Throughout history, new technologies – from oil paints to photography to machine learning – have opened fresh horizons for creative practices. Quantum Brush continues this lineage by asking a new question: can there be a quantum aesthetic?

“Quantum Brush is about making the invisible visible,” said João Ferreira, researcher at MOTH. “Artists don’t need to know quantum mechanics to use it. With each stroke, they’re collaborating with the strange and beautiful mathematics of the quantum world.”

Four brushes, four quantum behaviours

The initial release of Quantum Brush includes four distinct digital brushes, each inspired by a different aspect of quantum theory:

• Aquarela: blends colours in the style of watercolour paints, using quantum entanglement so that the brush and canvas influence each other in surprising ways
• Heisenbrush: generates evolving patterns based on the laws of quantum dynamics, translating time evolution into colour and form
• Smudge: plays with quantum information erasure, producing new entangled colours as the brushstrokes drag across the canvas
• Collage: inspired by the no-cloning theorem, it allows the partial copying of image regions, where fidelity is balanced between original and copy

These brushes have been tested on real quantum hardware, including IQM’s Sirius device, where natural hardware noise contributes to the visual outcomes – adding a distinctive quantum character that is impossible to reproduce classically.

Designed for artists, open to all

The Quantum Brush application works much like conventional digital art software: artists import an image, select a brush, and paint. Behind the scenes, the strokes are sent through quantum algorithms, with results mapped back onto the canvas.

Importantly, Quantum Brush is open-source and extensible. Artists and developers are encouraged to create new brushes, effects, and algorithms, contributing to a growing movement of quantum-native creativity.

A new medium for exploration

Berlin-based artist Roman Lipski, an early collaborator on the project, describes working with Quantum Brush as “a dialogue with the tool.” Unlike traditional techniques, quantum-driven brushes introduce unfamiliar behaviours, pushing artists toward new aesthetic directions.

The project represents a first step toward quantum-native creative tools. Beyond digital painting, the team sees potential for future applications from VFX to generative media.

Availability

Quantum Brush is available now as a free, open-source application.

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