Artistic Affordance in Virtual Reality Painting

The emergence of Virtual Reality (VR) programs has enabled painting activity to be done in a virtual world, offering a unique art medium with significantly different material properties than physical art mediums. This materiality difference potentially produces a perception of affordance, a theory coined by Gibson about how an environment offers action possibilities. We conducted experiments to explore our own artmaking experience in an immersive virtual environment using a VR painting program. We used a heuristic qualitative approach consisting of initial engagement, immersion, incubation, illumination, explication, and creative synthesis. We found that the affordance of VR painting is mainly generated from virtual brushes. The painting simulation in VR has also generated a sense of agency, namely the artist’s sense of control when creating art in the virtual environment. The study proposes a new concept of artistic affordance in VR, which refers to everything in a virtual environment that affects the creative process and artistic expression during VR artmaking. The comprehension of artistic affordances helps communicate VR’s functionality and usability to creative and artistic means and can increase users’ satisfaction and engagement in artmaking practice. The study suggests that haptic feedback is needed with the relatively high learning curve of VR painting and that developers, researchers, and artists should collaborate to design a richer user interface to further establish VR as an artistic medium.

Kata Kunci: alternatif-media-baru, lukis, rasa-kontrol, seni, virtual-reality.and artistic works (e.g.see Sylaiou, et. al, 2023;Murwonugroho, et. al, 2023).VR technology can even be utilized to preserve and promote cultural heritage, including traditional performing arts like dance and music (e.g.see Rustiyanti, et. al, 2020;Reshma et al, 2023).When artists create works of art using conventional physical 2D-based mediums, they adapt and utilize the material properties of the media in various techniques to create 3D visual illusions from 2D planes.However, the "canvas" in VR painting programs is not limited to a solid flat surface.VR painting canvas is a room-scale virtual environment in which 3D images are created directly in the air, using the simulation and reproduction of various visual elements such as lines, shapes, colors, and paint effects from various brush types.
We believe that how artists adapt to the materiality of VR is influenced by affordance.
Affordance is a concept coined by Gibson (1979) about the possibility of certain behaviors caused by the environment, in this case, the virtual environment and its characteristics.
The handheld controller that accompanies a VR program that mimics the motion of painting is also closely related to the user's sense of control over the virtual environment, otherwise known as agency (Mayer, 2014).
Rethinking the notion of materiality in VR as an art medium presents an opportunity to consider the relationship between artists and their work, where VR technology, as the latest medium of creative expression, produces new aesthetic meanings that break the threshold between the physical and the virtual.The authors see the possibility of a theoretical gap regarding the concepts of affordance and agency in creating works of art using VR programs.
Based on these phenomena, a study of the artmaking process using VR is essential to discover how a work of art is formed in virtual space and how digital objects in VR painting programs affect the behavior and creative process of artists, especially those who have never used VR as an art medium when they are adapting to this VR technology.The central questions then formulated for this study: How do virtual 3D elements (objects materiality, virtual space) become affordances that affect the behavior of artists during the creative process?Also, what virtual environment features play a role in generating agency perception in the VR painting program.
In this paper, we draw on Gibson's affordance theory, which comes from the psychology of ecological perception, to explore artmaking practice in a VR environment.
Gibson's affordance theory is highly applicable to the study of VR experiences due to its foundational principles that focus on the relationship between the environment and the observer.This theory, which emphasizes the opportunities for action that objects or environments provide to an individual, offers a robust framework for understanding how users interact with and perceive virtual environments.
We utilize OpenBrush as the main VR painting program for this study.The scope of this study is not only focusing on the characteristics of the virtual environment but also the simulation of painting tools, in this case, virtual brushes.A hypothesis is proposed that VR as an art medium can influence the creative artistic behavior of users, specifically artists, and thus can be considered a new form of affordance that explains the phenomenon of perception in the practice of painting in a virtual environment.

