The 3M BFA Computer Paint System is a very early computer paint system that predates the personal computer revolution. Although computer paint systems did not become widespread until the advent of MacPaint in 1984, the first such system was actually built in the 1970's by Shoup and Smith at Xerox PARC and New York Tech. The system that I use was originally developed by Artronics, a company that was later bought by 3M. The hardware is a 2-foot square box with a dedicated Intel 8086 processor running the CP/M operating system, with a 512x512 framebuffer and 128KB of memory, which sold for $32,000. There are two monitors, one for commands and one for displaying the image. I draw with a light pen and tablet. The scavenged system in my studio may well be one of the last working setups still in existence!

Although I have tried many of the modern paint programs that are now available on Macs, I still prefer the feel of the BFA. There is no discernable latency from the time that I draw the stroke on the table to the time that I see it onscreen, and that fluidity is critical for me.