Camera Lucida Reviews

I had high hopes for CameraLucida. However, to be able to draw, you have to place the phone onto something next to the art paper. Most of the phone has to be over the paper. Which means you need to hold the phone down with one hand while drawing with the other to attempt to steady the image. You don’t get your full page to draw with. If you want to purchase an apparatus to hold the phone, that cost more; therefore, you are having to hold your phone, it is not steady and your image moves around as you draw. The controls to adjust are buried underneath small tabs. It does not make sense as to what these control. Even when you use the helps, it’s still not clear. I wish I could get my money back. I will move onto something different.

I’ve used this kind of equipment years ago, but it was the size of a phone booth (if you know what that is). Haha. You do need some sort of tripod or bracket to use this but how else would you? I just transferred a sketch from a notebook to paper with it and it worked great.
CameraLucida styling is very “early iPhone” and I’d like to see it updated but it works well and has been maintained.
The in app purchase sounds helpful. I found the controls under the camera icon. You have to print out a paper for the camera to register its perspective.
I admit I bought this one because the other apps were expensive subscriptions. 👍🏻 I’m not disappointed at all.

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 CameraLucida 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 CameraLucida would have a better organized GUI it’d be a 5 star app. But no one says anything about it because CameraLucida 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 CameraLucida really polished and shine. For now I’ll just mention it.

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 CameraLucida 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 CameraLucida! 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.

WOW, WOW!!!!! What a fantastic app!!! CameraLucida is SO EASY to get started with! I needed to decorate around 60 cookies in a very short turnaround time with different subject matter for each set of cookies, yes, I was stressing, going thru clipart and then trying to size each piece to the size of my cookies...OH MY GOODNESS, CRAZY!!!! I remembered a video about Camera Lucida another cookie artist had made and quickly watched...The rest is as they say, history, It was SO SIMPLE to work with CameraLucida I got ALL artwork completed QUICK and cookies done....THANK YOU CAMERA LUCIDA developer, can’t wait to do more fantastic cookies.

The recent 9.0 updates to CameraLucida make it even more useful! Buy CameraLucida - you will not be sorry. Join the Facebook group to see all of the great art it makes possible.

I do both watercolor painting and relief printing. CameraLucida is very useful in getting the image to the paper or directly to the Lino or woodblock. One can do a simple outline or even just indicate points accurately to later be completed by brush or by cutting the plate. It can easily be used to create a complete drawing though this Is not how I use it. It is a very versatile tool with many applications.

Can I give CameraLucida a seven star review ?!

I have been only using this for a few minutes but I already know that I have found a secret treasure!
Look, I CAN and DO draw and paint using perspective and all the tools of an artist. But I live an extremely busy life and it’s hard to get to all that. So in the past I have had drawing and painting instruction. I have spent lots of money on drawing products to get me up and going such as a Wacom Tablet, All the Corel products, Illustrator, etc. Those products were so incredibly hard to use that I found myself back to drawing/painting on paper!
I must say that there are many Apps which have really revolutionized my life and that CameraLucida would have to be near the very top ten most useful and productive apps That I have ever used.
I will post CameraLucida on my Facebook and stuff to get the word out but I really think you should advertise more because people like me NEED this product.
GOOD JOB!
Mary

Have only been using CameraLucida for a few days but already I’m so glad I found it! I’m a scratch artist and this is going to be a most welcome tool. Scratch board is Masonite covered in white clay then coated in black ink leaving a matt finish, so transferring a drawing onto this surface can be quite messy. I’ve coated my sketch on the back of the paper with white charcoal which leaves specks on the black surface. I’ve also used white Saral transfer paper which leaves marks where you’ve rested your hand. With CameraLucida I can draw the image directly onto the board, saving so much time and mess. Thank you so much for producing such a valuable tool.

If you are an artist in need of a quick, detailed sketch, a guide for a tonal study, or even a projection for a mural, THIS is CameraLucida for you! Don’t be fooled by imitations with similar names. They DO NOT give you what the developer of CameraLucida gives to the art world! I’ve been using Camera Lucida for years to help me get a quick, accurate sketch for watercolor portraits. Cuts production time by way more than half! And if you ever have a problem, just hop on the Camera Lucida Facebook app and ask your questions. The developer himself may just be the one to answer you! Thanks, Peter, for this amazing app!

