SK APP — Big Update!

Welcome to SK APP 2.0
We’re excited to introduce a major update packed with powerful new features and improvements designed to make your workflow faster, easier, and more flexible.

What’s New?

PNG Masks

Now available in Elements → Masks
Easily place your characters inside masks and hide unnecessary parts with just a few clicks.

Crop Masks

You can now crop layers and groups directly on the canvas.
Simply click on a layer or group and use the new Crop button in the context menu.

Character Bodies Panel

Creating custom characters is now much easier.
You’ll find everything you need in the new Bodies panel — including arms, legs, heads, and more.

Hairstyles Panel

Even though hairstyles can be changed via right-click, many of you asked for a dedicated panel — and we listened.
The new Hairstyles panel is now available for faster and more convenient editing.

Clothing Section

A brand new Clothing panel has been added.
It’s небольшая for now, but will be regularly updated with versatile pieces that fit most characters.
Available free for all subscribers.

High-Quality Downloads

You can now download your designs in PDF format, and all formats are exported in 300 DPI for print-ready quality.

The Biggest Features

Upload Your Own Files

You can now upload your own assets directly into the app and use them in your projects.

You can create two types of folders:

Variant Folders

Upload multiple variations (for example, 10 skirt colors) and switch between them on the canvas with a right-click, just like native assets.

Static Folders

Perfect for backgrounds or fixed elements that shouldn’t be replaced.

These folders support an amazing feature:

Magic Colors

Apply ready-made color presets to your images instantly.

Enable Magic Colors for an asset, then right-click it on the canvas to switch between color variations.

Works best with simple, light, and single-color images
Since the effect overlays color on top of the image, avoid using it on dark or complex graphics.

Game-Changer: Publish Your Templates

You can now publish your templates and start earning passively.

What’s included:

• A redesigned My Projects panel
• Simple publishing flow — just click Settings → Publish

After publishing, you’ll get two links:

Demo Link

Share it anywhere — your customers can preview the template, edit text, and customize colors.

Private Link

A full-access version without watermark and with download enabled.
Use this link for delivering files after purchase (do not share publicly).

Add Purchase Link

You can now add a purchase link to your template.
It will appear in the demo version as a “Purchase Template” button leading directly to your shop.

This opens the door to fully automated sales of personalized products
No more manual editing for every customer.

Additional Improvements

• Updated interface design
• Added tooltips for easier onboarding
• New filters for faster search

Mobile Compatibility Update

We’ve updated many characters to ensure better compatibility with mobile templates.

To achieve this, hairstyles were standardized so they align properly across devices.

Not all characters are updated yet.
Look for the “Mobile Ready” badge on previews to identify fully compatible characters.

If a character is not ready, you may need to adjust it manually (for example, change the hairstyle).

We’re actively working on updating all characters as quickly as possible.

Improved Text Behavior

Text editing is now much smoother —
when resizing or changing text, its center position stays fixed.

Magic Colors Indicators

Assets that support Magic Colors now have a visual icon,
so you can instantly see which elements can be recolored.

Canvas Auto-Save

Your work is now automatically saved.
Refreshing the page will no longer result in lost progress.

Performance Improvements

Side panels are now faster and more responsive.

Thank You

This update is a big step forward for SK APP, and we’re just getting started.
More features, content, and improvements are coming soon.

The post SK APP — Big Update!!! appeared first on Svetlana Kleine.

Hi everyone!

I know it’s been quiet from my side for a while, and many of you reached out worried that I might have abandoned the project. Don’t worry — I haven’t. In fact, I’ve been working on something really exciting behind the scenes.

As many of you know, I’ve always dreamed of creating a tool where you could easily build and customize personalized characters and portraits — without the back-and-forth, without manual edits, and without confusion about available options.

And now… it’s finally here.

I’ve created a mobile-friendly version of the editor designed for your customers.
You can already try some of my templates here:

https://app.svetlanakleine.com/m/129-505b02d8951cb8d7d702e

https://app.svetlanakleine.com/m/124-bd1d7b0809e4b4ee9ca307a

https://app.svetlanakleine.com/m/125-86dc95672e3dc4dcca955

This completely changes the experience.

Your customers can now fully customize their portraits on their own — choose hairstyles, outfits, details — everything. No more manual customization, no more explaining options, no more limitations. They see everything, adjust everything, and then simply purchase and download.

