Assisted creation of artistic digital images

One or more non-transitory storage media storing computer executable instructions, the computer executable instructions when executed by one or more microprocessors cause the one or more microprocessors to execute a process comprising the steps of:

• receive a source digital image;
• receive one or more inputs from a user of a computer system;
• establish in dependence upon the received one or more inputs from the user a visual style;
• establish a stylization module and produce a styled digital image by performing stylization of the source digital image based on the visual style;
• identify a plurality of visual elements of the styled digital image;
• generate a sequence of digital paint coat layers for the styled digital image, wherein each digital paint coat layer of the sequence of digital paint coat layers covers at least a subset of the plurality of visual elements of the styled digital image, and wherein each digital paint coat layer of the sequence of digital paint coat layers comprises a set of graphic primitives;
• and
• produce an output stylized digital image by generating respective sets of graphic primitives of each digital paint coat layer of the plurality of digital paint coat layers, wherein the output digital image exhibits one or more visual features of the visual style;
• process the stylized digital image with a digital image analysis model to identify elements of the stylized digital image;
• render the stylized digital image on a digital canvas to the user;
• receive a sequence of graphical user interface (GUI) commands from the user relating to digitally painting upon the digital canvas;
• process the sequence of digital paint coat layers and the sequence of GUI commands to generate a set of graphic primitives;
• and
• render the set of graphic primitives upon the digital canvas;
• wherein
• the stylized digital image is established independent of any assessment of the stylized digital image relative to the visual style;
• two or more graphic primitives of the set of the graphic primitives overlap thereby simulating a painting action by the user creating multiple paint coating layers in the physical world;
• the output from the digital analysis model comprising the identified elements of the stylized digital image is employed with the stylized digital image in generating the sequence of digital paint coat layers;
• the elements of the stylized digital image are selected from the group comprising objects, shapes, edges, faces, background textures, foreground textures, and regions of interest;
• and
• the digital image analysis model employs at least one of one or more machine learning based models and one or more rule based methods.

A method comprising:

• receiving, by a computer system, a source digital image;
• producing a styled digital image by performing stylization of the source digital image based on one or more at least one of elements and parameters of a visual style with a stylization module of the computer system where the styled digital image is established independent of any assessment of the styled digital image relative to the visual style;
• rendering the styled digital image on a digital canvas to the user;
• receiving a sequence of graphical user interface (GUI) commands from the user relating to digitally painting upon the digital canvas;
• processing the sequence of GUI commands and one or more at least one of elements and parameters of the styled digital image to generate a set of graphic primitives;
• and
• rendering the set of graphic primitives upon the digital canvas;
• wherein
• prior to receiving the sequence of GUI commands processing the styled digital image with a digital image analysis module which performs one or more edge detection operations by computing at least one of color gradient analysis and luminance gradient analysis of pixels within the styled digital image;
• the detected edges are processed to identify elements, each element being one of an object, a shape and a region of interest within the styled digital image;
• the computer system generates for each identified element a set of styled graphic image primitives to apply to that element where each graphic primitive is selected from a mark making tool, a fill pattern or a pixel;
• and
• a subset of the set of graphic primitives are established in dependence upon the set of styled graphic image primitives for an identified element and one or more parameters of a GUI command of the sequence of GUI commands when the GUI commands of the sequence of GUI commands relates to a region of the styled digital image comprising the identified element.