5 best software to turn photos into paintings [Windows & Mac]

Adobe Photoshop

This program is one of the most popular tools from Adobe. Its popularity has increased exponentially because of an incredibly wide range of features.

You can create images from scratch, apply different professional effects to your photo, and even allow you to transform your pictures into oil and watercolor paintings.

Like what you read but not sure how to proceed? Here’s a comprehensive tutorial on how to use Adobe Photoshop to transform your photos into paintings.

Let’s quickly look at its key features:

• Stroke smoothing options
• Variable fonts with customizable characteristics
• Curvature pen tool to easily create curved lines
• Custom path color and width
• Unlimited number of effects, templates and guides
• Digital painting tools – create, use and edit layers
• Camera shake reduction tool – reduces the blur of your image (especially useful for creating vector art)
• Cloud storage – gives you the opportunity to access your projects from anywhere while keeping your files secured

Adobe Photoshop

Unleash your creativity with the world’s best imaging software and create stunning painting-like artwork from your everyday snapshots.

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Adobe Illustrator

If perfection is a standard requirement for you, then the best-in-class vector graphics software is the go-to tool you need to turn your photos into stunning paintings.

Of course, a huge perk of the Illustrator is that you can reuse your artwork to fit any display, at any scale, and still look crisp and polished to the last pixel thanks to its vector-based editing toolkit.

Boasting a wide array of versatile painting and drawing tools, you will be able to reproduce the oil painting effect with mesmerizing results.

Smooth individual strokes and lines, layered-based editing, and fully customizable brushes that you can load at will – this is what you can expect from the Illustrator and even more.

Let’s quickly look at its key features:

• Scale images to the perfect size with crisp resolution
• Layered editing for ultra-sophisticated results
• Your work is automatically saved and stored into the cloud
• Ultra-fast rendering (to preview your designs in real-time)
• Seamless integration with Creative Cloud products such as Photoshop, InDesign, or After Effects
• Compatible with iPad Pro and Apple Pencil
• Step-by-step in-app tutorials to support all your creative projects

Adobe Illustrator

Transform your snapshots into fully scalable ultra-realistic paintings with the best design software.

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Adobe Lightroom

Creating a painted look for your images in Lightroom is just as easy as using this lightweight and user-friendly software altogether.

While Lightroom is generally perceived as a more lightweight alternative to the rather intimidating Photoshop, its powerful photo editing capacities will not fail to impress you.

Simply import the image of your choice, then unleash your creativity and play with highlights, shadows, exposure, contrast, and luminance until you are satisfied with the painting effect you achieved.

Let’s quickly look at its key features:

• Comprehensive toolkit to edit, store, organize and share your photos across any device
• Versatile tools including sliders and presets
• Your work is automatically saved into the cloud and updated everywhere
• Interactive in-app tutorials, plus inspirational materials designed by professionals
• AI-powered imagery solutions to automatically recognize people and themes

Adobe Lightroom

Light and friendly, this powerful app will satisfy all your editing needs.

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Corel PaintShop Pro

Corel PaintShop Pro is a greatly powerful photo editing app that has a great range of photo effects that allows you to easily transform your photo into a painting, by using the automated Pic-to-Painting presets.

The Pic-to-Painting presets can be downloaded directly from the Welcome Tab found in PaintShop and then can be accessed by going to Effects, and then Plugins.

PaintShop Pro has such a wide range of features, that it is hard to choose which of them are worth presenting, but here are the most notable options.

Let’s quickly look at its key features:

• Artificial intelligence processing
• 360° photo editing
• Great performance, stability, and features
• User-friendly UI with easy to access customization options
• Great set of photo editing tools with layer-based editing
• Can add different textures, brushes, drawing and painting tools
• Quick fixes for photos – crop, straighten, resize, retouch, etc.
• Remove imperfection from your image
• Support for 64-bit versions of third-party plugins – Topaz Labs, Nik Collection by DXO, Adobe, etc.

Need a helping hand? Here’s a full guide on how to turn your photos into paintings using PaintShop Pro.

⇒ Get PaintShop Pro

Skylum Luminar 4

With filter controls, neat presets, and countless photo editing features, you can achieve a wide range of creative photo effects in Luminar 4.

Reproducing the painted look is not much difficult than a walk in the part with this amazingly versatile and highly adaptable tool.

Luminar 4 lays artificial intelligence at your fingertips, allowing you to create stunning artwork that truly reflects your vision.

By further adding layers and textures you can produce dramatically dynamic photography with special effects to dazzle.

Let’s quickly look at its key features:

• Customizable user interface with easily accessible functions and neatly organized workspaces
• Non-destructive editing and native RAW support
• Comprehensive editing tools including presets, layers, filters, masks, and more
• Batch processing, Photo Enhancer, and Color photo editor
• Extensive library of plug-ins to further personalize  your workspace

⇒ Get Skylum Luminar 4