Color Sketch
Keeps color information instead of a purely monochrome drawing.
← Fusion node reference
StylizeIntermediate
PencilSketch
Pencil line and paper-texture stylization
Turns footage into a pencil-style sketch with separate controls for edge strokes, tone and animated texture.
PencilSketch
DaVinci Resolve · Fusion
PencilSketch analyzes source contrast, builds drawn-looking strokes, simplifies tone and adds pencil or paper texture for monochrome or color-sketch looks.
Overview
What PencilSketch does
Stroke controls determine where lines are detected and how long or strong they appear.
Tone controls reshape shadows, midtones and highlights so the underlying image reads like a drawing rather than filtered footage.
Texture controls add directional pencil grain and can be animated with a random seed for a living hand-drawn feel.
Mental model
Think of PencilSketch as three passes in one node: detect and draw strokes, simplify the tonal drawing, then add pencil texture.
Common uses
Storyboard-style inserts
Hand-drawn transitions
Illustrated freeze frames
Music-video stylization
Title and poster backgrounds
Flow anatomy
Inputs & outputs
The port structure shows how this node fits into a Fusion graph.
Image
Source image for the operation.
Effect Mask
Optional mask that limits where the node affects the image.
PencilSketch
Fusion node
Output
The processed result from this node.
Inspector
Important parameters
Start with these controls before reaching for more complicated workarounds.
Sketch Stroke Controls
Opens the contour and stroke controls that define the drawn-pencil linework.
Stroke Strength
Controls line prominence.
Stroke Detection Threshold
Sets how easily image contrast becomes a drawn stroke.
Stroke Length
Controls line length.
Sketch Tone Controls
Opens the controls that remap the source image into the tonal structure of the sketch.
Tone Adjust Amount
Changes the strength of tonal simplification.
Shadow Level
Sets how strongly Pencil Sketch renders information in the shadows.
More Shadow
Strengthens the sketch treatment in darker areas.
More Midtone
Strengthens the sketch treatment in the midtones.
More Highlight
Strengthens the sketch treatment in highlight areas.
Sketch Texture Controls
Opens the controls that shape the pencil and paper texture.
Animate
Enables animation for this part of the effect.
Texture Amount
Controls pencil or paper texture strength.
Texture Direction
Sets the direction of the sketch texture in degrees.
Texture Length
Sets the length of the individual texture strokes.
Random Seed
Sets the random seed so a procedural variation can be reproduced.
Practical setup
A reliable workflow
- 1
Tune stroke detection on a representative frame.
- 2
Set stroke strength and length.
- 3
Adjust tone so the drawing retains readable volume.
- 4
Add texture last.
- 5
Mask or blend with the original if important facial detail is lost.
Typical node chain
Image→
PencilSketch→
Drawn image
Examples
Where this node fits in real work
Sketch reveal
Dissolve from footage into a pencil version.
MediaInPencilSketchDissolveMediaOut
Animated drawing texture
Animate the texture seed subtly for a living sketch.
MediaInPencilSketchFilmGrain
Troubleshooting
Common mistakes
Setting the detection threshold so low that every noise pixel becomes a line
Overpowering the drawing with texture
Crushing all tonal separation
Production notes
Practical tips
Denoise noisy footage before PencilSketch.
Use Color Sketch selectively; monochrome often reads more convincingly.
Animate texture, not the whole image, for a subtle handmade feel.
Related nodes