Concept:
For this assignment, I was tasked with coding a self-portrait on p5.js. For my self-portrait, I wanted to create a small character which would resemble me, with my main facial features and clothing, as well as try to set a background and add in as many details as I could. This was my first experience with coding, so I really wanted to utilize the shapes, lines, and colors we discussed in class and add them into the self-portrait.
In the beginning, I had grasped the main idea of shapes and coordinates, but not fully. I used the layout that we had already previously coded in class and decided to build off from that. I had already added in basic shapes like the circle, rectangle, and line, but I then went on the p5.js reference site to understand different shapes and how to code them into the self-portrait. From there, I added the ellipse, arc, and spline. I honestly found putting the coordinates in the most difficult, because with shapes like the arc or spline/curve, moving one coordinate without fully knowing what it does would change the whole shape entirely, and I had to go through multiple rounds of trial and error before correcting the size, area and shape that I wanted them to take.
I created my portrait using mainly the p5.js reference website to research unfamiliar functions and better understand the different shapes available. I also used AI as a learning tool to clarify some of the concepts I found difficult to understand during the process.
Highlight of some code that I am proud of:
fill(mouseX, mouseY, 255); ellipse(140, 60, 130, 60); ellipse(90, 65, 140, 70); ellipse(110, 40, 90, 55); ellipse(500, 80, 165, 80); ellipse(450, 90, 125, 60); ellipse(45, 130, 70, 35); ellipse(70,125,55,30); ellipse(430, 150, 65, 30); ellipse(455,145,55,35); ellipse(445,145,55,35);
The part I’m proudest of would definitely be the color-changing clouds. When I first read the assignment details, I saw that it didn’t ask for any interactive elements, which for me as a first-time coder was honestly relieving, but after spending some time experimenting with the mouseX and mouseY variables I came to realize that having something be “interactive” doesn’t mean that it had to be very complicated. I was initially going to make the background interactive but thought that making the clouds be able to change color to show “weather” would be more creative. I learned that the clouds weren’t going from black to white because the fill function was reading them as RGB, but I decided to keep it because I thought the changing colors made the background more creative.
Embedded sketch:
Reflection:
From this assignment, I learned the basics of coding with p5.js, how to add shapes, how x and y values work, how to layer code so that it would overlap in the way I wanted it to, how to add color, and how RGB works. I personally found adding the eyebrows was the hardest, as the spline shape was the most complicated one out of them all, and I really had to understand how to configure the coordinates and how to increase or decrease them based on the shape I wanted. What became easier by the end was definitely the coordinates, because in the beginning I honestly was adding them at random, seeing how they would fit and adjusting to them, but after understanding the formatting it became easier.
In the future, I would like to focus on adding even more details, such as hands and clothing details as well as trying to add more interactive elements to make my image more realistic and creative. Something I would want to add if I had more p5.js experience would be moving backgrounds and animation, as I feel like it would truly let the image become more interactive and let it come to life.