and with their customer service! If you can’t figure out the app, reach out for guidance instead of leaving a negative review.

Bus Collector, Feb 01, 2019

Worth every penny

My wife has asked me for twelve years why I stopped drawing, and I never had a good answer. In the month following my purchase of this app, I have drawn more than I have in the past twelve years. Camera Lucida has made me fall in love with drawing again. iTunes has that 15 minute grace period where you can "return" an app, right? I wanted to see what I could accomplish in that 15 minutes, and after a very quick sketch session, I realized that in the short time I had been sketching I had accomplished hours worth of work. This app would be a bargain at twice the price.Edit: I have been using this app since 2015, and my opinion has only improved with age. The user community that has grown up around it is one of the most welcoming and genuinely supportive I have experienced. I think this owes a lot to Peter's tireless involvement and commitment to helping users get the best experience possible. Other software developers pay attention: This is how you support your community!

ERNesbitt, Mar 27, 2022

Top app in the game, but interface needs help

It’s a great app with powerful features with great developer support. Only a few competing apps can get near it. One problem that persists with this app and the DaVinchi App is the interface lacking consistency and flow, a little better button and features placement and better button icons. I’ve been using these 2 apps for years but the buttons are just in need of a little better grouping placement. It’s easy to forget what button did what then you have multiple down arrows (easy to mix up) and the photo filters icon for example is a treasure chest on another page, instead of something indicating photo filters in a proper group layer. If this app would have a better organized GUI it’d be a 5 star app. But no one says anything about it because the app is indeed awesome and the dev is super nice, the Facebook page is super supportive, and even I feel like a jerk for giving a negative feedback on something because of the 100% feelgood atmosphere. But I really think the dev needs some more specific GUI feedback to make this app really polished and shine. For now I’ll just mention it.

J. Grimm, May 20, 2023

This is so useful

Camera Lucida solved 2 problems for me: getting my drawing onto my painting paper (resizing if needed), and getting proportions and perspectives correct. That was very hard for me. I’ve tried tracing paper, tracing by impressing, light box. This app lets me get either job done quickly so I can get on to painting. I can set it up, draw my layout and be ready to paint so quickly that I hardly notice the task I used to dread. In the earlier version I had some trouble getting the calibration correct when working on an angle, but the new calibration module resolved that. It worked perfectly the first time I used it. I usually use the OSMO to hold my iPad because my granddaughter wasn’t using it any more, but one time I put the iPad on a kitchen step stool right over my drawing, and that worked just fine, too. Literally, the setup and prep to use Camera Lucida takes about 30 seconds. And, it’s way cheaper than buying a light box, projector, or any of the other devices people have tried over the years and centuries.

Jill-Cincy, Jan 20, 2021

Best app for drawing, period

I use this app to get my size and perspective correct before painting. I am retired. I wanted to learn to paint but my drawing skills were marginal. I had taken a couple of botanical art classes at the local arboretum and these stimulated my interest even more. My problem has always been perspective. My drawings are always a little off and it makes my paintings look the same. I have been using Camera Lucida for a number of years and it has solved my perspective issues. I so enjoy using it. This newest release makes the setup for drawing simple. I have so benefited from using this program. It has not only kept my interest in painting alive, it has enhanced it. I can honestly say I am able to draw better because the app helped me get through the initial struggling phase. Thank you Peter for investing so much time in this app. You didn’t abandon it after you released it. You improved it immeasurably. If you want to draw, get this app.Just a follow up. This is still my go to app. I use it to lay out my paintings. I use it to get my size and perspective correct. The auto focus is awesome and now I have been using the update to couple two Apple devices together which has allowed me to prepare larger paintings. I don’t know of another app that is cared for more by its author. It’s simply brilliant. Good instructions, good videos explaining how to use it. I can say that it has helped to paint which has given me years of happiness during my retirement.

JohnMickus, Feb 12, 2022

I love this app!

By far one of the best apps for artist that I’ve run across. This is perfect for the beginner or a professional who is trying to save time. I’ve freehanded a lot of my drawings but it always takes me more time than I’d like to get proportions the exact way I want them. With this app I’m able to get an outline down quickly and really focus on building form. This app has greatly helped me to improve my time efficiency and drawings which is great for someone who doesn’t have a ton of time! The only thing I wish was easier is the ability to draw larger drawings. It’s doable but takes a bit more of a setup to achieve. Overall, this is a great app and definitely worth the money!

