Most "sketch" filters just trace edges and leave you with a noisy grey copy of the photo. This works like an artist instead: the AI redraws the picture in pencil from scratch, with confident linework, hatching and cross-hatching, soft blended shadows and loose edges that fade into the paper.
Open the Pencil Sketch template, upload a photo and hit Create. The composition and pose stay the same, and the face, features and hairstyle stay recognizable — it's the same person, just drawn by hand. Pets, houses, landscapes and still lifes work just as well. Use the description field to steer it: "close-up of the face only", "a bit more contrast".
Your drawing is ready in 15–40 seconds and keeps the aspect ratio of the original. Want a different look? The Art section also has an oil portrait and a coloring page, and Anime & Cartoons has watercolour anime and comic styles. Run it as many times as you like — every version comes out slightly different, so pick your favorite.