Aaron Hertzmann – Non-Photorealistic Rendering and the Science of Art

Non-Photorealistic Rendering describes algorithms for creating images and animations inspired by traditional media for art and illustration. I will present some of my work in this area. Moreover, I argue that Non-Photorealistic Rendering (NPR) research will play a key role in the scientific understanding of visual art and illustration. NPR can contribute to scientific understanding of two kinds of problems: how do artists create imagery, and how do observers respond to artistic imagery? I sketch out some of the open problems, how NPR can help, and what some possible theories might look like. Additionally, I discuss the thorny problem of how to evaluate NPR research and theories.