Month: September 2023

Concept:

This assignment was more exciting for me to create than the first one. At first, I couldn’t think of a specific idea I wanted to implement, so I just went in blindly. I started coding random stuff using for loops until it hit me what I actually wanted to do.

As I mentioned before in my previous blog post, I love colorful things, so I decided to create a color wheel that has some element of randomness in it. I wanted to make it messy, but also in a way organized. I designed it in a way that it changes size and arrangement according to where the mouse is. At first, it’s a rather small organized color wheel of lines centered in the canvas, but as you move the mouse to the right (along the x-axis), it increases in size, taking up the whole canvas but maintaining its organization, giving a visual of a train going through a tunnel at full speed, kind of. As you move the mouse downwards (along the y-axis), the lines become uncentered and spaced out giving a more chaotic visual. 

I wanted to add a dynamic background to my canvas because it looked too dull in my opinion. A very random thought was to make it somewhat resembling a fingerprint, But the curves were too much with the color wheel, so I decided to make it more low-key by replacing the curves with lines. The following picture was in a way what I had imagined the background to look like in the beginning. 

A highlight I’m proud of:

I am proud of the way I got the background to look. I did not have that much high expectations for it but it worked out perfectly. At first, I couldn’t figure out how to make parts of the diagonal lines change stroke weight without changing the whole line, but then I changed it to be various small lines instead of one long line. 

for(let i = 1; i<width; i += 10){
  for(let j = 1; j< height; j+= 10){
    stroke(0);
    frameRate(5);                                 
    strokeWeight(random(5));
    line(i,j,i+10,j+10);
  }
}

Reflection and ideas for future work or improvements:

For now, I am glad with the outcome, but I would like to practice creating more advanced sketches with more interactivity. Additionally, I would like to work on using other functions and techniques as well, because I tend to stick to the ones I already know.

On another note, for this assignment I tried my best to make my code as brief as possible while delivering a cool piece of artwork.

In Casey Rea’s talk of chance operation in digital art, a central theme that stood out was the delicate balance between structure and randomness. What caught my attention was a specific example he shared. He took simple visualizations of hypothetical neuron vehicle movements within the animal kingdom and used them to create unique patterns in his artwork. This approach fascinated me because it transformed scientific data into art, making complex information visually appealing.

I also appreciated Rea’s insight that even in complete chaos, there’s an underlying structure and delicate geometry. This idea adds depth and intrigue to digital art.

Rea’s talk challenged traditional artistic norms and encouraged breaking free from conventional constraints. His emphasis on embracing randomness as a creative catalyst raised questions about finding the right balance between chaos and order in art. I found myself wondering if there are specific techniques or guidelines for achieving this balance in the creative process.

In conclusion, Casey Rea’s exploration of chance operation in digital art has inspired me to push my creative boundaries. I believe that incorporating elements of chance into my own art could lead to exciting breakthroughs and help me move beyond my artistic understanding.

overview

This generative artwork, inspired by Wassily Kandinsky’s “Circles in Circles,” showcases a vibrant and dynamic composition. The canvas size is set to 600×600 pixels with a beige background and a black-bordered transparent circle at the center. Colorful animated circles, each with random positions, sizes, colors, and movement patterns, create an ever-changing visual experience. Additionally, eight animated lines move horizontally, resetting when they go off-screen. The viewer can interact with the artwork by clicking on different areas, and changing the background color dynamically. This code combines randomness and structure to produce a captivating, abstract artwork reminiscent of Kandinsky’s geometric abstractions.

Who is Wassily Kandinsky?

Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944) was a pioneering Russian painter and art theorist, often hailed as one of the founders of abstract art. He believed that art should evoke emotions and spiritual experiences through non-representational forms and colors. Kandinsky’s “Circles in Circles” is a seminal artwork created in 1923, during his Bauhaus period. It is a prime example of his abstract style, featuring geometric shapes and vibrant colors. In this work, a large red circle dominates the canvas, encompassing smaller circles in various hues, with each circle seemingly floating or orbiting within the composition. “Circles in Circles” embodies Kandinsky’s fascination with the spiritual and emotional power of abstract forms and color harmonies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Code Details; Highlights of the code that I am particularly proud of 

• To precisely replicate the colors found within the painting, I first extracted its color palette. Subsequently, I meticulously identified and stored the exact hexadecimal color codes in an array. These hex codes were then used to randomly assign colors to the circles in my artwork, ensuring an accurate representation of the original painting’s color scheme

