I have worked with LOKLiK and HTVRONT previously and own the icraft cutting machine and an autopress. So when they asked me if I'd like to test out and review the LOKLiK iPaint I was intrigued. It's billed as 'the world's first AI-powered painting machine that converts photos into paint-by-number artworks' which would be interesting to try out, but for my personal craft usage, I wanted to see if it could be a tool to help me with embroidery and paper craft projects.
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Who is it for?
The machine is aimed at crafters, artists, creative families, and beginners seeking a therapeutic and creative outlet.
My aim is to do a comprehensive review, from unboxing, build, first use, paint by numbers and exploring it's further capabilities, so you can see if it's the machine for you!
Key features
- AI-Powered Creation: Upload photos to instantly generate line art for painting.
- Instant Line Art Generation: One-click conversion of images into detailed line art.
- Multiple Difficulty Levels: Choose from easy, medium, or complex painting
- Versatile Painting Surfaces: Supports canvas, wood, embroidery fabric, and cards.
- Extensive Template Library: Access to over 500 templates and 60+ fonts via the IdeaStudio.
Included in the box:
The LOKLiK iPaint, 48-color acrylic paint set, brushes, gel pen, heat erasable pen, pen grip, canvas, tape and user manual
Unboxing & first impressions
- Packaging: It came in a standard box, which was quite heavy. All the items were well packaged and secure, when I opened it up.
- Design & build quality: The iPaint comes in two colour choices, bubble blue and daisy white. I was sent the blue on and it's a pleasant pastel shade. The machine looks pretty sleek and it came into two parts, which are basically the x and y axis. You just need to line them up and screw them together. Which was very easy to do.
- Setup Process: Set up was simple, you can either connect via USB or Bluetooth to you pc or you can use a mobile app via Bluetooth. You just need to install LOKLiK IdeaStudio first, which is the design software you use to create your paintings and drawings with.
Paint by numbers function
AI Conversion Accuracy: It was easy to get the design software to transform photos into paint-by-number template. However, you should bear a few things in mind when creating the design:
- Crop you photo before you upload it.
- Choose your image carefully - does it have a lot detail in it, are there a lot of similar colours in it? If there are either of those, it's worth remembering that some of that detail will be lost and the colour rage is limited. I didn't think about this when I picked a photo of a flower. It had a crazy tonne of detail in the background, so I ended up with so many tiny blobs to paint, it was almost impossible, where as the flower has lots of similar colours in it, so some of it's detail was lost.
Even so, the painting was fun to do, and I might even make another one, as it was relaxing to fill in.
Potential use for other Crafting Projects
I uploaded a design of some birds I had created and used the gel pen it came with to make a quick greetings card. I used one of the pre-set fonts to add a message. Once you've uploaded you're design you can set the machine to know the design size and material you are drawing on. Then it checks that the pen touches the surface of the material and shows you the drawing area. So you can check it positioned correctly.
I love the card and it would be perfect to colour in, making it a great one to do with children. The only downside was the size of the text, but that was down to me, not the machine.
Next I tried drawing on fabric, for embroidery designs with the heat erasable pen. This personally is what I would use this machine for the most.
My only issue was that you have to tape the material down to your desk and I didn't do that tight enough so there was a little ripple in the fabric when drawing. But it's no problem as a quick blast of the hairdryer and the pen is gone!
Next time I would try fixing the fabric in a hoop and then securing to the desk.
Finally, I wanted to see if I could use any of my other pens in the machine. They need to be around 8mm in diameter I and found a bunch of them that fit, either directly or with the pen grip.
My favourites were the brush pens and Crayola markers, I can see me using these to quickly whip up some banners or party decorations.
Stay tuned to see some new projects coming your way, as I have a lot of new ideas I can't wait to try out with the iPaint.
My cutting machine has a pen tool, why do I need this?
- LOKLiK iPaint vs. Pen Tool:
- Functionality: Pen Tools on cutting machines are limited to drawing materials you attach to the mat. With the iPaint you can draw on much thicker surfaces up to 16mm
- Creative Freedom: iPaint software allows you to convert your own photos into art, you can also explore direct ai to art generation. Where as cutting machines are reliant on you uploading a pre-created design or using their bank of stock images.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- AI-powered photo-to-paint conversion
- User-friendly for beginners and enjoyable for experienced artists.
- Versatile application on various thickness of materials
- Extensive template and font library
Cons:
- If you are looking to do lots of paint by numbers the included paint pots are small
- Alignment with the surface is down to the user, there is no fixed point to place your material.
- Drawing larger projects, can take some time and use a lot of pen ink.
Final Verdict
When it arrived, I did wonder if this was a machine that would become part of my set up in my studio. I had never really had any interest in paint by numbers and didn't feel the need to start creating them. But once I realised, I could get this machine to draw all sorts of things for me. Especially my own art work, which I uploaded. Suddenly I was inspired by all the creative possibilities.
Drawing on fabrics, for painting, embroidery, tapestry and cross stitch. Drawing on wood for painting signs and pyrography. Plus creating fun cards and colouring pages for the kids.
It's safe to say, I don't think the iPaint will be going back in the box.
Where can I get one?
Available through the official LOKLiK iPaint website and Kickstarter campaign.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Is the LOKLiKiPaint compatible with other crafting machines?
You could easily get the iPaint to draw out designs, which could then be cut out with a cutting machine like the iCraft. For example, drawing a sheet of Christmas motifs that can then be cut to make gift tags. - Can I use my own photos with the iPaint?
Yes, the AI feature allows you to upload personal photos and convert them into paint-by-number templates or line art. - Are there different difficulty levels available?
Yes, the iPaint offers easy, medium, and complex levels to cater to various skill sets - What surfaces can I draw on using the iPaint?
You can draw on canvas, wood, embroidery fabric, paper, card etc. As long as it's under 16mm thick.
Don't forget to Pin it for later!
