Adaptive Artistic Technologies

Given that art-making can support self-expression and social integration, there is a growing interest in the research community in developing more accessible artistic computer inputs. However, the conditions needed to achieve mastery of creative processes, particularly for artists with motor impairments, remain to be explored. We look at implementing new adaptive technologies that leverage more natural interactions on the drawing tools, balancing the challenges and skills artists need to navigate their creative stages. We describe the findings of a qualitative first study involving interviews with 15 digital artists with upper limb motor impairments. We analyze the challenges related to artistic workflows, internal and external perceptions, and what disrupts their creative processes. We share a second study where six digital artists with upper limb motor impairments tested an adaptive stylus which captured their pen-based interactions, triggering accessibility features participants thought could improve their artistic workflows. Future work will address the cognitive load introduced by pen gestures, explore strategies to improve detection accuracy to build trust in the technology, and continue emphasizing the value of training personalized models over traditional accessibility features. Our research aims to contribute to designing inclusive technologies by prioritizing the creative aspects of artistic production.