Splash Canvas: Create abstract art (with an attitude)
Google Blog 2026-06-18 10:00:00
Context: Google Arts & Culture has launched an interactive digital painting experiment called Splash Canvas, created by artist David Li, which allows users to create abstract art using digital sea creatures as brushes. These creatures, powered by artificial intelligence, offer playful critiques and share art history insights while users paint with fluid, liquid-like colors. The experiment is accessible on the Google Arts & Culture website.
Key Facts
- The Splash Canvas experiment features digital sea creatures, including Splosh and Splish the octopus, Splat the squid, Smudge the turtle, and Scrape the turtle, which act as brushes and guides, giving users playful critiques and art history insights in real-time.
- The sea creatures' personalities are powered by Google's Gemini and Chirp technologies, enabling them to offer commentary and share art history insights as users paint.
- The experiment utilizes a fluid simulator to make the digital paint react like liquid, and the brush strokes produce accurate, synthesized soundscapes in real-time for sensory feedback.
- Users can choose where their finished artwork should be displayed, such as in a museum, on a card, or at the dentist, and place it in a virtual setting.
- David Li, the creator of Splash Canvas, is known for his previous experiments, including Blob Opera and Viola the Bird, which have been interacted with by millions of people worldwide.