DESIGNING DIGITAL DRAWING TOOL

FOR INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS }

Supervisor：Ben Swift, Tony Curran

Weidi Wang (u6781177)

Tony Currant, Nature in RGB (#1), 2018. Oil on linen, 40.5 x 30.5cmhttps://www.tonycurran.net/artworks.html [Accessed 05/10/2019]

COMP8755

# Background

• Most digital drawing tools are designed for a wide range of users with

very generic defaults.

• Although those type of software is mature, powerful and flexible,

difficult or even impossible for some artists to achieve their artist goal.

# Project Motivation

• The artist’s creativity is limited by the functions of current drawing

tools

• The artist need a customized tool to

• draw inspirations

• explore certain field of visual art

• Canberra based artist with unique art style. • Visual Artist in drawing, painting and digital media• Artworks have been exhibited in several galleries.

Tony Curran

Tony Currant, Sierra, 2017. Oil on linen, 40.5 x 30.5 cmhttps://www.tonycurran.net/artworks.html [Accessed 05/08/2019]

Tony Currant, Contain, 2017. Oil on polycotton 113.5 x 83.5cm.https://www.tonycurran.net/artworks.html [Accessed 05/08/2019]

# Project Objective

• Basic drawing functions as other software has

• Function that enable him to find inspirations from his drawing

• Obtains inspirations from how each stroke was drawn.

• All strokes on the canvas need to be manipulatable

• Store the ‘Dynamic’ drawings on server and host the app online

• Explore the new creative possibilities in performing live paintings.

# Outcome – drawing function

• Aim to focus on the essential painting function – Simplify the diversity

of functions

• Necessary drawing functions :

• Brush Tool

• Eraser Tool

• Eyedropper Tool

• Gradient Brush Tool

Photoshop Toolbar Toolbar Designed for the Artist

# Outcome – Dynamic nature of “wiggle” as drawing element

• Aim to ‘vivify’ the static drawings – The core to solve user’s problem

• Mainstream drawing tool: focus on the result.

• No interaction after drawing.

• This project: focus on the drawing progress of each stroke

• Process of drawing will be recorded

• Each stroke on the canvas is interactable

Mainstream drawing tool

Customized drawing tool in project

# Outcome – Dynamic nature of “wiggle” as drawing element

• “Time” involved in the drawing creativity

• Things could be done with the Time property

• Replay the drawing process

• The speed of the drawing

• Investigate every stroke separately and find the ones generate

inspirations.

• Animate the strokes of the drawingPauseForward Play

Backward Play

Fast Play (Froward & Backward)

Delete

Visibility

Loop Play Solo Play

# Outcome – Data Structure & Data Storage

• Record all the data produced in the

drawing process into a data structure

• Paintings Painting Strokes Points

• Store the data structure in Firebase

real-time database

• Powerful support for different platform

• Store and sync data in real-time

# Outcome – User interface

• Software designed for expert with clear

direction for use

• Remove all the unnecessary functions

• Concentrate on the functions serve artist’s

workflow

• Drawing on the canvas (draw mode)

• Manipulate each stroke (play mode)

Toolbar

CanvasStored drawing list

Control panel

• Users may not have the vision of what the final product should be, they just

come with the problems

• The artist and developer develop a more clear goal during the iterations

• Build empathy to understands the artist’s essential needs

• Bridge the gap between different domains.

• Highly reduce the risk

• Reduce misunderstanding

• Design error will be evaluated earlier

• New requirement can be added timely in next release.

# Design Process - Iterative artist centred design

• Each phase will be divided into Design Interview, Implementation and user evaluation

• User(Tony) will be involved in each iteration

• Gain feedback from each evaluation, and used in the next design process

# Design Process – Three phase development

• Design Interview: this stage will focus on understanding the

artist and his needs

• Implementation: basic drawing functions

• P5.js will be used as main language

• With the primitive understanding of the goal, develop

the basic Must-Have functions for further exploration.

• Evaluation: Test drawing with the software and investigate

what core functions are required.

# Design Process – Phase 1/3

• Design Interview: investigate the possible solutions &

priority the tasks.

• Implementation: data store

• Capture the data structure is the basement for

manipulate strokes

• Data stored on server

• Evaluation: Testing the data store and evaluate what data

has the potential and should be kept for later use.

• Exploring manipulate functions to animate strokes

# Design Process – Phase 2/3

• Design Interview:

• investigating what kind of interaction artist need

• Design interface that meet user’s workflow

• Implementation: vivify the strokes

• Enable user to manipulate each strokes individually

• Evaluation:

• Evaluation script is used to evaluate the whole project

• Test drawing with the application

• Compatibility in different platforms

• Evaluation in iterative UCD project should be safer

(user involved in all iteration )

# Design Process – Phase 3/3

PauseForward Play

Backward Play

Fast Play (Froward & Backward)

Delete

Visibility

Loop Play Solo Play

# Conclusion

Result:

• Design and develop a user satisfied

application that solve his creative problems

• Generate the new creative possibilities

in performing live paintings.

• The new drawing software has been

used in the creating artworks, and the

artwork gained positive feedback from

his artist friends.

Future work:

• Exporting function allow user to export the

animation as videos

• Design the tool to adapt the live

performance

Thank You

Tony Curran, Only if you need consequences, 2017. Oil on canvas, 40.5 x 30.5 cmhttps://www.tonycurran.net/artworks.html [Accessed 05/08/2019]