Google has announced that its Arts & Culture app will let you apply characteristics of well-known paintings to the pictures you take, in the latest update. The new feature, called Art Transfer, is available in the Camera menu in the bottom bar of the Google Arts & Culture app.
Once you’ve selected Art Transfer in the Camera menu, you’ll be able to choose from dozens of masterpieces and transfer styles onto your image. If you want to apply the effect to just part of the picture, you can use the scissor tool to select the area you want to apply the effect to. In order to inform users a bit more, Google will provide a bit of background information about the artworks they decide to take the effect from.
Explaining how the function works, Google said:
“Art Transfer is powered by an algorithmic model created by Google AI. Once you snap your photo and select a style, Art Transfer doesn’t just blend the two things or simply overlay your image. Instead, it kicks off a unique algorithmic recreation of your photo inspired by the specific art style you have chosen.
And all of it happens right on your device without the help of the cloud or your image being processed online.”
Google said it has worked with cultural institutions from around the world including the UK’s National Gallery and Japan’s MOA Museum of Art. This has allowed the company to feature artists such as Vincent van Gogh, Frida Kahlo, Edvard Munch, and Leonardo da Vinci.
If you want to test out the new feature, download the Google Arts & Culture app for Android or iOS. If you’ve already got it installed, check for available app updates in the Play Store or App Store.