• // Array of hex colors for the circles
  let circleColors = ["#c7999b", "#b8bbaf", "#8e4040", "#82a596", "#e4c95b", "#585e3a", "#364664", "#694350", "#282927"];

• The original painting featured precisely 21 circles, and through the utilization of loops, I successfully replicated this exact count within my artwork. and just like the original painting the circles had random stroke weight and the circles have a certain sense of transperacy just as the original painting

• for (let i = 0; i < 21; i++) {
      let x = random(width); // Random x-coordinate within canvas width
      let y = random(height); // Random y-coordinate within canvas height
      let radius = random(10, 80); // Random radius between 10 and 80 pixels
  
      // Randomly select a color from the circleColors array
      let fillColor = color(random(circleColors));
      
      // Generate a random stroke weight for the circle (border thickness)
      let strokeWeightValue = random(1, 5);
      
      let xspeed = random(-2, 2); // Random horizontal speed
      let yspeed = random(-2, 2); // Random vertical speed

  embedded sketch

problems I ran into:

While the code initially employed a reversal of direction (multiplying by -1) when circles encountered the canvas edges, it became apparent that certain circles exhibited shaky behavior. To mitigate this issue, a damping effect was introduced. Initially, there were reservations about this approach, as it seemed to halt the circles’ motion. However, upon further consideration, it was realized that the damping effect, while tempering the motion, also contributed to a smoother and less overwhelming overall movement.

After applying the damping effect 

code (commented with the use of loops and classes as requested) :

// Batool AL Tameemi, Intro to IM Week 3 homework
// Generative art work

let circles = [];
let backgroundColors = [];
let lines = [];

function setup() {
  createCanvas(600, 600); // Create a canvas with a size of 600x600 pixels
  noStroke(); // Disable stroke (borders) for shapes
  frameRate(60); // Set the frame rate to 30 frames per second

  // Add the RGB values of the colors from the painting to the backgroundColors array
  backgroundColors.push(color(226, 216, 203)); // Light beige
  backgroundColors.push(color(146, 125, 75)); // Dark beige
  backgroundColors.push(color(130, 165, 150)); // Greenish gray
  // Add more background colors as needed

  // Array of hex colors for the circles
  let circleColors = ["#c7999b", "#b8bbaf", "#8e4040", "#82a596", "#e4c95b", "#585e3a", "#364664", "#694350", "#282927"];

  for (let i = 0; i < 21; i++) {
    let x = random(width); // Random x-coordinate within canvas width
    let y = random(height); // Random y-coordinate within canvas height
    let radius = random(10, 80); // Random radius between 10 and 80 pixels

    // Randomly select a color from the circleColors array
    let fillColor = color(random(circleColors));
    
    // Generate a random stroke weight for the circle (border thickness)
    let strokeWeightValue = random(1, 5);
    
    let xspeed = random(-2, 2); // Random horizontal speed
    let yspeed = random(-2, 2); // Random vertical speed
    
    // Create an instance of AnimatedCircle and add it to the circles array
    circles.push(new AnimatedCircle(x, y, radius, fillColor, strokeWeightValue, xspeed, yspeed));
  }

  // Create animated lines
  for (let i = 0; i < 8; i++) {
    let x1 = random(width); // Random x-coordinate for the starting point of the line
    let y1 = random(height); // Random y-coordinate for the starting point of the line
    let x2 = random(width); // Random x-coordinate for the ending point of the line
    let y2 = random(height); // Random y-coordinate for the ending point of the line
    let lineColor = color(0, 0, 0); // Black color for lines
    let lineWeight = random(1, 5); // Random stroke weight for lines

    // Create an instance of AnimatedLine and add it to the lines array
    lines.push(new AnimatedLine(x1, y1, x2, y2, lineColor, lineWeight));
  }
}

function draw() {
  for (let i = 0; i < backgroundColors.length; i++) {
    fill(backgroundColors[i]); // Fill the background with one of the background colors
    noStroke();
    rect(0, i * (height / backgroundColors.length), width, height / backgroundColors.length);
    // Draw a colored rectangle for each background color
  }

  for (let circle of circles) {
    circle.move(); // Move each animated circle
    circle.display(); // Display each animated circle
  }

  for (let line of lines) {
    line.move(); // Move each animated line
    line.display(); // Display each animated line
  }
  
