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Show HN: ArtistAssistApp – a web app to paint better with ease

168 points by eugene-khyst 3y ago

Hey HN! I want to show my new open-source project ArtistAssistApp. ArtistAssistApp - the web app to paint better with ease. Tools for realistic color mixing based on real paints, tonal value drawing, simplified sketching, and more. Import your own photos, select any desired color directly from the image, and learn how to mix it with your paints. The web app provides a step-by-step guide on how to precisely mix that color using your own paints using atomic or optical mixing. Atomic mixing is the physical mixing of colors together, while optical mixing is the result of placing a transparent layer of color over another color (glaze technique). Save instructions on how to mix your favorite colors from the paints you have for quick reference. Smooth your photo to reduce detail and focus on the big shapes and proportions of your subject, and learn how to simplify and abstract your paintings. Use tonal value sketches that capture the light and shadow of your subject to learn how to create contrast and depth in your paintings. Works on desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones. You can try it at <https://artistassistapp.com/ https://artistassistapp.com/>. No login or registration required. The source code is available on GitHub <https://github.com/eugene-khyst/artistassistapp https://github.com/eugene-khyst/artistassistapp>.

colesantiago 3y ago
This looks fantastic, would it be possible to add support for stable diffusion image generation and with prompts as well? I'm not an artist but I can see this working hand in hand with ArtistAssistApp. Looks amazing!
- eugene-khyst 3y ago
  Thanks! Adding image generation with AI should be possible. I have ideas for future releases and will add this one too. I originally planned to give users the ability to select an image from some database in future, a so-called inspiration image for those who don't know what to paint. Possibility to generate an inspiration image using AI sound like a great improvement to selecting image from some database.
  - colesantiago 3y ago
    This would definitely help artists sharpen their skills in reference drawing with a generated image and help folks like us to learn to paint with hundreds of generated inspiration images to choose from without leaving the web app. I can also see my friends daughter using this web app as an open source coloring book!
- Tao3300 3y ago
  I'm trying not to throw up. Keep that shit out of here. I've accepted that illustration is going to be completely devoured by generative AI very soon; can we please keep it out of hobbyist painting just a little longer?
herunan 3y ago
Not a painter myself, but based on some playing around with the web app, I can certainly see how a painter can derive a lot of value from this. Seems comprehensive, yet practical and to the point. Some feedback on the workflow. It seems like uploading a photo is optional, but it’s not all too clear. I’m assuming some artists might want to create a palette for something more abstract that doesn’t require a photo. Maybe focusing first on the palette, with an option of basing it on a photo might make more sense as a workflow. Then again, I’m not your target user. Almost goes without saying, but being able to use it fully without registration will certainly get you all the HN points here.
- TrianguloY 3y ago
  Or maybe add a couple sample photos to choose, that will help users to test the full features without needing to upload anything!
  - eugene-khyst 3y ago
    I've just added 3 sample photos, so people can play with the app without uploading anything.
  - eugene-khyst 3y ago
    Great idea, thanks. Will do it.
- eugene-khyst 3y ago
  Palette tab with saved paint mixes is always available. Color mixing requires selecting paints (Paints tab). On the Colors tab you can use color chooser widget or directly type the target color HEX without uploading the photo. But I see that I have to clearly describe this. Also, I will add a few sample photos ASAP, so users don't have to upload anything to play with the app.
  - eugene-khyst 3y ago
    I've just recorded a video tutorial on using color mixing and palette without photos <https://youtu.be/fmQO177shoQ?feature=shared https://youtu.be/fmQO177shoQ?feature=shared>.
feiss 3y ago
Great idea and fantastic implementation!! This is very well aimed to actual painters. Are you a painter yourself, or did you have any help from a painter? Awesome job
- eugene-khyst 3y ago
  I am a semi-pro artist and graduated from art school. But I had an almost 10-years break from painting. Some time ago I started painting again and decided to combine my painting and programming skills. Before launching ArtistAssistApp, I painted about 10 works with its help to make sure it's convenient and easy to use. Also, I asked a pro artist to make a few paintings with the help of the app to get the feedback. These paintings by a pro artist I used for promo videos in Instagram, YouTube and GitHub.
  - feiss 3y ago
    That makes sense, and definitely adds value to the app. Thanks for sharing!
growingkittens 3y ago
This is a "fun with art" app for learning art skills (as opposed to an app for working artists). Some things of note: - Drawing from photos (a flattened image) teaches you to draw what the camera sees, not what you see. - Picking colors from a photograph is a quick way to choose muddy colors.
- Tao3300 3y ago
  > Drawing from photos (a flattened image) teaches you to draw what the camera sees, not what you see. That's a silly claim. > Picking colors from a photograph is a quick way to choose muddy colors. That's a little less silly. It's going to depend on the photograph.
  - eugene-khyst 3y ago
    The web app heavily utilizes the sRGB color space for calculations, which has a limited color gamut. As a result, some colors, especially those outside the sRGB color gamut, may not be accurately represented. But this is also true for taking photo of your painting and posting it to the social networks. If you can't accept some minimal inaccuracy of a few colors of your painting, you should not post it online and only exhibited it in galleries.
    - growingkittens 3y ago
