In
the world of computers generally, the word
'drawing' is used to refer to producing a
new picture in vector graphics, 'painting'
for producing pixels: so traditionally a 'drawing'
programme produces vectors, a 'painting' programme
produces pixels.
-
although now programmes like Photoshop have
sophisticated vector tools, and Canvas combines
the two on equal terms, as indeed ClarisWorks/AppleWorks
has always done in its own humble way.
In
the physical world, I think most people would
agree that you draw with a pen or pencil and
paint with a brush - or a knife, or a spray-can,
or your fingers, or your toes: so the more
literally-minded of us might expect a computer
pen to produce vectors and a brush to produce
pixels.
But
when all this stuff was evolving on computers
at such a dynamic speed in the 1980s and '90s,
the programmers didn't feel themselves bound
by old associations like that, so you can
find a brush which produces vectors in a drawing
programme, and a pencil which produces pixels
in a painting programme.
The
whole thing is only a loose metaphor anyway,
of course ...
And
perhaps it's worth mentioning about the stylus
you use with a graphics tablet: the question
whether it functions as a pen or a brush,
is dependent not on the hardware, but on the
software - which programme you're in and which
tool is selected ...