BACKGROUND
The term "affordance" was first coined by James G. Gibson, an ecological psychologist, in his article The Theory of Affordances in 1977.This concept was developed by Gibson out of his interest in understanding visual perception, later specified as an ecological approach to perception.He defined affordance as everything the environment provides and stimulates for an individual (Gibson, 1979).In this context, the environment is the surface that separates the substances in the individual's space.Gibson argues that information about environmental affordance can be obtained visually, such as the composition and layout of a surface.An example of affordance is if an object has a flat, broad, and hard surface, it has affordance because we can walk, stand, or run on it.Affordances can differ for everyone, which could lead to different behaviors.
Since it was first coined by Gibson, the concept of affordance has evolved.Norman (1988) developed the concept of affordance in the context of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and focused on the relationship between tangible objects and their users.He believed that affordance is obtained by deducing a user's prior knowledge and experience of possible actions (Norman, 1988).This differs from Gibson's concept of affordance, which does not depend on experience, knowledge, culture, or the actor's ability to perceive.Tucker and Ellis (1998;2001)  From a broad perspective, the impact of VR technology on human behavior can also be explained using Actor-Network Theory (ANT).ANT is a theoretical framework that highlights the influence of both human and non-human entities in creating social and technological networks (Latour, 1993).The theories of affordance and ANT both focus on the dynamics of interactions.According to ANT, a VR system can be viewed as a network of different entities, such as hardware components (HMD, controllers, and sensors), software algorithms, virtual objects, and human users.Each of these entities contributes towards shaping the possibilities within the virtual environment.
The concept of affordance introduced by Gibson has been widely adopted and adapted across various fields, including design, human-computer interaction (HCI), and information science.However, as the concept has been applied to new domains and technologies, particularly digital and artistic interactive media, several issues have arisen that suggest the need for a reevaluation or a new conceptualization of affordance.(Oliver, 2005;Burlamaqui & Dong, 2015).

METHOD
We conducted an artmaking experiment using a heuristic qualitative research approach to explore the authors' authentic and personal experiences using a VR painting program.The authors acted as participants in this experiment.The authors' educational background is from graduate school in art and design.However, we have no prior experience in using VR in artmaking practice.
We use the heuristic approach of Moustakas (1990)  heuristic approach also fits this research because it aligns with the authors as the artist who has never used VR as a creative medium.This method's research process is expected to produce "a self-transformation that almost always has social and transpersonal implications" (Moustakas, 1990).
Moustakas' heuristic method consists of six stages: initial engagement, immersion, incubation, illumination, explication, and creative synthesis.The following are the stages of this research using the Moustakas heuristic approach:

Initial engagement
We started by using HMD devices and handheld controllers while familiarizing ourselves with the basic technicalities of VR devices.We then opened the OpenBrush VR program, trying all its menus and features, and identified all the virtual brushes intuitively, spontaneously, and expressively without targeting specific final shapes.

Immersion
During this stage, we delve deeper into the VR painting program by engaging in the artmaking process.To ensure an authentic experience, we utilize all the available tools and facilities within the OpenBrush VR application to create a series of artworks.Our approach to crafting these pieces is guided by an active imagination, while still maintaining a sense of control.To capture our thoughts, feelings, imaginations, and insights gained throughout the creative process, we keep a journal.

Incubation
During this stage, we took a break from painting activities for a few days.We reviewed and contemplated the results of visual brush strokes on the artwork without judging or criticizing.We also identified similar familiar artistic experiences based on our artistic knowledge and took notes on new materialities we encountered when adapting to new technology and painting programs in VR.

Illumination
We explore the data's findings during this illumination process and evaluate the artmaking process.We note insights and observations about the patterns and themes that emerge regarding each tool in the VR program.

Explication
In this phase, virtual brushes are categorized within the VR program by their affordance, agency, and material characteristics to address research inquiries.The outcomes are then presented through visual aids such as tables and figures, providing a clear classification of the findings.

Creative synthesis
During the conclusive stage of our experiment, we put into practice the information we gathered on the material properties of virtual brushes.To ensure the accuracy and reliability of our findings, we conducted multiple repetitions of the artmaking process to observe the effects of these properties on the final outcome.Through this iterative process, we were able to confirm our initial results and gain a deeper understanding of how virtual environment and virtual brushes can be used in the creation of virtual artwork.

FINDINGS
As the authors are artists mainly working with physical and/or digital 2D and 3D nonimmersive media, we used to rely on our position and movements on the support of hard surfaces such as tables or other objects while making artwork.The first thing we noticed when we enter the virtual space is the non-human abilities in virtual space that are mainly caused by its immersiveness and how the visual elements float in the air, free of physical laws.The sense of control we felt from the painting tools simulation generates agency, even when the whole body actively moves to the rhythm of the brush strokes.The scale and teleport feature affords us various viewpoints of the artwork.This feature does not exist in the physical world.We believe that the scale feature enhances the workflow and, thus, the creative process.We believe that these features confirm the concept of We categorized the virtual brushes based on their impact on affordance into four levels: High, Medium, Low, and Very Low.The High affordance category means that the materiality of the virtual brush offers high opportunities for action and freedom for us to create shapes and forms.Consecutively, the strokes produced from virtual brushes in the Medium to Very Low affordance categories tend to be stiffer, thereby limiting artistic creativity.We argue that this is due to the materiality of the virtual brush, which only allows the creation of specific rigid shapes.For instance, a flat brush generates straight strokes that tend to be stiff.This type of brush is relatively tricky to use to create dynamic plastic shapes.Thus, the action possibilities on the flat virtual brush are low.This brush materiality affects the overall user agency.However, flat brush strokes can be applied to give the illusion of plasticity if used small and stroked in large quantities to create a sense of dimension.Furthermore, several types of brushes that have animation or particle motion (Figure 4), significantly limit the creative process.The visual aesthetic of these brushes is only suitable for specific