      There are a minimum of two colors at play in a photograph: the color of the object, and the color of the light. Picking a color from a photograph is always an average of these two colors and any other interacting factors. When you place a color on a canvas, how it looks depends on the surrounding colors (look up simultaneous contrast for an interesting example). This is not about how a painting looks online, this is about how the painting itself comes out. Unfortunately, even well-known college art programs are not always rigorous in teaching theory. Art education is also a far different subject than being an artist. Bad habits are easy to create, and this app encourages shortcuts that create bad habits.
      - 3y ago
beardyw 3y ago
For the audience this is aimed at I would have thought acrylics would be an option. Also not sure about paint brands, are you working with those brands?
- eugene-khyst 3y ago
  I've just added acrylic paints to the ArtistAssistApp.
- eugene-khyst 3y ago
  I'm not working with any paint brand at the moment. The reason for using real paint brands is that the app relies on the RGB encoded paint colors. Each branch has different names of similar paints and even paints with the same name have different RGB values. Thus, letting users to choose predefined paints looks like a solution. I will add acrylic paints in the future. Didn't want to delay the launch of the app.
mxben 3y ago
Could you talk about the arithmetic you are using to make mixing colors work?
- eugene-khyst 3y ago
  The resulting color of a paint mix is a weighted geometric mean of the paints' reflectance curves. The code is available on GitHub: <https://github.com/eugene-khyst/artistassistapp/blob/main/src/services/color/model/reflectance.ts https://github.com/eugene-khyst/artistassistapp/blob/main/sr...>.
  - mxben 3y ago
    Awesome! Great work on this project. Congratulations!
    - eugene-khyst 3y ago
      BTW it's possible to see the "Reflectance chart". It shows reflectance curves of the paints and the mix. Here is a demo video on YouTube: <https://youtu.be/jC1HAeegm2I?feature=shared&t=157 https://youtu.be/jC1HAeegm2I?feature=shared&t=157>.
gus_massa 3y ago
When picking a color, it would be nice to show a zoomed version so it's easier to pick the color of thin lines. (I used a hand draw gif, not a photo of a real object.)
- eugene-khyst 3y ago
  Thanks for the idea. I will think how to implement it.
hersko 3y ago
My wife who is a painter is extremely excited to use this. Thank you!
- eugene-khyst 3y ago
  I am very pleased to hear that.
nyanmatt 3y ago
Very cool! As a novice painter who can’t mix colors to save their life, I’m very excited about trying this out next time I’m in front of the canvas.
jack_riminton 3y ago
This is great! I've been looking to build something very similar with regards to mixing colours. I've been working on simplifying paintings too, with a way to gradually increase the complexity of objects at various stages. Keep it up!
- eugene-khyst 3y ago
  The source code is available on GitHub. You can use it as an inspiration. Also, feel free to contribute to improve something in the app.
lasermatts 3y ago
I've picked up painting in the last few weeks taking class at the local County Parks system and today sat down to try my hand at my first painting based off a picture. Got frustrated, took a coffee break and saw this on Hacker News. This is incredible! Super helpful -- as others have noted -- mixing colors and getting a rough sketch down before starting to paint is deceptively difficult, and this is a great resource!
- eugene-khyst 3y ago
  Glad to hear that. I launched the app on the right time.
Jolter 3y ago
Why can’t I zoom on this web page? It’s the first thing I wanted to do but it immediately snaps back out. Safari on iPhone.
- eugene-khyst 3y ago
  I don't have an iPhone to check it myself. But zooming works in Safari on Mac. Do you try to zoom a photo on the Colors tab using pinch?
  - Jolter 3y ago
    Thanks for the quick reply. It’s funny, I can’t reproduce it now. Works fine! The problem was on the front page. I wanted a closer look at the illustration under “Realistic Color Palette”.
chrischen 3y ago
This is the missing piece to my painting robot that I tried to create. I had started work on a physical paint extruder powered by an Arduino, and had the 2D plotter with brush all setup. The missing piece was figuring out how to convert screen color to paint color and how to mix the physical paint. Now all the pieces are available to actually make the painting robot a reality.
- eugene-khyst 3y ago
  Sounds fantastic. Here is the relevant source code on GitHub: <https://github.com/eugene-khyst/artistassistapp/blob/main/src/services/color/model/reflectance.ts https://github.com/eugene-khyst/artistassistapp/blob/main/sr...> and reflectance chart visualization demo on YouTube <https://youtu.be/jC1HAeegm2I?feature=shared&t=157 https://youtu.be/jC1HAeegm2I?feature=shared&t=157>.
foknvp2er12 3y ago
Finally, a useful software without the «help» of LLMs and other neural crap.
- eugene-khyst 3y ago
  The app doesn't use AI. Just good old math.
smokel 3y ago
I have been toying with similar apps, but never got around to polishing it like this. Great work! A few things I would have liked to build, if I had infinite time: - A "tone trainer" app, where you can gamify your ability to recognize tonal values in photos. - An app that lets you take a picture of your drawing or painting in progress, and then highlights where you are off in the reference image.
- eugene-khyst 3y ago
  These are really great features but they are not easy to implement. Sometimes I take a photo of my painting and convert to greyscale to compare with the reference tonal values. Automating this process will be very useful. Thanks for sharing this.
beyondwu 3y ago
It sounds hard and looks amzing. From the comments, it does'nt use any AI or LLM. Can AI make this better or worse? I feel AI is hard to make thing under control?
- eugene-khyst 3y ago
  Thanks! I'm not sure that realistic color mixing or tonal value sketch can be improved in any way by AI. It's a pure math. A math models can be improved. For example, in color mixing instead of relying on sRGB color space which has limited color gamut, adopt CIE LAB color space. Paint reflectance charts can be measured with higher precision. Probably, with the help of AI simplified sketch can be done. But I'm not sure that the simplified sketch made with AI will be better than the one made by applying the median blur.
Obscurity4340 3y ago
Looks like Arc's icon

