Advances in virtual, mixed, and augmented reality (VR, MR, AR) have enabled a new form of computer-mediated art expression called 3D sketching, also referred to as "3D painting", "3D drawing", or a variant of "immersive sketching", which allows artists, engineers, designers, and scientists to create 3D works in a body-centric space. One of the unique aspects of 3D sketching is that it requires a computer-based tracking system to record the artist's spatial movements, which create the digital marks, and computer graphics techniques to render these marks in space. Moreover, the resulting sketch is often displayed in this same 3D space, e.g., via the use of immersive computer displays.

This dependency on computer systems to create and display the creations makes 3D sketching a unique medium that requires the union of artists and computer scientists to develop tools that artists can then use to interact with the 3D "canvas". Thus, over the last 30 years, the computing research and digital arts communities have collaborated to study and exhibit 3D sketching techniques, applications, and artifacts.

This Dagstuhl Seminar invites participants to broaden these collaborations by combining computer scientists, cognitive scientists, artists, engineers, and practitioners from both academia and industry. The seminar will provide the unique opportunity to foster intellectual exchange on three general themes: (1) Technology: the design and implementation of novel user interfaces and hardware that address the needs of artists and other practitioners, (2) Theory: understanding the role of spatial perception and cognition in the act of sketching, and (3) Creative Practice and Education: identifying novel ways to train the next generation of 3D sketching artists. The seminar’s goals include:

• Coalescing an international community of creative practitioners, educators, and researchers working with 3D drawing, including establishing a new online presence at http://3ddrawing.org/
• Mapping and disseminating a future research agenda for 3D sketching, including a position paper and tutorials at top conferences like IEEE VR and ACM CHI.
• Making work with 3D drawing more visible to the public by contributing, exhibiting, and supporting emerging venues for exhibiting 3D drawings in places like ARSElectronica, SIGGRAPH Art Show or the IEEE XR Gallery.
• Describing training and education methods for 3D sketching, including identifying best practices that artists and schools can apply.

By fulfilling these goals, this seminar aims to guide our ability to teach and use 3D sketching tools.

Creative Commons BY 4.0

Mayra Donaji Barrera Machuca, Bret Jackson, Daniel Keefe, Johann Habakuk Israel, and Wolfgang Stuerzlinger

This seminar qualifies for Dagstuhl's a LZI Junior Researchers program. Schloss Dagstuhl wishes to enable the participation of junior scientists with a specialization fitting for this Dagstuhl Seminar, even if they are not on the radar of the organizers. Applications by outstanding junior scientists are possible until June 26, 2026.