Tracking, Animating, and 3D Printing Elements of the Fine Arts Freehand Drawing Process

Abstract

Dynamic elements of traditional drawing processes such as the order of compilation, and speed, length, and pressure of strokes can be as important as the final art piece because they can reveal the technique, process, and emotions of the artist. In this paper, we present an interactive system that unobtrusively tracks the freehand drawing process (movement and pressure of artist»s pencil) on a regular easel. The system outputs captured information using 2D video renderings and 3D-printed sculptures. We also present a summery of findings from a user study with 6 experienced artists who created multiple pencil drawings using our system. The resulting digital and physical outputs from our system revealed vast differences in drawing speeds, styles, and techniques. At TEI art track, the attendees will likely engage in lively discussion around the analog, digital, and tangible aspects of our exhibit. We believe that such a discussion will be critical not only in shaping the future of our work, but also in understanding novel research directions at the intersection of art and computation.