168 points by eugene-khyst 3y ago

colesantiago 3y ago

This looks fantastic, would it be possible to add support for stable diffusion image generation and with prompts as well? I'm not an artist but I can see this working hand in hand with ArtistAssistApp. Looks amazing!

eugene-khyst 3y ago
Thanks! Adding image generation with AI should be possible. I have ideas for future releases and will add this one too. I originally planned to give users the ability to select an image from some database in future, a so-called inspiration image for those who don't know what to paint. Possibility to generate an inspiration image using AI sound like a great improvement to selecting image from some database.
- colesantiago 3y ago
  This would definitely help artists sharpen their skills in reference drawing with a generated image and help folks like us to learn to paint with hundreds of generated inspiration images to choose from without leaving the web app. I can also see my friends daughter using this web app as an open source coloring book!
Tao3300 3y ago
I'm trying not to throw up. Keep that shit out of here. I've accepted that illustration is going to be completely devoured by generative AI very soon; can we please keep it out of hobbyist painting just a little longer?

herunan 3y ago

Not a painter myself, but based on some playing around with the web app, I can certainly see how a painter can derive a lot of value from this. Seems comprehensive, yet practical and to the point. Some feedback on the workflow. It seems like uploading a photo is optional, but it’s not all too clear. I’m assuming some artists might want to create a palette for something more abstract that doesn’t require a photo. Maybe focusing first on the palette, with an option of basing it on a photo might make more sense as a workflow. Then again, I’m not your target user. Almost goes without saying, but being able to use it fully without registration will certainly get you all the HN points here.

