Another difference between “draw” and “paint” is evident in the way these terms are used on a computer. Programs that let you create detailed pictures and save them in a bitmap-like (raster) format are often called “paint” programs. Programs that let you assemble illustrations out of simple geometric shapes and save them in a vector format are often called “draw” programs. The names of the programs often reflect this (e.g. Microsoft Paint is a paint program).

The 1992 software product “Fractal Vision” by Dick Oliver uses “draw” and “paint” to refer to two different functionalities. It’s hard to explain without making this comment a crash course in fractal geometry, but basically “draw” displays the first, second, third, fourth, etc, iteration of the shape whereas “paint” leaps straight to the final, infinite iteration. On page 279 of the manual, Oliver justifies his use of the terms with reference to the distinction I’ve described above.