Right now, template publishing is only available to me internally.
The reason is simple — the current version of the app wasn’t originally built for this kind of system.

There are technical challenges (like mixed assets and hairstyle positioning), and for this to work properly, everything needs to stay perfectly aligned when switching elements. The old system just isn’t designed for that.

So here’s what I’m doing right now:

I’m rebuilding the editor from the ground up to support template publishing — so that in the future, you will be able to create and publish your own templates and completely move away from manual customization.

Yes, it will take some time.
But I truly believe it will be worth it.

Once this is ready, all my subscribers will get access to a powerful new tool that will:

eliminate repetitive manual work
allow you to create and launch products much faster
help you move from active work toward semi-passive income

And for those of you already using the app — don’t worry:

Your projects are completely safe. Nothing will be lost.
We’re only adding new features and improving the system.

When you’re ready, you’ll be able to transition to the new version smoothly.

I’ll keep you updated as things progress.

Thank you for being here
Wishing you great mood and amazing sales!

The post The Future of Personalized Portraits Is Here appeared first on Svetlana Kleine.

I’d love to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday Season!
May the coming 2026 year bring happiness, good health, inspiration, and many beautiful moments to you and your families

Since these are holiday days, I’ll keep this post short and share a few quick updates with you.

Today I added 20 new tops & bottoms for both male and female characters to the editor.
I promised to keep expanding this new section – and I always keep my word

For now, the selection is still relatively small, but this feature is incredibly exciting and adds much more flexibility and creative freedom to your portraits. Many of my character poses are quite complex, and not every top works perfectly with every bottom – so during these cozy New Year days, I’ll be actively working on expanding this section and giving you as many compatible options as possible.

And for now… I’ve added these lovely graduation girls

In addition to choosing tops and bottoms separately, don’t forget that every item is fully recolorable. This means you have virtually unlimited outfit combinations and styling options for your characters.

I’ve also added a few options for male characters – currently 6 bottoms and 5 tops.
And technically… you’re not limited at all – you could mix and match women’s and men’s clothing if you wanted
(Just kidding… or maybe not )

You may also notice that more characters are becoming available in the editor. This happens because I periodically add new ones or make existing characters free. I usually don’t create a separate post for these updates — so no worries if you suddenly see more options appear

And finally, I want to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has been with me for over 8 years, supporting my work and creativity — and to all the new faces who have recently joined this growing DIY creative space.
Your support, trust, and feedback truly make it possible for so many beautiful things to come to life. Thank you from the bottom of my heart

I wish you a wonderful holiday break and a joyful, inspiring start to 2026.
All the best and warm wishes

The post Merry Christmas! appeared first on Svetlana Kleine.

You may have noticed a few changes on the website recently. I’ve also been a bit quiet for a while, so today I’d like to share a short update and let you know what’s been happening behind the scenes.

New Section — Journaling Kits

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m continuously exploring new tools and workflows to create illustrations faster, better, and more sustainably. In today’s market, adapting is simply a necessity.

Over the past six months, I’ve been creating new illustration collections for my Etsy shop, and the response has been incredibly positive. Many of you loved these sets, which is why I decided to create a dedicated new section on my website and make these collections available directly here.

Of course, purchasing on the website is more affordable thanks to the absence of platform fees and additional commissions. On top of that, you can enjoy an extra 50% discount when purchasing 10 or more items, which can be combined with sale discounts — resulting in total savings of up to 70–80%.

If you enjoy my illustration kits, this is a great opportunity to save significantly. All collections are now available on the site.

The new section is called Journaling Kits and features themed illustration collections created for:

• sticker designers
• junk journal creators
• scrapbookers
• invitation and card designers
• planner creators
• sublimation projects (apparel & products)
• and many other creative uses

About the Portrait Creator App

Over the past month, I’ve taken a fresh look at the app and how it’s currently structured.

At the moment, I don’t yet have enough resources to actively develop it in all the directions many of you would love to see. That said, I still find it very useful for quick character assembly and portrait creation.

However, I agree that the current subscription model can feel confusing — especially for new users — and it’s not always immediately clear what’s included and how everything works.

