Free
Happy Boy Atelier
A digital drafting table for traditional painters. Plan a physical painting before you touch the canvas — arrange reference photos, work out composition, perspective, and lighting, then take it to the easel.
What it does
Atelier is a desktop Python app for traditional painters. Arrange reference photos, plan composition with guides and perspective grids, set up lighting directions, and export a planning sheet to take to your easel.
Key features
- Reference image management with snapping, cropping, rotation
- Composition tools: focal points, movement lines, measurement rulers
- Perspective grids: 1/2/3-point with draggable vanishing points
- Lighting planning: sunburst markers and shadow direction
- Guides: Rule of Thirds, Golden Ratio, inch grid overlays
- Study Blur & Value Check for judging shapes without detail
- Export to PNG, JPG, or PDF planning sheet
- Focus Mode: fully transparent desk for stepping back
- Works well when paired with a projector
- No internet required for core features
- Full desktop app for macOS (untested), Windows, Linux (Python 3.10+)
Note: the iPhone upload feature needs a one-time setup — running a couple of commands in the terminal — so the connection stays secure and never reaches past your home network.
Get Atelier