CoolPaint: Direct Interaction Painting

We present CoolPaint, a system for computer painting that uses a props-based direct interaction technique. By instrumenting real paint brushes and developing corresponding digital models of the brushes, we allow the user to control digital tools by directly manipulating their physical counterparts. In addition, we use a tabletop display which allows the display space and interaction space to be unified. The painter picks up a real paint brush, dabs it in ‘paint’, and makes a brush stroke across the canvas. Digital paint immediately appears on the canvas, directly under the brush, with exactly the brush stroke the painter expects. The result is an intuitive, expressive, and fun painting experience.