FotoSketcher

Recently, I tried out this program called FotoSketcher.  It's a free program that takes your images and allows you to make it look realistically sketched out.  Ultimately, it can make your photo look watercolored, pencil sketched, or painted.

This example down below shows a photo of a bear.  The pop up window shows a preview of what the bear would look like when realistically pencil sketched out.  There are 5 levers in which you can change to your liking:

Bear Photo Example

 - Edge Threshold
 - Edge Intensity
 - Color Intensity
 - Darken/Lighten
 - Level of Contrast

You can also check the boxes, which allow you to either soften edges, add a frame (that may be helpful for framing photos), the type of texture, and it also allows you to add text!  You can also choose the brush's size and hardness. It changes the kind of sketching you want.

They also give you three options: to load parameters, save parameters, and reset parameters.  These options let you know whether or not you like the preferences you have set up, so next time you can use the same ones.

I think that this program is very convenient if you want to make something look sketchy in a short period of time.  Of course, there are filters in photoshop that let you complete the task faster, but if you're on a budget then FotoSketcher is the program.