IntuPaint: Bridging the gap between physical and digital painting

This paper presents a novel interface for a digital paint system: IntuPaint. A tangible interface for a digital paint easel, using an interactive surface and electronic brushes with a tuft of bristles, has been developed. The flexible brush bristles conduct light by means of total internal reflection inside the individual bristles. This enables to capture subtle paint nuances of the artist in a way that was not possible in previous technologies. This approach provides natural interaction and enables detailed tracking of specific brush strokes. Additional tangible and finger-based input techniques allow for specific paint operations or effects. IntuPaint also offers an extensive model-based paint simulation, rendering realistic paint results. The reality-based approach in the combination of user interface and paint software is a new step forward to bridge the gap between physical and digital painting, as is demonstrated by initial user tests.