TrianguloY 3y ago
Or maybe add a couple sample photos to choose, that will help users to test the full features without needing to upload anything!
- eugene-khyst 3y ago
  I've just added 3 sample photos, so people can play with the app without uploading anything.
- eugene-khyst 3y ago
  Great idea, thanks. Will do it.
eugene-khyst 3y ago
Palette tab with saved paint mixes is always available. Color mixing requires selecting paints (Paints tab). On the Colors tab you can use color chooser widget or directly type the target color HEX without uploading the photo. But I see that I have to clearly describe this. Also, I will add a few sample photos ASAP, so users don't have to upload anything to play with the app.
- eugene-khyst 3y ago
  I've just recorded a video tutorial on using color mixing and palette without photos <https://youtu.be/fmQO177shoQ?feature=shared https://youtu.be/fmQO177shoQ?feature=shared>.

feiss 3y ago

Great idea and fantastic implementation!! This is very well aimed to actual painters. Are you a painter yourself, or did you have any help from a painter? Awesome job

eugene-khyst 3y ago
I am a semi-pro artist and graduated from art school. But I had an almost 10-years break from painting. Some time ago I started painting again and decided to combine my painting and programming skills. Before launching ArtistAssistApp, I painted about 10 works with its help to make sure it's convenient and easy to use. Also, I asked a pro artist to make a few paintings with the help of the app to get the feedback. These paintings by a pro artist I used for promo videos in Instagram, YouTube and GitHub.
- feiss 3y ago
  That makes sense, and definitely adds value to the app. Thanks for sharing!

growingkittens 3y ago

This is a "fun with art" app for learning art skills (as opposed to an app for working artists). Some things of note: - Drawing from photos (a flattened image) teaches you to draw what the camera sees, not what you see. - Picking colors from a photograph is a quick way to choose muddy colors.

Tao3300 3y ago
> Drawing from photos (a flattened image) teaches you to draw what the camera sees, not what you see. That's a silly claim. > Picking colors from a photograph is a quick way to choose muddy colors. That's a little less silly. It's going to depend on the photograph.
- eugene-khyst 3y ago
  The web app heavily utilizes the sRGB color space for calculations, which has a limited color gamut. As a result, some colors, especially those outside the sRGB color gamut, may not be accurately represented. But this is also true for taking photo of your painting and posting it to the social networks. If you can't accept some minimal inaccuracy of a few colors of your painting, you should not post it online and only exhibited it in galleries.
  - growingkittens 3y ago
    There are a minimum of two colors at play in a photograph: the color of the object, and the color of the light. Picking a color from a photograph is always an average of these two colors and any other interacting factors. When you place a color on a canvas, how it looks depends on the surrounding colors (look up simultaneous contrast for an interesting example). This is not about how a painting looks online, this is about how the painting itself comes out. Unfortunately, even well-known college art programs are not always rigorous in teaching theory. Art education is also a far different subject than being an artist. Bad habits are easy to create, and this app encourages shortcuts that create bad habits.
    - 3y ago

beardyw 3y ago

For the audience this is aimed at I would have thought acrylics would be an option. Also not sure about paint brands, are you working with those brands?

eugene-khyst 3y ago
I've just added acrylic paints to the ArtistAssistApp.
eugene-khyst 3y ago
I'm not working with any paint brand at the moment. The reason for using real paint brands is that the app relies on the RGB encoded paint colors. Each branch has different names of similar paints and even paints with the same name have different RGB values. Thus, letting users to choose predefined paints looks like a solution. I will add acrylic paints in the future. Didn't want to delay the launch of the app.

mxben 3y ago

Could you talk about the arithmetic you are using to make mixing colors work?

eugene-khyst 3y ago
The resulting color of a paint mix is a weighted geometric mean of the paints' reflectance curves. The code is available on GitHub: <https://github.com/eugene-khyst/artistassistapp/blob/main/src/services/color/model/reflectance.ts https://github.com/eugene-khyst/artistassistapp/blob/main/sr...>.
- mxben 3y ago
  Awesome! Great work on this project. Congratulations!
  - eugene-khyst 3y ago
    BTW it's possible to see the "Reflectance chart". It shows reflectance curves of the paints and the mix. Here is a demo video on YouTube: <https://youtu.be/jC1HAeegm2I?feature=shared&t=157 https://youtu.be/jC1HAeegm2I?feature=shared&t=157>.

