A system is described for generating a digital image. A hand-held airbrush controller generates three-dimensional signal information and user trigger information. A plurality of receivers receives the three-dimensional signal information. A computer has a digital display and couples with the receivers to define a three-dimensional position of the controller. The computer is responsive to the user trigger information to generate the digital image on the display as a function of the user trigger information and the three-dimensional position. The airbrush controller includes a wireless transmitter that generates the three-dimensional signal information as signal burst information; the receivers include at least three wireless receivers for detecting the wireless signal burst information. The computer generates synchronization signals to initiate the signal burst information. Timing between the synchronization signals and receipt of the signal burst information, at the receivers, defines the three dimensional position. A bus may be used to communicate the synchronization signals from the computer to the airbrush controller. The airbrush controller includes one or more triggers (e.g., buttons) responsive to user hand control to generate the user trigger information.