Even though I am able to sketch some on my own, there is nothing more frustrating than to work on a painting and then as you get close to the finish, you realize something is off. CameraLucida helps you achieve a good fundamental drawing to work with. It helps get the proportions and perspective correct and it does not take away from the art of the sketch. The developer is very involved and in touch with the users and constantly making improvements. I also like being a part of the community on Facebook. If you are ready to level up, I strongly recommend CameraLucida!

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 CameraLucida I’m able to get an outline down quickly and really focus on building form. CameraLucida 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!

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 CameraLucida, 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. CameraLucida would be a bargain at twice the price.

Edit: I have been using CameraLucida 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!

I love being able to draw pictures from my photos. Really let's you overcome fears if you are, like me, drawing challenged...
Have made many lovely pen and ink drawings of some of my favorite photos of my daughter that I put in my journal. It is fun, plus they won't fade over time like photos might (given an archival ink)...

I have always wanted to make pen and ink drawings that look good and this has been an absolutely fabulous tool. I just got an Osmo stand and front camera mirror and am looking forward to using it as it seems like it will be more convenient than the standard setup of putting the iPad on a stack of books. I set it up with the Osmo but have yet to actually draw with the Osmo in use. That said, it certainly seems like it will be more convenient to have the iPad and drawing both easily visible while you are drawing, instead of basically 100% looking "through" the iPad.

I very, VERY rarely purchase apps (I think this is my second in history) but have absolutely no regrets. It really is a wonderful tool to help ANYONE draw well and I am thrilled!

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.

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.

I’ve used this program that makes drawing easy for several years . I primarily use it to get photos accurately drawn onto painting canvas or watercolor paper. Recently, I tried the hosting feature using an iPhone and iPad. Wow! I wish I had tried this years ago. It made every thing easier, more accurate and enlarging to bigger sizes simple. It’s the best system I’ve found to compensate for my imperfect drawing skills.

Today, I was having a problem I couldn’t solve. I sent a question to Pete, the developer, from the program on a Sunday. He responded within two hours and gave direction to immediately resolve my issue. I’ve never before experienced such responsive customer service on any product.

I bought CameraLucida as a Christmas present for my husband. CameraLucida 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 CameraLucida . 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 CameraLucida to obtain the desired results. Couldn’t be happier with CameraLucida and with their customer service! If you can’t figure out CameraLucida , reach out for guidance instead of leaving a negative review.

First of CameraLucida just works perfectly. I have yet to find a single bug. In addition, it worked immediately.
Second,it is backwards compatible. I have both a new iPhone with the latest iOS and an old iPad with an obsolete iOS. CameraLucida worked perfectly on both. So many other apps will only work with the latest iOS which effectively makes them useless as Apple updates it’s operating system.
Third, it is extremely useful for people who,like me, are trying to learn how to draw. In my case I make a drawing then overlay the photo I am trying to draw. My mistakes are instantly visible so I can learn what I am doing incorrectly.
Finally, based on emails with CameraLucida ’s author, I have found him to be most helpful.
In summary, I heartily recommend CameraLucida. It is truly wonderful.

This is the *original* and BEST app - the developer actually LISTENS to his purchasers and does his very best to meet their requests to add new functionality or fix any glitches usually within a few days. This is CameraLucida with a lively and supportive Facebook group of nearly 2.5K members and of which its developer is an ACTIVE and responsive member. This is CameraLucida that with the proper setup can take you from miniatures to wall-sized art and everything in between. This is CameraLucida that allows you to use either your Rear OR Front camera, with an autoadjust feature second to none. This is CameraLucida that can help you speed up production, because time is money. Whether you are a beginning artist or an expert, THIS is the one you are looking for, not the knockoff that sounds like it. 100% Worth every cent.

This is the BEST app for drawing. There are so many different settings to choose from. It’s easy to understand and in my opinion, the best out there. The customer support is better than any other app I’ve ever tried. Pete answers questions on how FB page and quickly and easily explains things. He is constantly making CameraLucida a little better and this new 12.0 version is just amazing. I will continue sharing CameraLucida in the watercolor communities on FB as it is the best app.