You think in images.
So why is your direction still a blur?
Your references pile up in PureRef and across Pinterest boards. The feeling you're chasing is vivid in your head — but scattered, unspoken, hard to pin down.
Ktlyst gathers it all on one canvas and brings the picture into focus — so you can see where you're headed, and keep creating.
Made for people who think in pictures
If your ideas start as images — not sentences — Ktlyst is built for the way you already work.
Concept artists
Turn a wall of references into character, environment, and key-art concepts — without breaking flow to write a prompt.
From scattered references to a clear direction — in six moves
Gather into sections
Drag images, GIFs, or video frames onto the canvas — or pull an entire Pinterest board in one move — and group them into sections: one mood, one idea, one place.
Gather into sections
Drag images, GIFs, or video frames onto the canvas — or pull an entire Pinterest board in one move — and group them into sections: one mood, one idea, one place.
Distill sections into elements
Turn a section into a clean, typed element — a character, a costume, a prop — a building block you can reuse on any canvas.
Add your direction
Pin notes and comments right where they belong, and sketch over your references — your intent stays visual, attached to the work itself.
Catalyze a concept
Combine your elements and let one click explore a new concept you can react to — guided only by what you collected.
Work beside it
Pop your new concept into an always-on-top window and keep it next to your painting or modeling tools — a fresh reference to begin your real work from.
Take it anywhere
Your canvases live in the cloud — start on desktop, refine on your tablet, review from wherever you are.
Your Pinterest boards,
on your canvas.
You already curate on Pinterest. Connect your account and pull a whole board into Ktlyst in one move — every pin laid out on your canvas, ready to explore. No saving, no re-uploading, no losing the thread.
1 board free · unlimited boards on Pro
A canvas that thinks alongside you
Catalyze a concept
One click explores a fresh concept — guided by the references you collected, for you to react to and refine.
Reusable typed elements
Turn a pile of references into a clean, typed element — a character, a costume, a prop — then merge elements together and reuse them on every canvas.
Redline corrections (Pro)
Draw red corrections straight on a generated image — even handwritten notes — and Ktlyst applies them beside the original, non-destructively.
Steer with your hand & words
Sketch the composition and drop notes right on your references — guide the result with your own hand and words, not a text box.
Floating reference window
Pop your references into an always-on-top window that floats over any app — your companion while you paint, model, or write.
Share & save your board
Send a view-only link anyone can open, or save the whole board to keep or hand off.
Cross-device canvas
Your references live in the cloud. Start on desktop, refine on your tablet — Ktlyst stays with you wherever you work.
Collections
Save any group of references as a reusable Collection — your personal visual library, available on every canvas.
Reference apps collect. Ktlyst finds your direction.
PureRef and Eagle are great at gathering references — then they stop. Ktlyst reads what you collected and helps you find a clear direction, all on one canvas.
| Ktlyst | PureRef | Eagle | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collect references in one place | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Grab reference frames from video & GIF | ✓ | ✕ | – |
| Freeform canvas arrangement | ✓ | ✓ | – |
| Reads each image's essence automatically | ✓ | ✕ | – |
| Sketch to guide composition | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ |
| Notes as creative direction | ✓ | – | – |
| Explores new directions from your references | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ |
| References & the directions they spark in one place | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ |
| Cloud sync across devices | ✓ | ✕ | ✓ |
✓ built in · – possible but manual · ✕ not supported
Built for artists, on your terms
Only your references
Ktlyst builds from what you collect — every exploration is guided by your own moodboard, and we never add anyone else's work to it.
Your work stays yours
Use the directions you explore to fuel your own work — personal pieces and professional projects alike.
Fits how you already work
Keep collecting in PureRef and Pinterest. Ktlyst picks up where they leave off — no workflow to relearn.
One canvas for your whole reference workflow
From moodboard to clear direction, solo or with your team. Start free.
One Catalyze run = one new direction explored from your canvas.
Free
To fall in love with the workflow
- ✓Canvases: 5
- ✓Catalyze concept explorations: 15/month
- ✓Auto essence extraction
- ✓Pinterest import: 1 board
- ✓Cloud workspace storage: Browser only
Pro
Your ideation workspace
- ✓Canvases: Unlimited
- ✓Catalyze concept explorations: 50/month
- ✓Auto essence extraction
- ✓Redline corrections (draw → AI fixes)
- ✓Pinterest import: Unlimited
- ✓Cloud workspace storage: Cloud 10GB
- ✓Multi-device real-time sync
- ✓Floating reference window
- ✓Share your board online
- ✓Save your explorations
- ✓Export your whole board
Team
For studios & teams
$17/editor seat · min 2 · viewers free
- ✓Everything in Pro, for everyone on the team
- ✓Shared team projects & canvases
- ✓Real-time collaboration on the same board
- ✓Comments & @mentions to give direction
- ✓Shared Catalyze pool: 75 runs per seat each month
- ✓Shared cloud storage: 10GB per seat
- ✓Roles & permissions — viewers join for free
- ✓Add or remove seats anytime
Pro includes 10GB of cloud storage — room for thousands of references, and expandable anytime.
Editing works on tablet & desktop in any modern browser · phones are view-only · system requirements