Author: Isabella Hernandez

My concept

This week after learning about loops, for my design I wanted to explore how I could use different shapes and in some way combine or merge them to create different patterns.

For this assignment I created two designs after experimenting the use of loops and shapes. The first one as shown below is composed of a “for ()” loop including two sets of  lines and two sets of ellipses. As shown in the second design, the first layer is a set of lines underneath one set of ellipses which produce a pattern that matches that of scales such of a fish. After this, I explored the use of a second layer of ellipses with a different size for the height and width, thus creating a pattern as shown in the first design.

Highlight code

One of the codes I was most proud of were the loops I used to make the scales. These consisted of lines that followed the code we did in class, but with a slight change in the width, height and their size. The second code was for the scales themselves, consisting of ellipses placed on top of the lines.

/// green lines
   stroke(200,200,200);
  for(let x = 0; x <= width; x += 60){
    for(let y = 0; y <= height; y += 60){    
     line(x, y, x+75, y+75);  
      fill( 235, 0, 255);
    }
  }
  
  
  /// Scales
  for(let x = 0; x <= width; x += 30){
    for(let y = 0; y <= height; y += 30){    
     ellipse( x, y, 50, 50);  
      fill( 225, 100, 230);
    }
  }

Embedded sketch

Reflection and ideas for future work or improvements

One of the things I struggled the most with was getting the loop code right for the lines. At first, I thought it would be the same as we did for the ellipses, however, after testing it out I realized this did not work. Nonetheless, after discussing my situation with the professor, I was able to understand my mistake, and how the code for the lines was different when it came to the variables after the (x, y,), which, unlike the code for the ellipse, required a plus sign to adapt an accurate width and height, resulting in this:

line (x, y, x + 75, y + 75);

For my next project, I will look at more tutorials beforehand to have more preparation and to have a better understanding of the codes I will be using in order to have a more precise result. I will also produce multiple sketches of what I want my final product to be so I can aim towards a specific design in case I don’t have the time to explore different outcomes. Lastly, I would also love to add more animations and movement to my sketches.

Fullscreen Sketch

Concept

For this assignment, I made a self-portrait using p5.js, the online editor, with codes learned in class. I started by placing an ellipse at the center of the canvas and added smaller ellipses to make the eyes, circles for the irises, a rectangle and two circles for the nose, and thinned arcs for the eyebrows and eyelashes. Then, I used ellipses to make the shirt and a circle to show the flesh connecting the neck and shoulders, and two ellipses for the ears. After this, I created a series of arcs, all with different radians and sizes, to create the curls on the front  and the rest of the hair in the back. At last, I used the “noStroke” code and added color to the background and all the shapes.

• • • • Favorite Codes
      • Although it isn’t the most creative or incredible code, I felt proud when I assembled the codes to create the structure of the face. I like the way the face, the neck, and the collarbone follow the founding shapes usually used for drawing sketches. While I am used to add more texture when I draw a person by hand or digitally, it is nice to see these shapes in a raw form, without any details or realism, and instead have a similar composition to a cartoon character. It was also fun to create the curls with the different variations of radians of the arcs.

         
        fill('#DA9758')
         circle(275, 333, 23);
         circle(325, 333, 23);
         rect(282, 258, 35, 85);
         circle(300, 338, 28);
         
         fill('white')
         ellipse(205, 250, 80, 30);
         ellipse(385, 250, 80, 30);

         

Embedded Sketch – Self Portrait

Reflection and Ideas for Future Improvement

One of the steps I struggled the most with was finding the right coordinates for the different shapes, especially when each shape had a different amount of values (for example, the circle only had three and the arc could have more than five). This was especially hard when I had to consider where in the canvas I wanted them and details such as height, width, etc. However, the more I practiced, the easier it became to mark said coordinates and sizes.

For the future I would like to learn how to further mold the different shapes to create more varied and distinct shapes. For example, instead of having to use the ellipses and the rectangle to make a neck and shoulders, I would like to understand how to create connected dots or merging shapes that can create this structure in a smoother, slightly more realistic way.