When I first read that I have to make a self-portrait, I knew that I had to include some distinguishable features of myself. The first few steps were definitely slow-paced as I was still exploring options, revising from the slides and just experimenting with values.
Playing with the 2D primitives gave me a basic understanding of how p5 works and with each step I grew more and more comfortable with the layout, the functions and how everything works. The first few hours consisted of going back constantly to the reference sheet as well as the slide decks, because i wanted to repeat the process until it became familiar enough.
There was a time when i was thinking about what to do for my hair, so I decided it is high time I stopped constantly relying on what the references have to offer me. While putting different numbers in the bracket after rectangle I accidentally added one more than needed. This “happy accident” lead to the formation of a rectangle with rounded edges, which was perfect for hair. Then i added one more and moved them both until I had a dramatic side-part. What really helped me to understand where everything should be placed was visualising the xy-plane. Soon after that I started finding the exact coordinates with print(mouseX + “,” + mouseY);, which is significantly easier. Despite that, I believe it was needed for me to imagine it at first. Through this and simple math, I was able to make my collar symmetrical.
When I had done my face, hair, clothes, it was time for features. I exaggerated my big green eyes and figured a way to do my eyebrows thick, using an arc. I think I was going for a caricature as I knew that the end product will have little to no resemblance to me if it is not for those characteristics. I also used the arc from my eyebrow and inverted it to create my mouth. With other simple shapes I added depth.
What I am most proud of from this code is the flower rain, which while simple, felt like a big accomplishment.
textSize(45);
text("🌺",x-200,x+100);
text("🌼",y+70,z-250);
text("🌷",y,z);
text("🌸",x,x);
I kept combining things I saw in the reference sheet and tried to think of a way to make it work. I now see the potential and if next time I decide on a similar project, I would definitely approach it differently. I would do more flowers and would add randomness so it does not look so “stiff”.
No AI was used in the making of this.
How Was This Made:
https://p5js.org/reference/
https://p5js.org/tutorials/get-started/