  // Draw a single black-bordered transparent circle inside
  strokeWeight(8); // Set the stroke weight (border thickness) for the ellipse
  stroke(0); // Set the stroke color to black
  noFill(); // Don't fill the ellipse with color
  ellipse(width / 2, height / 2, 400, 400); // Draw the ellipse at the center of the canvas
}

function mousePressed() {
  // Calculate the index of the background color based on the mouse click position
  let index = int(mouseY / (height / backgroundColors.length));
  fill(backgroundColors[index]); // Fill with the selected background color
  rect(0, index * (height / backgroundColors.length), width, height / backgroundColors.length);
  // Draw a colored rectangle based on the mouse click position
}

// AnimatedCircle class definition
class AnimatedCircle {
  constructor(x, y, radius, fillColor, strokeWeightValue, xspeed, yspeed) {
    this.x = x;
    this.y = y;
    this.radius = radius;
    this.fillColor = fillColor;
    this.strokeWeightValue = strokeWeightValue; // Store stroke weight
    this.xspeed = xspeed;
    this.yspeed = yspeed;
    this.fillColor = color(red(fillColor), green(fillColor), blue(fillColor), 200); // Set the alpha value to 150 for transparency
  }

move() {
    // Define a damping factor (adjust as needed)
    let damping = 0.95;

    // Update the x-coordinate based on speed
    this.x += this.xspeed;
    
    // Apply damping to reduce shaking near the edges
    this.xspeed *= damping;

    // Update the y-coordinate based on speed
    this.y += this.yspeed;

    // Apply damping to reduce shaking near the edges
    this.yspeed *= damping;

    if (this.x > width - this.radius || this.x < this.radius) {
        this.xspeed *= -1; // Reverse horizontal speed if the circle hits canvas edge
    }

    if (this.y > height - this.radius || this.y < this.radius) {
        this.yspeed *= -1; // Reverse vertical speed if the circle hits canvas edge
    }
}

  display() {
    strokeWeight(this.strokeWeightValue); // Set the stroke weight
    stroke(0); // Set the stroke color to black
    fill(this.fillColor); // Fill with the specified color
    ellipse(this.x, this.y, this.radius * 2, this.radius * 2); // Draw the circle
  }
}

// AnimatedLine class definition
class AnimatedLine {
  constructor(x1, y1, x2, y2, lineColor, lineWeight) {
    this.x1 = x1;
    this.y1 = y1;
    this.x2 = x2;
    this.y2 = y2;
    this.lineColor = lineColor;
    this.lineWeight = lineWeight;
    this.speed = random(0.5, 2); // Random line animation speed

  }

  move() {
    // Move the lines horizontally
    this.x1 += this.speed;
    this.x2 += this.speed;

    // Reset lines when they go off-screen
    if (this.x1 > width) {
      this.x1 = 0;
      this.x2 = random(width);
      this.y1 = random(height);
      this.y2 = random(height);
    }
  }

  display() {
    strokeWeight(this.lineWeight); // Set the stroke weight
    stroke(this.lineColor); // Set the stroke color
    line(this.x1, this.y1, this.x2, this.y2); // Draw the line
}

}

 

 

 

As a Computer Science major, watching Casey Reas’s presentation on “Chance Operations” was truly enlightening. I had always perceived code as a rigid and entirely controllable entity, firmly rooted in rational decisions and binary logic. However, Reas’s perspective on blending randomness and algorithmic control to yield surprising results challenged this notion.

A particularly captivating idea he presented was “Fractal Invaders,” where artist intentionally incorporate controlled randomness into their work, much like the unpredictable outcomes of a coin toss or a roll of the dice. This controlled randomness made each version of the artwork unique and unpredictable.

Moreover, he emphasized upon the power of symmetry in his creative process. He highlighted that even in compositions that initially arose from randomness, the introduction of symmetry could instill a sense of order and familiarity. It struck me that as humans, we possess an inherent tendency to seek patterns and meaning within chaos. Our brains are wired to identify recognizable shapes and forms, and this inclination even extends to our perception of generative art.

All in all, the process of merging randomness with symmetry in generative art is fascinating because it explores how our minds work creatively. It shows that complexity can come from simplicity and that order and chaos can coexist. This artistic process invites us to contemplate the human mind’s innate desire to discover patterns and meaning in the world, ultimately pushing the boundaries of creative expression.