Abstract: I argue that Non-Photorealistic Rendering (NPR) research will play a key role in the scientific understanding of visual art and illustration. NPR can contribute to scientific understanding of two kinds of problems: how do artists create imagery, and how do observers respond to artistic imagery? I sketch out some of the open problems, how NPR can help, and what some possible theories might look like. Additionally, I discuss the thorny problem of how to evaluate NPR research and theories.