gus_massa 3y ago

When picking a color, it would be nice to show a zoomed version so it's easier to pick the color of thin lines. (I used a hand draw gif, not a photo of a real object.)

eugene-khyst 3y ago
Thanks for the idea. I will think how to implement it.

hersko 3y ago

My wife who is a painter is extremely excited to use this. Thank you!

eugene-khyst 3y ago
I am very pleased to hear that.

nyanmatt 3y ago

Very cool! As a novice painter who can’t mix colors to save their life, I’m very excited about trying this out next time I’m in front of the canvas.

jack_riminton 3y ago

This is great! I've been looking to build something very similar with regards to mixing colours. I've been working on simplifying paintings too, with a way to gradually increase the complexity of objects at various stages. Keep it up!

eugene-khyst 3y ago
The source code is available on GitHub. You can use it as an inspiration. Also, feel free to contribute to improve something in the app.

lasermatts 3y ago

I've picked up painting in the last few weeks taking class at the local County Parks system and today sat down to try my hand at my first painting based off a picture. Got frustrated, took a coffee break and saw this on Hacker News. This is incredible! Super helpful -- as others have noted -- mixing colors and getting a rough sketch down before starting to paint is deceptively difficult, and this is a great resource!

eugene-khyst 3y ago
Glad to hear that. I launched the app on the right time.

Jolter 3y ago

Why can’t I zoom on this web page? It’s the first thing I wanted to do but it immediately snaps back out. Safari on iPhone.

eugene-khyst 3y ago
I don't have an iPhone to check it myself. But zooming works in Safari on Mac. Do you try to zoom a photo on the Colors tab using pinch?
- Jolter 3y ago
  Thanks for the quick reply. It’s funny, I can’t reproduce it now. Works fine! The problem was on the front page. I wanted a closer look at the illustration under “Realistic Color Palette”.

chrischen 3y ago

This is the missing piece to my painting robot that I tried to create. I had started work on a physical paint extruder powered by an Arduino, and had the 2D plotter with brush all setup. The missing piece was figuring out how to convert screen color to paint color and how to mix the physical paint. Now all the pieces are available to actually make the painting robot a reality.

eugene-khyst 3y ago
Sounds fantastic. Here is the relevant source code on GitHub: <https://github.com/eugene-khyst/artistassistapp/blob/main/src/services/color/model/reflectance.ts https://github.com/eugene-khyst/artistassistapp/blob/main/sr...> and reflectance chart visualization demo on YouTube <https://youtu.be/jC1HAeegm2I?feature=shared&t=157 https://youtu.be/jC1HAeegm2I?feature=shared&t=157>.

foknvp2er12 3y ago

Finally, a useful software without the «help» of LLMs and other neural crap.

eugene-khyst 3y ago
The app doesn't use AI. Just good old math.

smokel 3y ago

I have been toying with similar apps, but never got around to polishing it like this. Great work! A few things I would have liked to build, if I had infinite time: - A "tone trainer" app, where you can gamify your ability to recognize tonal values in photos. - An app that lets you take a picture of your drawing or painting in progress, and then highlights where you are off in the reference image.

eugene-khyst 3y ago
These are really great features but they are not easy to implement. Sometimes I take a photo of my painting and convert to greyscale to compare with the reference tonal values. Automating this process will be very useful. Thanks for sharing this.

beyondwu 3y ago

It sounds hard and looks amzing. From the comments, it does'nt use any AI or LLM. Can AI make this better or worse? I feel AI is hard to make thing under control?

eugene-khyst 3y ago
Thanks! I'm not sure that realistic color mixing or tonal value sketch can be improved in any way by AI. It's a pure math. A math models can be improved. For example, in color mixing instead of relying on sRGB color space which has limited color gamut, adopt CIE LAB color space. Paint reflectance charts can be measured with higher precision. Probably, with the help of AI simplified sketch can be done. But I'm not sure that the simplified sketch made with AI will be better than the one made by applying the median blur.

Obscurity4340 3y ago

Looks like Arc's icon