Mural Maker by Da Vinci Eye 4+

Works as intended, but…

This app is great for getting your scale and proportions close from picture to canvas or whatever surface you draw or paint on.

The issue is that the video feed from your camera device to your drawing device is quite poor. Between the video lag on higher resolutions, to the extreme pixelation on lower resolutions, there is no good middle ground for capturing details work.

For me, this is not an issue, as I only really want to capture the outline and shadow areas of images. It’s a huge time saver. The rest I can do on my own and it will probably make me a better painter anyway.

For those who are just starting out and want a really detailed tracing app… this isn’t it. Get yourself a projector.

Camera device: iPhone 14pro
Drawing device: iPad 11 pro

I hope there’s some sort of workaround coming for this as it would be nice to capture details if needed. But not a deal breaker for me.

Developer Response ,

Hey there! We've just launched an awesome update that will make streaming your artwork faster and clearer. You can check it out by using the Mural Maker 2.0 trial mode in the side menu. And if you've set up your devices like we said, you shouldn't have any lag at all. If you need any help with that, just shoot us an email and we'll be happy to assist you.
Just a heads up, our app is mainly for creating huge masterpieces, so if you're working on super fine details or smaller artwork, it might not be the best fit. But if you're looking to speed up the process of creating large-scale artwork, this app is perfect for you. With it, you can replace time-consuming grids and projectors that can't be used in bright daylight. Plus, it will be your second set of eyes, and you can compare colors as you go. And the best part, you can stand up close to your wall or canvas while simultaneously seeing it from several feet away.
Let us know if this clears things up for you. And if you want to chat more about the app, new updates, or give us feedback, we're all ears! Just send us an email to info@davincieyeapp.com.

Does not work. Still has a long way to go.

Major issues that need addressing: the app does not correct for camera distortion so the image you “project” does not line up correctly to your hand when trying to trace. Furthermore, tracing is not possible because the image you are trying to trace is overlayed on top of the camera image so your hand is behind the image making it impossible to trace accurately. Even if the opacity is turned down you still cannot see where your hand is relative to the drawing. I tried zooming in the camera feed to see if I could get a closer look but it just enlarges the camera and pixelated the stream so my Hand and canvas was rendered unusable. The overlayed image stays in good quality but the canvas feed gets to blurry to see anything you are doing.
.. This it’s a great idea tho and I hope they improve it for the near future. I think a digital projector app that can project directly from your mobile Device that has a proctor lens built in would be the way to go for the future. If i knew how I’d make it myself. Excited to see where all this AI tech will bring us in the future and especially how it can be an aid for artists.

Worth it

About 5 years ago, I found Da Vinci Eye and at the time I couldn’t draw a stick figure (very slight exaggeration). But finding it unlocked a part of my life I didn’t know I was missing. I found a creative outlet and way to turn my brain off from the stress of every day life. The one limitation with Da Vinci was the ability to scale up to a larger size. When Mural Maker came out, I made the decision to do a huge canvas (48”x60”). It took a few minutes to get everything set up, but it was remarkably simple. I had tried to replicate the da Vinci experience with a projector but the shadows get in the way of where I was working. With Mural Maker I was shocked the remarkable level of detail I could get even on such a large canvas. The time saved was easily worth the price to me. I’ve really enjoyed both Da Vinci Eye and Mural Maker, and if you’re interested in doing a large project, I’d highly recommend giving it a try.