Because of this, I’m planning to rework the subscription system next month to make it clearer, simpler, and more accessible for everyone.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention — I’ve added over 60 Christmas characters from older collections to the free section.
So now all subscribers have access to at least 240+ characters, not including individual body parts and elements.

DIY Clipart Collections

I know that the introduction of a new section may have caused some concern, so I want to clarify this clearly:

This does not mean that I’m abandoning DIY clipart collections.

While I release new DIY kits less frequently than before, I still truly enjoy creating them and plan to continue doing so. New collections are already in progress and will be released soon.

That’s all for now — just a short update for those of you who follow my work and creative journey. I want to stay transparent and keep you informed about what’s happening.

Thank you for being here
I wish you a wonderful mood and a very Merry Christmas!

The post appeared first on Svetlana Kleine.

I’ve added several new Christmas girls — some available to all subscribers, and some exclusive to Pro and Premium members.
You can find them in the app — both as complete characters and as separate parts. As promised, I’m now working on collections that allow you to mix and match the upper and lower body parts.

I haven’t yet had time to organize these sets into full collections for purchase on the website (for those without a subscription), but I’ll make sure to do that soon.
I’m also planning to let subscribers not only access free collections inside the app but also download them directly. From now on, all subscribers will receive email links to free sets as soon as they’re released.

I’m truly grateful for your continued support. Hopefully, things will settle down soon, and I’ll be able to create something truly special for you.

Wishing you all a great mood and a productive week!

The post App Update, Free Characters, News appeared first on Svetlana Kleine.

Today I’ve released an update for the Start Package, featuring 10 brand-new collections — you can find them, as always, in the 7. Free Addons section.

I’ve also added a special bonus pack – “All Ages”, which I think many of you will find super helpful!
It includes lots of cute extras like hats, balloons, backgrounds, and hair accessories, plus several character sets — such as Pregnancy, Little Girls, Curvy Man, and more.

Hope you’ll love the new additions and have fun exploring them!

Here’s a list of what’s included in this update:

The post “Start Package” Free Update V5 appeared first on Svetlana Kleine.

First of all, I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who supports my little business – you are truly the best! Because of your support, so many wonderful things have already been created, and so many more are on the way. I’m endlessly grateful for that!

I know it’s been a while since I shared any updates about the app or new collections – and I’m so sorry for the silence. The truth is, while I was fully focused on the app, my main Etsy shop dropped in search rankings, and I had to quickly shift my attention to bringing it back to life.
Small tip for fellow Etsy sellers: always publish something at least once every 4 days, no matter what. I was so absorbed in making the app better that I forgot this simple rule – lesson learned!

Two weeks ago, I also tried to implement a new feature in the app – masks – but unfortunately, it didn’t work out just yet. Instead, I ended up with a lot of bugs so I had to pause the idea temporarily. But don’t worry – I haven’t given up on it, and I will definitely bring masks into the app in the future.

Another thing I’ve realized: the market has changed a lot. Hand-drawn illustrations are now in less demand because of their higher price, while AI-generated art is everywhere (if you browse Etsy, you’ll notice that over 70% of listings are AI-based now). I still do a lot of hand drawing because I want the best quality possible, but I also enjoy using AI textures and patterns – you may have noticed them appearing more often in my character clothing. In the end, AI is here to stay, and we all need to adapt.

To help save my Etsy shop, I created a lot of affordable AI-generated sets. I don’t plan to put them on my website, but I thought – why not share the best and most useful ones with you in the app? So now you’ll find plenty of new cliparts that can be a wonderful addition to your portraits.

Quick overview of what’s new and what’s coming

App – Free Characters

I’ve made several new character collections and decided to gift them to subscribers. These are available inside the app

for all subscribers

and Premium-only

App – New Elements

Since I generated so many extra assets for Etsy, I decided to share them with you too. You’ll now find lots of new additions – garlands, Christmas and Halloween decorations, frames, ornaments, and much more.
I especially love how the new clothing prints turned out – they look so fun on characters!

Over 800+ elements for your creativity

Halloween

Frames

Christmas

Pumpkins

Quotes

Dividers

And much more…

Character Builder – “Parts” Feature

Some of you told me you miss being able to mix and match body parts and outfits like in the old days. After a lot of thought, I came up with something exciting: character parts!
You’ll soon be able to mix upper and lower body parts more easily, without worrying about matching shoes or leg poses. On the character panel, you’ll notice a new filter called “Form” – There‘s only this girl there so far, but it’s ready to be filled with lots of content. This will give you more creative freedom and make the process much easier and more fun.

