Ingenious XR colour app is an exciting glimpse into the future of digital art

Lucas Martinic demonstrates his award winning XR app .

While we're already spoilt for choice when it comes to traditional digital art apps, expressing your creativity in the world of XR is constantly evolving as the technology becomes more accessible. Combining the very best XR tech, prototyper and developer Lucas Martinic has created an ingenious app that lets you pluck colours from the objects around you in real-time, revolutionising XR art in a magical display of innovation.

Created as part of a submission to Stockholms XR Hack (a premier global XR Hack Jam), Lucas' ingenious setup is a game-changing tool for creatives, pioneering a new era of immersive and realistic artistry. Hopefully, in time, we'll see Lucas' prototype join the ranks of the best digital art software but for now, it's an exciting exploration into the future of XR creativity.

8/100 "What if you could extract the color from real objects around you?"Part of the submission for the @xraihack in Stockholm.Using the @Logitech MX Stylus pen.#XRHACK #XR #Unity #Quest #Meta #VR #PresentFutures pic.twitter.com/k5EhnmgzISSeptember 9, 2024

In a video shared to X, Lucas demonstrates the impressive real-time capabilities of his colour-selecting XR prototype. Effectively replicating Photoshop's eye-dropper tool, the setup uses Logitech's MX Stylus pen to select colours from objects in real-time, which Lucas demonstrates with a range of objects including a trusty banana and a humble can of Fanta.

Citing Julian Triveri's repository as a starting point for the project, Lucas used Android MediaProjector API and Unity paired with a Meta Quest headset to create the setup. The app proved resoundingly popular at XR Hack, winning Logitech's Best Use of MR Stylus award and Meta's Best Utility and Design.

(Image credit: Lucas Martinic)

VR styluses are still pretty fresh on the market, so for a jargon-free guide check out our VR stylus explainer that runs through all you need to know from a digital art and design perspective. If you're looking to update your creative kit, take a look at our picks of the best drawing tablets for all kinds of artists and budgets.