Interactive Artificial Ant Colonies for Non-Photorealistic Rendering
Author(s): Yann Semet, Una-May O'Reilly, Frédo Durand.
Unpublished:
2004.
[BibTeX] 
Abstract:
We apply artificial ant techniques to the area of computer
graphics known as Non-Photorealistic Rendering (NPR). We use an artificial
ant colony to transform a photograph into a stylized picture inspired
by traditional artistry. A colony of artificial ants scan the source
image locally, following strong edges or wandering around flat zones,
and deposit ink on the canvas depending on their discoveries. A variety
of visual effects are obtained. Two such are painterly rendering and pencil
sketching. These both emerge by the ant colony successively applying ink
that forms strokes that decrease in size while they increase in contrast.
The colony’s interaction with the photograph and each other requires
and offers interactive control by users. This work suggests that emergent
artificial ant techniques can assist a human artist by accomplishing
aesthetic transformations in a convenient and creative way.
More at: http://graphics.csail.mit.edu/~semet/antsNPR