CONCEPT:
While walking across campus, I saw children blowing bubbles with their families. This simple, joyful scene transported me back to my own childhood, when my brother and I would spend hours blowing bubbles in the park. While I was in front of the screen, I thought about the patterns I recently saw during the week — and then I was reminded of the bubbles. I was then propelled this wave of nostalgia, inspiring me to incorporate the playful essence of bubbles into my piece.
CODE:
In terms of coding, I was particularly challenged by the randomness factor. I was unsure of how to produce bubbles at random places, sizes, and even colours. Therefore, I looked for assistance on the p5.js website.: https://p5js.org/reference/p5/random/ to understand the syntax of the ‘random’ feature. After relentless experimenting, I was able to randomise the selection of colours, which I had little idea on how to approach. I was particularly proud of it. In terms of design, I removed the stroke to add some sort aesthetic to the bubbles, and I changed the background to a light blue, to resemble the sky.
for (let i = 0; i < 20; i++ ){ let x = random(width); let y = random(height); let r = random (10, 50); fill(random(250), random(250), random(250)) noStroke() ellipse(x,y,r)
REFLECTION:
This assignment really challenged what my understanding of art is, and also made me realise how often we are surrounded by ‘art’ – no matter how subtle, quotidian, or ordinary it may be. Perhaps, if I were given the opportunity to further it, I may add some user interactivity such as popping the bubble and slowing down the speed.
WORK:
The sketch is a bit short and would benefit from a more definite visual aesthetic / vibe. As you noted the speed is quite fast and IMO the overall effect on the viewer is quite stroboscopic / random and doesn’t really suggest bubbles (typically move slower). This week we’ll look at how you can keep track of the individual bubbles using arrays and objects so you could give them more definite behaviour. This sketch feels overly random – can you think of a way to, for example, have the colour of the bubbles mostly be blue with a bit of variation? Each of your aesthetic choices should have some reason behind it so any time you find yourself using random() consider how much randomness you want to incorporate and why.