Computer-aided geometric design is an area where the improvement of surface generation techniques is an everlasting demand, since faster and more accurate geometric models are required. Traditional methods for generating surfaces were initially mainly based upon interpolation algorithms. Recently, partial differential equations (PDE) were introduced as a valuable tool for geometric modelling, since they offer a number of features from which these areas can benefit. This work summarizes the uses given to PDE surfaces as a surface generation technique together with some other applications to computer graphics.