Non-Photorealistic Computer Graphics Library

Combining Perception and Impressionist Techniques for Nonphotorealistic Visualization of Multidimensional Data

Author(s): Christopher G. Healey.
In Collection: In SIGGRAPH 2001 Course 32, ACM, Nonphotorealistic Rendering in Scientific Visualization, pp. 20--52, Los Angeles, California, 2001.
[BibTeX]

Abstract:
The goal of this course is to introduce participants to the wealth of visualization inspiration available from art and art history. How people perceive an image can have a profound effect on the meaning they attach to that image. A compelling example is the artist's use of painterly techniques that harness our perception to evoke a specific emotional response. This course surveys a number of important issues in nonphotorealistic rendering and visual perception, then discusses their direct relevance to computer graphics and scientific visualization through a series of descriptions, examples, and practical applications. Topics address questions like: Which artistic techniques can we apply during image generation? How can these techniques be used to enhance the expressive power of traditional methods like volume visualization or line integral convolution? How does the correspondence between artistic properties and human perception allow us to produce painterly renditions of complex information spaces? Answers to these questions are important to graphics researchers and practitioners who want to construct nonphotorealistic images the convey an intended meaning or perceptual effect when viewed by their audience.