A curated list of 3D drawing papers and related resources. XR work that uses 6DoF controllers, combined with ML work that processes and renders frame-by-frame volumetric representations, is yielding results of increasing interest to mainstream animation and VFX production.
- Richard Liu et al - WIR3D: Visually-Informed and Geometry-Aware 3D Shape Abstraction (2025). {code}
- Changwoon Choi et al - 3Doodle: Compact Abstraction of Objects with 3D Strokes (2024). {code}
- Nick Fox-Gieg - Lightning Artist Toolkit: A Hand-Drawn Volumetric Animation Pipeline (2024). {code}
- Yunfan Ye et al - NEF: Neural Edge Fields for 3D Parametric Curve Reconstruction from Multi-View Images (2023). {code}
- Caroline Chan et al - Learning to Generate Line Drawings That Convey Geometry and Semantics (2022). {code}
- Geonmo Gu et al - Towards Light-weight and Real-time Line Segment Detection (2022). {code} [code2}
- Wangziwei Jiang et al - GPU-Driven Real-Time Mesh Contour Vectorization (2022). {code}
- Emilie Yu et al - CASSIE: Curve and Surface Sketching in Immersive Environments (2021). {code}
- Yulia Gryaditskaya et al - Lifting Freehand Concept Sketches into 3D (2020). {code}
- Bastien Wailly and Adrien Bousseau - Line Rendering of 3D Meshes for Data-Driven Sketch-Based Modeling (2019). {code}
- Pierre Bénard et al - Active Strokes: Coherent Line Stylization for Animated 3D Models (2012). {code}
- Karran Pandey et al - Painting with 3D Gaussian Splat Brushes (2025).
- Zhi-Zheng Xiang et al - BrushGaussian: Brushstroke-Based Stylization for 3D Gaussian Splatting (2025).
- Hao Li et al - An Inverse Procedural Modeling Pipeline for Stylized Brush Stroke Rendering (2024).
- Yuta Noma et al - Surface-Filling Curve Flows via Implicit Medial Axes (2024).
- Richard Rodriguez et al - Artists' Perspectives on Natural Interactions for Virtual Reality 3D Sketching (2024).
- Yael Vinker et al - CLIPasso: Semantically-Aware Object Sketching (2022).
- Kevin Frans et al - CLIPDraw: Exploring Text-to-Drawing Synthesis through Language-Image Encoders (2021).
- Ying Jiang et al - HandPainter: 3D Sketching in VR with Hand-based Physical Proxy (2021).
- Enrique Rosales et al - Adaptive General and Predictable VR Ribbon Brush (2021).
- Aaron Hertzmann - Why Do Line Drawings Work? A Realism Hypothesis (2020).
- Difan Liu et al - Neural Contours: Learning to Draw Lines from 3D Shapes (2020).
- Mayra Barrera-Machuca et al - The Effect of Spatial Ability on Immersive 3D Drawing (2019).
- Rahul Ahora et al - Experimental Evaluation of Sketching on Surfaces in VR (2017).
- David Ha and Douglas Eck - A Neural Representation of Sketch Drawings (2017).
- Daniel Keefe et al - Drawing on Air: Input Techniques for Controlled 3D Line Illustration (2007).
- Scott Snibbe et al - Springs and Constraints for 3D Drawing (1998).
- Michael Deering - Holosketch: A Virtual Reality Sketching/Animation Tool (1995).
- Marco Domenico Cirillo et al - Vox2Vox 3D-GAN for Brain Tumour Segmentation (2020). {code} [code2}
- Phillip Isola et al - Image-to-Image Translation with Conditional Adversarial Networks (2016).
- Manuel Ruder et al - Artistic Style Transfer for Videos (2016).
- Dena Bazazian et al - Fast and Robust Edge Extraction in Unorganized Point Clouds (2015). {code}
- Leon Gatys et al - A Neural Algorithm of Artistic Style (2015).
- Sergio Orts-Escolano et al - 3D Colour Object Reconstruction Based on Growing Neural Gas (2014). {code}
- Tongjie Zhang and Ching Yee Suen - A Fast Parallel Algorithm for Thinning Digital Patterns (1984). {code}
- Christopher Remde et al - Sparse Camera Volumetric Video Applications: A Comparison of Visual Fidelity, User Experience, and Adaptability (2025).
- Haiyong Jiang et al - Skeleton-Aware 3D Human Shape Reconstruction From Point Clouds (2019).
- Naureen Mahmood et al - AMASS: Archive of Motion Capture As Surface Shapes (2019). {code}
- Joao Regateiro et al - Hybrid Skeleton Driven Surface Registration for Temporally Consistent Volumetric Video (2018).
- Marek Kowalski et al - LiveScan3D: A Fast and Inexpensive 3D Data Acquisition System for Multiple Kinect v2 Sensors (2015). {code}
- Nick Fox-Gieg - Lightning Artist Toolkit: A Hand-Drawn Volumetric Animation Pipeline (2025).
- Emilie Yu - Designing Tools for 3D Content Authoring Based on 3D Sketching (2023).
- Rahul Arora - Creative Visual Expression in Immersive 3D Environments (2021).
- Maria Shugrina - The Design of Playful and Intelligent Creative Tools (2021).
- Emilie Yu - Interactive 3D Sketching in Virtual Reality (2020).
- Caroline Chan - First Principles of Line Drawings (2017).
- Jennifer Jacobs - Dynamic Drawing: Broadening Practice and Participation in Procedural Art (2017).
- Johannes Schmid - Methods for Artistic Stylization in 3D Animation (2012).
- Alexander Kolliopoulos - Image Segmentation for Stylized Non-Photorealistic Rendering and Animation (2005).
- Steven Schkolne - 3D Interfaces for Spatial Construction (2004).
- Aaron Hertzmann - Algorithms for Rendering in Artistic Styles (2001).
- Golan Levin - Painterly Interfaces for Audiovisual Performance (2000).
- Rebecca Allen - Computer Rotoscoping with the Aid of Color Recognition (1980).
- Ronald Baecker - Interactive Computer-Mediated Animation (1969).
- Thomas A. DeFanti - The Graphics Symbiosis System (1973).
- Ivan Sutherland - Sketchpad: A Man-Machine Graphical Communication System (1963).
- Amanda Long - The Media Archaeology of the Sandin Image Processor (2023). {code}
- Richard Shoup - SuperPaint: An Early Frame Buffer Graphics System (2001).
- Brian Knep et al - Dinosaur Input Device (1995).
- Carolina Cruz-Neira et al - The CAVE: Audio Visual Experience Automatic Virtual Environment (1992).
- Marc Levoy - A Color Animation System Based on the Multiplane Technique (1977).
- Nestor Burtnyk and Marceli Wein - Interactive Skeleton Techniques for Enhancing Motion Dynamics in Key Frame Animation (1976).
- Nick Fox-Gieg - TiltSet: A Collection of 3D Drawings (2024). {files}
- Nick Fox-Gieg - ABC-Draco: A GLTF Draco Conversion of the NYU ABC-Dataset (2024). {files}
- Laura Downs et al - Google Scanned Objects: A High-Quality Dataset of 3D Scanned Household Items (2022). {files}
- Ling Luo et al - Fine-Grained VR Sketching: Dataset and Insights (2021). {files}
- Maria Shugrina et al - Creative Flow+ Dataset (2019). {files}
- Sebastian Koch et al - ABC: A Big CAD Model Dataset for Geometric Deep Learning (2019). {files}