Paintings of Lowry's matchstick men, cats and dogs may command millions, but for the rest of us, doodles are unlikely to generate much interest.

If you lack the talent to paint your own masterpiece, Fo2Pix's PhotoArtMaster may be just the thing to fire your enthusiasm.

The program allows scanned or imported digital images to be turned into paintings. We scanned-in a selection of photographs and a few digital images and set to work.

The package works by removing extraneous detail from a photo but leaving the basic outlines as a basis for the painting.

The software is simple to use and its six-step guide is good for getting started. After choosing the outlines you want, you move onto the mixer palette where the real artwork begins.

By blending different effects, adding light washes of colour and cloning objects, layers gradually pull the picture together.

When you have finished and are satisfied, you can print out the end result on art paper ready for framing and displaying in the gallery of your choice - or your hallway.

The old masters would have been intrigued by PhotoArtMaster but it's unlikely they would have been threatened by it. The results can be excellent but not without practice.

Reasonable effects can be achieved by beginners but if you want to make the most of it, effort will be required: the end result will be well worth it.

Your pictures may not be given a place in the Louvre, but they should generate gasps of admiration from family and friends.

ALSO CONSIDER

Paint Shop Pro 7

A great product
£95
*****
Computeractive, Issue 95