INTRODUCTION
Virtual reality (VR) has become an increasingly popular tool and creative medium in fine art and design in recent years.The rise of technology and online communication platforms in VR like the Metaverse has transformed the way we appreciate art.Rather than being limited to physical spaces, we can now appreciate art digitally from anywhere in the world.For instance, museums around the world have jumped at the chance to use virtual reality (VR) to produce dynamic displays, immersive tours, and stunning visual storytelling.VR in museums is transforming how we interact with historical The availability of VR devices, in the form of Head Mounted Displays (HMD), that are more compact, practical, and affordable for the general public means that VR devices are no longer exclusive and limited.The revival of VR has contributed to the creation and development of new artistic expressions, mainly digital media-based works of art.Artmaking practice, especially painting, can now be done in virtual space which utilizes HMD devices and VR programs such as Tilt Brush, OpenBrush, Painting VR, and Gravity Sketch.As a new art medium, the VR program differs from physical art media in terms of materiality, space, and time.VR painting programs enable an immersive art creation process in which users and viewers can freely move within and outside the work being created, and users can apply painting techniques that are not possible using physical media in the real world.

Figure 1 .
Figure 1.Painting process in virtual reality using VR program (source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TckqNdrdbgk,August 2023) also introduced the concept of micro affordance, which based on the idea that affordance comes not only from the characteristics offered by the environment but also from motor attributes (the act of grasping, wrist orientation, and left and right-hand strength to the fingers) present in the visual representation of objects (tools)Tucker & Ellis, 1998;Tucker & Ellis, 2001).Another concept of affordance coined byHumpreys (2001) is paired object affordance which is when one object is "active" while the other object is "passive".This relates to how affordances emerge when actors use new tools.Actors will use visual features from tools and objects, as well as semantic systems that provide contextual and associative knowledge about them.By analyzing a tool's sensory information, specialized knowledge can be obtained to understand its conventional use.It has been observed that the concept of affordance has shifted towards the inclusion of tools as a part of the environment.The latest concept of affordance primarily revolves around the idea of enabling actions with specific body parts like hands.This concept can be applied to various scenarios, such as using known tools, unknown tools, new tools, or even non-tool actions when artists use various simulated painting features in VR painting programs.
to examine our experience in an organized and systematic manner, in which observations focus internally, such as how the researcher responds and feels towards external situations, instead of observing interactions outside the researcher.Moustakas emphasizes that researchers who use this approach investigate, analyze, and reflect on the researcher's personal experiences to find new meanings and understandings.The heuristic method developed by Moustakas is particularly well-suited for exploring the concept of affordability in VR due to its emphasis on personal experience, selfreflection, and discovery.This method allows researchers to delve deeply into the subjective experiences of individuals, which is crucial when investigating a multifaceted concept like affordability in the context of VR.Moustakas'

Figure 2 .
Figure 2. Flow diagram of the heuristic approach used in this research.(Source: authors documentation).
enable actions by allowing agents to perceive, interpret, and make distinctions based on the object's properties and the agent's capabilities and interests in the situation.The contextual nature of human-nonhuman interactions in artistic affordance aligns with ANT, which also emphasizes how actors use their influence and how these contexts can change over time.The act of making this distinction during artmaking in a VR environment depends on the nature of the object (virtual brush and their visual elements) that can be seen, and the ability and interest of the authors as agents in the situation.Following the unique character of the relationship between an actor and his environment, we perceive it differently as an artist and thus recognize the different properties of the VR environment as a possible resource for artmaking.Some samples of our artworks in Figure 5 show that our early perception of brush characteristics guided us to make specific shapes and forms, consequently affecting our creative process.Based on these findings, we proposed a new concept of affordance: virtual artistic affordance.By expanding the scope, we believe a new concept might encompass emergent affordances (unforeseen uses) or how affordances change based on artistic and creative context.Gibson's original definition focused on the environment's potential for action relative to an organism.This does not fully capture the complexities of interaction in