Sketch Interpretation and Refinement Using Statistical Models

We present a system for generating 2D illustrations from hand drawn outlines consisting of only curve strokes. A user can draw a coarse sketch and the system would automatically augment the shape, thickness, color and surrounding texture of the curves making up the sketch. The styles for these refinements are learned from examples whose semantics have been pre-classified. There can be several styles applicable on a curve and the system automatically identifies which one to use and how to use it based on a curve’s shape and its context in the illustration. Our approach is based on a Hierarchical Hidden Markov Model. We present a two level hierarchy in which the refinement process is applied at: the curve level and the scene level.