AI Style Transfer: Turn a Photo into Art
AI style transfer paints your photo in the colors, brush strokes and textures of an art style – the example below shows the result right away. A neural network does the work on your device, so your photo is never uploaded.
Source: Ghiasi, Lee, Kudlur, Dumoulin, Shlens (2017): Exploring the structure of a real-time, arbitrary neural artistic stylization network, BMVC, arXiv:1705.06830. Updated: .
How it is calculated
AI style transfer for photos – without uploading them
In short: this tool applies the look of a style image to your photo. A neural network picks up the colors, stroke direction and surface of the style and repaints your subject with it. Twelve original styles are included, and you can use your own style image. Everything is calculated in your browser – no account, no watermark, no upload.
How it works
- The example photo shows a pre-rendered result straight away. Tap a style or drag the “Style strength” slider – the preview reacts instantly.
- Drop, choose or paste (Ctrl + V) your own photo, pick a style and a size, then click “Create artwork”. The first time, the page downloads about 9 MB once.
- “Save image” creates a PNG or JPG, and you can share it right away.
The technology
The model is Arbitrary Image Stylization from Google’s Magenta project (Ghiasi et al., BMVC 2017, Apache-2.0 license). It has two networks: the style network condenses a style image into 100 numbers, and the transformer network repaints your photo using those numbers. For the twelve built-in styles the 100 numbers are precomputed, so only the small transformer network (about 2.4 MB) has to be downloaded; a style image of your own also loads the style network (about 9.4 MB). The calculation runs in the browser with ONNX Runtime Web (WebAssembly). The strength slider blends original and result pixel by pixel – 0% shows your photo, 100% the full stylization.
The style images
All twelve style images were generated locally for this page. They imitate no living artist and no protected work. If you would rather see classic brush filters, try photo to painting; for flat, bold color worlds see pop art photo.
Honest limits
- Style transfer, not a painter: the network borrows colors and textures, while the composition stays that of your photo. Very fine detail, small text and faces lose some sharpness.
- First load: about 9 MB (calculation library and model), once. With your own style image, about 9 MB more, once.
- Time and size: usually 1 to 3 seconds on a computer, much longer on older phones. The result is at most 1024 pixels on the long side and never has more pixels than your photo.
Privacy
Your photo and your style image are processed only in your browser and never uploaded. The first time you create an artwork, the page downloads the calculation library (about 6.6 MB) and the AI model (about 2.4 MB, plus about 9.4 MB if you use your own style image) from this website. The model is verified with a checksum and stored in your browser’s Cache Storage, the library in the normal browser cache; you can delete both under “site data” in your browser settings. In local storage (localStorage, key “eingaben:fotokunststil”) the page remembers only style, strength and size, never a photo. License text (Apache-2.0)
More image tools: the photo editor for cropping and brightness and photo to sketch.
Frequently asked questions
How can I turn a photo into art for free?
Drop your photo into the box, choose one of the twelve styles and click “Create artwork”. You can save the result as PNG or JPG – free, with no sign-up and no watermark.
Is my photo uploaded anywhere?
No. The AI model runs in your browser, so your photo and the result never leave your device. Only the model and the calculation library of this website are downloaded, about 9 MB once.
Can I use my own style image, such as a painting?
Yes. “Choose your own style image” accepts any picture, including patterns and textures. With famous paintings, mind the copyright: works by more recent artists are usually still protected.
What does the “Style strength” slider do?
It blends your original photo with the calculated artwork. At 100% you see the full stylization, at 50% your photo stays easier to recognize, at 0% you see the original. The preview changes instantly without a new calculation.
Which size should I pick?
768 pixels is enough for screens and social media, 1024 pixels for a small print. Larger steps take longer and need more memory, which can slow down a phone.
How is this different from the photo-to-painting filters?
Those use fixed painting filters; this tool uses a neural network that takes over real styles such as watercolor, cubism or stained glass. The filters are faster and need no download, the AI version gives more varied results.
Sources and legal basis
- Ghiasi, Lee, Kudlur, Dumoulin, Shlens (2017): Exploring the structure of a real-time, arbitrary neural artistic stylization network, BMVC, arXiv:1705.06830
- Magenta – Arbitrary Image Stylization (Google, Lizenz Apache-2.0)
- reiinakano/arbitrary-image-stylization-tfjs – reduced browser version of the model (Apache-2.0 license)
- Gatys, Ecker, Bethge (2015): A Neural Algorithm of Artistic Style, arXiv:1508.06576
- ONNX Runtime Web – Laufzeit im Browser (Microsoft, MIT)
- Licenses, sources, conversion and checksums of the style model
- MDN – CacheStorage
- W3C – Web Share API
As of: · Editorial policy
Related tools
- Photo to painting converterTurn a photo into a painting: oil painting, watercolor, cartoon or mosaic from your own picture – free, no sign-up, no upload, right in your browser.
- Pop art photo makerTurn any picture into a pop art photo: Warhol-style screen print grid (2×2 or 3×3), comic halftone dots, duotone or pixel art – free, private, no upload.
- Photo to pencil sketchTurn a photo into a pencil sketch, charcoal or colored-pencil drawing – or clean outlines for coloring. Free, no upload, no AI, right in your browser.
- Free online photo editorPhoto editor in your browser: crop, resize, rotate, adjust brightness, contrast and saturation, add filters and text, undo, then save as JPG, PNG or WebP.
- Remove the Background from an ImageRemove image backgrounds automatically: the AI runs in your browser, full resolution, transparent PNG or solid colour. No upload, no sign-up, free.
- QR Code Generator – free and permanentQR code generator for links, Wi-Fi, contacts (vCard), email, SMS or phone – add colors and a logo, download PNG or SVG. Never expires, no tracking, no sign-up.
- Kaleidoscope DrawingKaleidoscope drawing online: draw with a mouse or finger and every stroke is rotated and mirrored 4 to 24 times, like a mandala. Save as PNG, free, no sign-up.
- MKV to MP4 converterConvert MKV to MP4 in your browser: pick a video and repackage picture and sound into an MP4 container without re-encoding. No upload, no watermark, free.
- Scan to PDFScan to PDF: photograph pages with your phone camera, remove shadows, make the paper white and combine everything into one PDF. Free, no upload.