For the first assignment I decided to go for a simple self portrait. Not knowing how to code a lot, I went with the flow and took it easy.
I started with a beige ellipse and from there slowly created the whole face. After that, I went for a rectangle for the hair.
This was the end result!
CONCEPT:
I find myself retreating into my thoughts as the first week of school comes to an end, returning to my cherished summer home in Cadaqués, a charming community hidden away on Spain’s coast. “Eli’s Aquatic Dreamscape,” this piece of art, is more than simply a self-portrait; it’s a glimpse into my calm world, where the water is a constant companion that reflects my calmest desires.
My refuge has always been Cadaqués, with its picturesque streets and peaceful Mediterranean. Here, the world above seems to fade away as I plunge into the glistening clean waters, making time seem to stop.
As we sail alongside friends during the golden sunsets, the sea serves as a brilliant backdrop for our companionship as we tell stories and laugh together. And then there’s windsurfing, an exhilarating dance with the wind and waves that embodies both my spirit of adventure and the wild beauty of the village.
“Eli’s Aquatic Dreamscape” is a painting that pays homage to these times and embodies my passion for the ocean and Cadaqués. This piece serves as a reminder of my favorite place amidst the chaos of academic life and is evidence of the serenity that Cadaqués instills in me. It serves as a reminder that there is peace waiting in the embrace of the water, no matter how hectic life becomes.
// Hair
fill(102, 51, 0); // Brown hair color
arc(200, 155, 200, 100, radians(150), radians(30)); // arch hair
// hair length
fill(102, 51, 0); // brown hair
noStroke();
rect(110, 160, 40, 150); // left rectangle hair
rect(250, 160, 40, 150); // right rectangle hair
// Eyes
fill(255); // White part of the eyes
ellipse(170, 190, 30, 20); // Left eye
ellipse(230, 190, 30, 20); // Right eye
fill(77, 38, 0); // Brown color for the iris
circle(170, 190, 10); // Left iris
circle(230, 190, 10); // Right iris
// Tshirt
fill('lightgreen');
arc(200, 600, 300, 650, PI, 0, OPEN); // shoulders
// Mouth
fill('pink'); //
arc(200, 240, 30, 10, 0, PI, CHORD); // smile arch
}
Memes from my group of friends.
IMPROVEMENTS:
Future developments could benefit from concentrating on the textural elements in order to more accurately convey the dynamic character of water.
Making hair in my artwork was especially difficult for me. I tried using an arch at first, but I could not figure it out. I finally decided on an arch and two descending rectangles. Incorporating marine life or sports like windsurfing or diving would give my work a more vivid and personal touch, emphasizing my strong bond with the sea and my memories of Cadaqués. This way, the artwork could become more meaningful and realistic.
For this portrait assignment, I decided to include the thing that I love the most, Basketball. My idea was to draw something that represents who I am as well as to add some cool animations which would further enhance the portrait.
It all started of as a simple sketch on a piece of paper where I drew up a rough portrait of me. Then I decided that I wanted to add some personal element to it, so I drew a basketball which I wanted to spin around my hand. This is where I faced my first challenge trying to transfer my idea onto the canvas. Even though it was the hardest thing to do this project, the rotation of the basketball was the most rewarding thing and for that reason I will include it as the piece of code I am most proud of. It can be seen below 🙂
...
push();
translate(90, 150);
rotate(angle);
drawBasketball();
angle += 0.04;
pop();
}
function drawBasketball() {
fill(255, 165, 0);
ellipse(0, 0, 100, 100);
stroke(255);
strokeWeight(3);
for (let i = 0; i < 8; i++) {
let angle = (TWO_PI / 8) * i;
let x1 = cos(angle) * 45;
let y1 = sin(angle) * 45;
let x2 = cos(angle) * 55;
let y2 = sin(angle) * 55;
line(x1, y1, x2, y2);
}
}
After solving the basketball “situation” the process was pretty straightforward and included me just carrying on with the drawing of the face and the facial features, hands and I added a jersey which represents the real jersey I use to play in basketball matches (I wear the number 17).
Before finishing up, I added a little bit of an “NYU Element” where I painted the canvas with the original NYU violet color and added a fun text animation representing the name of our Basketball team.
Overall I felt the process of creating my first project in p5.js was very rewarding and I learnt a lot of things along the way. There is certainly a long way to go and I am pretty excited of what the future holds.
My final portrait can be seen below 🙂