New Collections

The past two weeks were tough and most of my time went into Etsy and new product types, so I didn’t create many new collections. Still, I added two pre-made ones (cheaper versions of existing sets, already assembled for those who don’t want to build characters).
I also brought back an old forgotten set – the “Child at the Window” but in a winter version. For some reason, this one was everyone’s favorite .
And of course – my beloved “Mom on a Swing,” “Family on a Bench,” and “Family in Hoodies” are now free for subscribers too.

Subscriptions

Great news – subscription prices are now lower! I finally reached enough subscribers to cover at least part of the app’s costs, so I can give back by reducing the price for you.

What’s next

I’ll be taking a short family vacation for a week, so I won’t be updating the app during that time (just in case any bugs appear). After the break, I’ll get back to improvements as usual – I just need a little time to recharge.

Masks – still in the plan!
Upload your own files – one of my biggest dreams. Technically possible, but it requires major UI and architecture changes, so it will take time. But I will make it happen.
Sharing templates – also planned, but not very soon. Since most of your clients use smartphones, I’ll first need to think through a mobile version of the portrait builder before enabling template sharing.

That’s all for now!
Thank you so much if you made it to the end Wishing you a productive week and lots of creative inspiration!

The post News, Updates, Plans appeared first on Svetlana Kleine.

So, what’s new this week:

1. Fixes

• Layers panel – previously, if you selected multiple layers and tried to drag them, only one would actually move. Now you can move several layers at once, making layer management much easier.
• Group visibility bug – when you opened a group, all layers inside were showing up, even those that were hidden before. That wasn’t great, so I quickly fixed it.

2. Updates

Effects

The effects panel got a big update. I had to rebuild a lot so the new blending modes could work properly. Sorry if some of your old effect settings got reset – this won’t happen again.
Because I added more flexibility and new effects, the old dropdown menu became way too big, so I turned it into a separate panel. I tested it on small laptops too – everything works fine!

New effects:

1. Posterize – reduces the number of colors, turning your image into a poster-style look. Handy for specific tasks.
2. Enhance – super useful! You can sharpen or soften the image. Many of you asked for smoother, less sharp hairstyles – now it takes just a second: select a hairstyle, slide a little left, and the transitions become softer.
3. HSV – gives precise control of hue, saturation, etc. (may not work in very old browsers).
4. RGB – lets you boost or reduce separate color channels (red, green, blue). Also may not work in older browsers.

Each effect now has a little “eye” icon so you can toggle it on or off without resetting the settings. For example, if you don’t like how one effect looks, you can just hide it instead of redoing everything.

Why effects matter – many of your clients need specific custom colors, and effects make that super easy to achieve.

Blending Modes

Oh, how I love them! They’re useful not only for overlays (like removing black or white backgrounds), but also for many creative tricks.

New modes added:

• Color Dodge
• Color Burn
• Hard Light
• Soft Light
• Difference
• Exclusion
• Hue
• Saturation
• Color
• Luminosity

I’ll share later how I personally use them and why they’re so powerful.

Elements

Added 272 new cliparts on various themes: Halloween, Christmas, Easter, celestial magic, brushstrokes, and more.

Backgrounds

Added 250 new backgrounds, mostly nature and winter-themed, but also other beautiful categories.

Characters

And now for the most exciting part – I promised you a surprise!
I added 73 kids characters. And this is not even all I planned – I created so many outfits and poses that I couldn’t finish them all for this update. But still – 73 boys and girls in different clothes and poses, perfect for winter, summer, autumn, school portraits, and much more.

These characters are exclusive – you won’t find them on the website or anywhere else yet. Some of them will go into a new collection soon, but for now they’re available only here in the app. I’m sure you’ll love them!

I’m also planning to add free adult characters later – stay tuned

Oh, and I also added fun Christmas portrait templates with stockings and a fireplace! Both can be customized, they’re large and suitable for different formats. Enjoy!

By the way, throughout the week I also add new text templates and portrait templates. I don’t always mention it, but recently someone asked me: “Can I customize your templates and sell portraits based on them?”
The answer is: yes, you can!

