Student app: Linea - AI drawing coach

Thea, a seventh grader, built Linea after running into a familiar problem: getting stuck partway through a drawing and not knowing what to do next. She wanted feedback that was specific enough to help her improve, not just a general reminder to keep practicing.

The problem

A drawing can be far from finished and still be hard to move forward. Maybe the proportions feel off, a detail is not coming together, or the artist is unsure what to work on next. Thea had experienced that frustration herself, and when she asked other students at school who were interested in art, she heard that they had run into it too.

One drawing-coach app Thea researched focuses on finished drawings. Linea is designed to help at any stage, when an artist may need a useful next step, a suggestion they can act on, or a way to compare the current attempt with the image they have in mind.

The build

Linea lets an artist upload a drawing and a reference image, then choose a skill level. It gives personalized suggestions based on the drawing, including what to work on first, tips and tricks, and color guidance. Thea demonstrated how the amount of detail can change with the selected skill level, so a beginner and a more advanced artist can get different kinds of feedback.

The app also supports multiple rounds of feedback. Artists can return with another attempt, and Linea compares progress over time, pointing out improvements and patterns in their drawing style. That makes the experience less like receiving a one-time critique and more like having a coach alongside you as you practice.

Getting that feedback to match the selected skill level took iteration. Thea shared that she had to work through cases where different skill levels produced feedback that did not feel appropriate, then refine the app until the amount of guidance was closer to what each level needed.

She has ideas for where to take Linea next. She wants to make the feedback more specific and faster, and eventually make it more visual by pointing directly to parts of the drawing. Those are planned improvements; the current app already offers personalized written guidance based on an uploaded drawing and reference.

Why this matters

Linea starts with a problem Thea knows from experience and turns it into a tool that can help other artists keep going. The value is in how the app responds to the drawing in front of it and the artist's chosen skill level, rather than offering the same generic advice every time.

Building that experience meant thinking carefully about what makes feedback useful. A suggestion has to be specific enough to act on, but also appropriate for the artist's level. Thea had to notice when the app's response was not quite right, test changes, and keep refining it. That kind of judgment is part of building with AI: the work is not just getting a model to respond, but shaping its response around a real person's needs.

Thea also looked at the landscape of drawing-coach apps and identified a difference she wanted Linea to offer: feedback can be useful while a drawing is still in progress, not only after it is finished. That opens up more opportunities to use the app throughout the creative process.

What the judges noticed

When Thea presented her app at Demo day, the judges praised Linea’s personal connection to Thea’s own experience, and Shai Aijaz, Founder of Intent Talent Solutions called its feedback loop a strong differentiator. They were impressed by how clearly Thea explained the app and its future direction. Hari, Founder of Dhisana.ai also saw potential for Linea to support art educators and trainers, not just individual artists. Their questions pushed her to think about how feedback could account for different kinds of art, and Krishna, Director at ADP, suggested eventually showing visual, step-by-step guidance. The judges named Linea a Judges’ Pick, recognizing the clarity of Thea’s vision and the care she put into the app and presentation.

Beyond the judges, Thea received kudos from the audience at Demo day too. Here are some of them.

Thea- I like your attention to detail, even your slides are themed to your app

Thea - Nice work with calling out the differentiators

Thea - I like how you have used image analysis. I also like the detail of age specific suggestions

Linea - Great presentation and slides - Good Go To Market - There was more care for the problem and solution - Analysis of competitors

Try it yourself

Linea, built by Thea for artists who want specific guidance as they practice, is live on the Flintolabs marketplace. Try a drawing yourself at flintolabs.com/marketplace/linea-drawing-coach, or go straight to the app. Leave Thea feedback directly, she reads every comment.

What kind of feedback helps you keep going when you get stuck on a drawing? Share your thoughts in the comments.