1. A computer-implemented method for generating a smoothed curve from a drawn curve, comprising: defining a smoothing function for which an energy E is a function of points (X.sub.i, Y.sub.i) on the drawn curve and points (x.sub.i, y.sub.i) on the smoothed curve, the energy E having a distortion factor and a smoothing factor; computing values of (x.sub.i, y.sub.i) for which the energy E has a minimum value; and using the computed values of (x.sub.i, y.sub.i) to generate the smoothed curve.