Jules.M.N., May 07, 2020

Great Tool

I decided to learn watercolor painting but have no skills for drawing. Choosing my own photos to work from I was spending way to much time trying to make an accurate light sketch. The sketch is minimal but so important to perspective in the composition. I was reading about the camera Lucida when I found this app for my iPad. I figured out a way to use it and am so disappointed I had only grabbed scratch paper. My line drawing took very little time and the very quick painting atop that drawing was terrific! This takes so much pressure off and allows me the pleasure of experimenting with the paint and it’s effects without the very hard and tedious task of making an accurate sketch. Thanks for coming up with this app! It will take a little practice getting used to how to set up for accurate size overlay. I do need a stand but so far I have managed. Patty Ps. I despise apps with “in app purchase” so I appreciate the way you marketed this. Reviews were positive and you were clear about it takes a little getting used to. But that is the case with all the camera Lucida options. You are drawing without looking at the paper. Kind of weird but great results.

Patty99pilot, May 28, 2020

Wonderful app!

As a professional artist I use this app to achieve the best possible image accuracy I can on my canvas. On my bigger pieces, I use an led projector to project the image on my canvas first to get the closest possible outlines and values, and then I use the Camera Lucida app using my iPad pro in top of the painting to achieve the closest possible image accuracy on all the many parts within my paintings. Given that the old masters used camera Lucida type devices as well as new master types like Norman Rockwell, I have no problem using any techniques I can to bring realism to my paintings and joy to the viewers. As a result I've achieved best of show and first place in several of my pieces. That you Peter!

skirsner, Sep 18, 2021

Best camera lucida app on the market

I have explored different camera lucida tools over the years. I downloaded ALL of the various apps and most are very basic or have ridiculous app purchase requirements to make them functional. This application, Camera Lucida, is a solid product and has a robust toolset that is great for new and experienced artists. No fancy tools or add-ons needed to get amazing results. This is more than a basic tracing app. Use the built in tools. I use the levelize and posterize filters to quickly develop a study. The tutorials and social media updates are great as well and the developer is very responsive to requests for new features. Dump the rest and download this awesome product. This is the only camera lucida app you will ever need.

Stephfour, Jan 20, 2021

Description

Yes, this app will help you draw like a pro! Whether you're drawing on paper with a pencil, or cookies with royal icing, Camera Lucida will help you become a better artist. Be sure to read the reviews and the functionality you get with Camera Lucida!

There are lots of competitors, but no other app comes anywhere close to matching the functionality you get with 12 years of software development and refinement! Unlike hundreds of apps that enable you to create digital art, Camera Lucida instead enables you to create amazing physical art! Our app works by having your iPhone or iPad's camera pointed at your drawing surface. By watching your screen as you draw, you will be able to to see your reference image superimposed with your drawing - guiding your hand as little or as much as you want while you create your art. Better than a projector, easier to use than an expensive camera lucida, and more versatile than a light table, Camera Lucida has been fine-tuned for over a decade to provide artists with the features they need to be accurate and creative. For over a century, artists have made use of the camera lucida optical device to superimpose a live view of their subject onto their drawing or painting surface. Allowing the artist to trace what they see in front of them, the camera lucida is an invaluable aid in creating a lifelike and realistic drawing. Truly a camera lucida for the 21st century! With our Camera Lucida iPhone/iPad application, artists and non-artists alike can now draw anything they have a photo of. When looking at your screen, you'll be able to simultaneously see the image you want to draw as well as your drawing surface as you create your work of art. Camera Lucida isn’t a projector, instead the app shows you a virtual image and you draw by watching your paper and hand on the screen as you draw! It’s really clever and cool! With over 12 years of continuous development, Camera Lucida's functionality eclipses the competition. Check out these features: - Advanced image filters to help you see with an artist's eye. - Multi-device support to enable you to stream live video of your drawing to a second device. *Requires iOS 10.3 or higher to receive hosted video. Also, newer devices are recommended due to the processing requirements.* - Support for saving and restoring sessions, including automatically realigning your camera, sketch and reference image. - Full color palette control, including using your own paints, markers, etc. - Use any camera on your device and adjust for tilted and mirrored setups manually, or use an in-app purchase do do it automatically. - Secondary video feed support to enable you to draw from a live subject, not just a photograph. *Requires iOS 10.3 or higher to receive hosted video.* - Time-lapsed recordings of you creating your drawing you can share on social media. - Support for external bluetooth keyboards to aid in creating large art through mirroring your display. - Advanced tools such as vertical split screen sliders, timed image fading in and out, etc. - A projector mode that can be used when you’re using the app with a projector. - Video tutorials you can watch from within the app or from YouTube. - A full user manual available from within the app. - Customer support that you can count on and an active user community for inspiration. To use our application, you just place your iPhone or iPad between your drawing surface and your eyes and trace what you see on the screen! IMPORTANT: To use Camera Lucida, you need to fix your iPhone or iPad in place above your drawing. We use a stack of books or a flower vase to do this. Tutorials are included in the app to help you get started. Also, some advanced functions such as receiving the multi-device video feed require iOS 10.3 or higher. Contact: [email protected]