11. A system, comprising: a stylus input module; a display device; and a computer device that during operation executes the stylus input module to perform operations comprising: collecting information about a user manipulation of a stylus in relation to the computer device for both manipulation at a distance from the computer device and manipulation to provide touch input, the information including at least information regarding motion, orientation, and position of the stylus and an amount of pressure applied with the stylus; recognizing, from the collected information, a stylus gesture performed by the user via manipulation of the stylus, wherein the stylus gesture is one of a plurality of stylus gestures that are recognized by the computer device to perform at least one of a plurality of actions in a graphics application, including changing a brush type; determining which of the plurality of actions to perform based on the recognized stylus gesture; wherein the changing the brush type is determined in response to recognition of a brush switching stylus gesture in which a proximity of the stylus changes from a first position relative to the display device to a second position that is further away from the display device and with at least a rate of change that corresponds to the brush switching stylus gesture, the rate of change determined using acceleration data that is collected from an accelerometer of the stylus to augment the collected information and indicates acceleration that results from jerking the stylus to change the proximity; and performing a painting function for a digital image displayed on the display device by the graphics application including performing the determined actions.
11. A system, comprising: a stylus input module; a display device; and a computer device that during operation executes the stylus input module to perform operations comprising: collecting information about a user manipulation of a stylus in relation to the computer device for both manipulation at a distance from the computer device and manipulation to provide touch input, the information including at least information regarding motion, orientation, and position of the stylus and an amount of pressure applied with the stylus; recognizing, from the collected information, a stylus gesture performed by the user via manipulation of the stylus, wherein the stylus gesture is one of a plurality of stylus gestures that are recognized by the computer device to perform at least one of a plurality of actions in a graphics application, including changing a brush type; determining which of the plurality of actions to perform based on the recognized stylus gesture; wherein the changing the brush type is determined in response to recognition of a brush switching stylus gesture in which a proximity of the stylus changes from a first position relative to the display device to a second position that is further away from the display device and with at least a rate of change that corresponds to the brush switching stylus gesture, the rate of change determined using acceleration data that is collected from an accelerometer of the stylus to augment the collected information and indicates acceleration that results from jerking the stylus to change the proximity; and performing a painting function for a digital image displayed on the display device by the graphics application including performing the determined actions. 12. The system of claim 11 , further comprising: a pressure sensitive surface; wherein the collected information comprises information about the manipulation of the stylus in relation to the pressure sensitive surface.