Workshop Overview
This workshop brings together researchers and practitioners from computer graphics, AI, cognitive science, and the arts to explore the many dimensions of drawing—how people draw, how machines can draw, and how the two might draw together. Our goal is to better understand drawing as both a cognitive process and a computational challenge, and to spark new ideas at the intersection of creativity, perception, and generative technologies.
Invited Speakers
Judith E. Fan
Stanford University
Assistant Professor of Psychology directing the Cognitive Tools Lab, studying how people use external representations like drawings to support learning and problem-solving.
Aaron Hertzmann
Adobe Research
Principal Scientist exploring the intersection of computer graphics, machine learning, and art, pioneering techniques in stylization and rendering.
Maneesh Agrawala
Stanford University
Professor of Computer Science and Director of the Brown Institute, focusing on computer graphics, HCI, and visualization with cognitive design principles.
Hongbo Fu
HKUST
Professor and Acting Head of the Division of Arts and Machine Creativity, making sketching a powerful and accessible tool for interaction and design.
Kartik Chandra
MIT
PhD student connecting computer graphics and cognitive science to understand the foundations of non-photorealistic depiction.
Peter Schaldenbrand
Carnegie Mellon University
PhD candidate at the Robotics Institute creating collaborative AI and robotic assistants for real-world acts of creativity like painting and sculpting.
Key Topics
Cognitive & Psychological Aspects
How does drawing help us think, remember, or solve problems? We'll explore sketching as a cognitive tool and what it reveals about visual information processing.
Perception & Drawing
How people perceive, abstract, and translate what they see or imagine into marks on paper, touching on visual perception and individual drawing strategies.
Sketching as AI Input
As generative models become part of creative workflows, sketching is emerging as a natural and intuitive way to guide them.
Generative Models
Latest approaches for teaching machines to sketch, including models that generate or interpret sketches for technical and creative applications.
Drawing Machines
The growing role of machines and robots in sketching—both as autonomous creators and as collaborators in new forms of expression.
Future of Co-Creation
What does it mean to co-create with a machine? How might robots participate in drawing and what new forms of interaction could emerge?
Workshop Schedule
Block 1: Cognitive and Perceptual Foundations
Three 30-minute talks exploring the psychological and cognitive aspects of drawing
• Judith E. Fan - Drawing as a Versatile Cognitive Tool
• Kartik Chandra - Why paint a bird? Why do anything at all?
• Aaron Hertzmann - A Theory of Perspective
10-minute Q&A and Discussion
Block 2: Computational Tools and Generative Models
Three 30-minute talks on AI-driven sketching and co-creative systems
• Maneesh Agrawala - Generative AI Tools for Drawing and Sketching
• Hongbo Fu - Interactive Sketching Systems
• Peter Schaldenbrand - Robotic Creativity and Co-Creation
10-minute Q&A and Discussion
Open Discussion and Future Directions
Interactive session for attendees to reflect on talks, share perspectives, and propose future collaboration opportunities across disciplines
Total Duration: 3.5 Hours
Workshop Organizers
Yael Vinker
MIT CSAIL
Postdoctoral Associate working with Prof. Antonio Torralba at the intersection of computer graphics, visual communication, and AI. Her research focuses on developing computational tools that support visual thinking, communication, and creative expression, with key contributions to generative sketching and visual abstraction.
Mia Tang
Stanford University
Incoming Ph.D. student working with Prof. Maneesh Agrawala on generative models for visual expression. Her research focuses on interactive, controllable AI systems, including those that use sketches to support creative tasks such as generation and exploration.
Join Us at SIGGRAPH 2025
This workshop is for anyone interested in drawing as a creative, cognitive, and/or computational process. Whether you're analyzing strokes, designing interactions, or training models, we welcome all curious minds.
Researchers
In graphics, AI, and computer vision
Artists & Designers
Exploring AI-human collaboration
Cognitive Scientists
Studying visual cognition
Practitioners
Building generative models
If a line can say a lot, imagine what we can say together.