I create templates for you so that you can:

1. See different ways to work with the app and create certain effects.
2. Get inspiration for your own projects.
3. Actually use them in your work.

You can always open any template, save it as your own project, and then make any changes you need.

That’s a pretty big update, right?
I hope you’ll love everything. Next week should be just as productive – I really want to add cropping so you can trim characters or backgrounds. And of course, there are many more exciting ideas on the way.

Have a wonderful day and happy creating!

With best wishes,
Svetlana

The post Free Characters, New Effects, Fixes – Weekly Update! appeared first on Svetlana Kleine.

Let me quickly share what happened last week and what’s been done since.

So, last week I ran into a pretty big issue with syncing users who own a huge number of purchases. Honestly, we never expected someone to have 1000+ characters in their account (but you did it! ), and our system just wasn’t ready for it. We had to jump in and urgently fix this so those of you with mega-libraries could log in without any problems. Sorry again that we had to briefly switch the app into maintenance mode for a few hours to get this sorted out.

Now, onto the fun part — the actual updates!

First, I’ve added 300 new backgrounds for you! Lots of cozy autumn vibes, spooky Halloween ones, and even a few winter themes are already waiting for you. I think you’ll love them.

Second, I reworked the design of the background/element/overlay panels. I noticed that when there are too many categories and only text labels, it becomes harder to navigate. So now, each folder comes with a little preview — this way you can instantly see what’s inside before opening it. Hopefully, it’ll make browsing smoother and more fun. But if you preferred the old way, let me know — I’m always open to feedback

Third, I’ve added around 80 new elements — mostly autumn-themed and interior-inspired. Oh, yeas, and nw dogs!

Fourth, some new accessories have landed too: suitcases, new hats, and hijabs are now available for all subscribers.

And here’s something extra-special: I’ve been working on a big “Mother of the Bride” set — 30 elegant outfits for a wedding, all in one cohesive color palette (perfect for presentations). It’s not officially released yet, but… I made a little freebie version just for you Instead of 30 characters, you’ll see 2 new characters in your panel (they’ll show up automatically for all subscribers). Each of them comes with multiple layers: 6 skirts and 7 tops, which means you can mix and match to create different dress shapes and lengths. Super fun and flexible! Scroll down to see a few outfit combos you can make.

Hope you enjoy this little gift from me

That said, I didn’t manage to finish everything I planned for this week. But next week I’ll try to surprise you with more free characters. I won’t spoil what kind just yet — but I think you’ll like the ideas brewing

So, don’t forget to check in every Monday for the latest updates and goodies!

Wishing you a great week and lots of creative energy

The post Free Characters, Panels, Backgrounds – Weekly Update! appeared first on Svetlana Kleine.

I received a lot of feedback from you and found some issues and inconveniences in the editor. I focused on fixing the most critical ones first.

New Features in the Editor

1. Layer movement with buttons
Some users mentioned that drag-and-drop isn’t always convenient. Now you can also move layers up or down using two new icons in the layer’s context menu. Just select a layer on the canvas, and you’ll see the buttons appear.

2. New effect menu options
We’ve added three new tools to the effects dropdown:

• Clear – resets all effect settings
• Copy – saves current effect settings for a layer
• Paste – applies previously copied effect settings to the selected layer

Why this matters: Since we don’t yet support recoloring objects or uploading SVGs, effects are currently the main way to adjust colors. For example, if you uploaded a pink simple shape and want it green, you can use effects for that.

3. Fonts
We’re still working on the text panel and plan to add more advanced features (including uploading custom fonts). For now, you can:

• Favorite fonts by clicking the star icon. Favorited fonts will always appear at the top of the list.
• To remove a font from favorites, just click the star again.

4. Frame bug fix
We fixed a bug where text frames had the wrong size after loading templates or projects. Frames now display correctly.

5. Sorting improvements
Text templates, cliparts, and backgrounds are now sorted so that new items appear at the top instead of at the bottom. Many users didn’t notice recent updates because they were hidden at the end of the list. Now you’ll see new items right away.

6. New cliparts
We’ve added 250+ new elements to the Elements section, including a brand new Autumn category for your seasonal creations.

That’s it for now! I still have lots of ideas for improving the editor, and I’ll do my best to bring you more exciting updates next week.

The post New Updates, Features, Fixes appeared first on Svetlana Kleine.