Week 3 – Generative Artwork

Concept:

For this assignment, I tried to recreate the random walker algorithm. I used an array to keep track of all the walkers and a class to define how each one moves and displays. The walkers choose random directions at each step, which makes the design change constantly and never looks the same twice. I also added different colors so their paths would overlap in interesting ways and fill the screen with patterns. Using loops made it easier to update and draw all the walkers at once instead of writing separate code for each.

Code Highlight

I’m really proud of how I built the step() function for my walkers. It looks simple, but it’s the heart of the project. By randomly choosing between four directions, each walker ends up moving in unpredictable ways.

step() {
    let choice = int(random(4));
    if (choice === 0) {
      this.x += 2;
    } else if (choice === 1) {
      this.x -= 2;
    } else if (choice === 2) {
      this.y += 2;
    } else {
      this.y -= 2;
    }

Embedded Sketch

Reflections & Future improvements

This project was fun because it used simple functions to create a constantly changing visual. I like that each walker moves randomly and has its own color, creating patterns that are never the same twice. The step() function is especially satisfying, since such a small piece of code drives the entire motion. Using a class to manage each walker made the code organized and easier to expand.

To improve upon my current code, I would like to include more movement variation, such as diagonal movement.  I would also like to let the user click to add more walkers or control colors, which would make the design interactive. I could also have walkers bounce off edges or wrap around the canvas for more interesting patterns.