This assignment is concerned with growing a design to cover a visual field. Rather than explicitly plotting a pattern (e.g. by placing tiles), my hope is that you are able to create an image that develops through a feedback process with itself. This Assignment has two parts and is due at the beginning of class on Thursday, 2/29:
- (15 points) Readings on Fields/Distributions
- (85 points) A Field/Distribution Composition, Plotted
Distribution deals with the rhythmic reorganization of pattern structure. It involves movement of unequal elements which are equalized over the surface through the interplay of countermovements between them, rather than by an even repetition of identical design units.
(15 points total; 40 minutes) The purpose of this reading is to familiarize you with some conceptual and technical approaches to filling 2D fields with aesthetic distributions, especially using visual simulations of morphogenesis.
Please check out the following three resources:
- Read Chapter 2 (“Distribution”, pages 64-71) of Graphic Games by Victor Baumgartner. [PDF] (~10 minutes)
- Read “Flow Fields” by Tyler Hobbs (~10 minutes).
- Skim one or more of the following collections of algorithm resources (~10 minutes):
- Morphogenesis Resources by Jason Webb
- That Creative Code Page by Taru Muhonen & Raphaël de Courville
- Processing repository by Julien Gachadoat (v3ga)
- Algorithmic Botany papers and/or Visual Models of Morphogenesis by Przemyslaw Prusinkiewicz
Now, in a Discord post in the channel #7a-field-readings:
- (10 points) Write a brief summary and response to something that you found interesting or helpful from any of these readings.
- (5 points) Include a relevant image that illustrates the thing you found interesting.
- Please note that there is no obligation to pursue your discovery further.
Perlin Noise landscapes by Revdancatt
(85 points, 8 hours) The purpose of this prompt is to strengthen your skills in generative form-making with procedures that cover a 2D surface, such as growth algorithms or flow fields. Probably, you will be indirectly governing a simulation or feedback process that covers the page. You may use any algorithm(s) you wish.
Prompt: Develop a computationally-generated, machine-plotted artwork that presents a field or distribution across the surface, ideally developing through feedback with itself.
To create your project:
- Browse the materials from the previous lecture.
- Sketch ideas in your sketchbook. You may use any algorithm you wish, but if you are feeling uncertain or short on time, I encourage you to just get started with a Perlin noise flow field.
- Write code to generate several compositions. Export SVG files for plotting.
- Plot your artwork. You are encouraged to use more than one color in your design. Please do not use standard printer paper.
Now, to document your project:
- Create a post in the #7b-field-composition Discord channel.
- (Optional) Embed some photographs of your sketches.
- (15 points) Embed screenshots of at least two of your generated compositions.
- (50 points) Embed a good-quality photograph of your plotted composition. Consider having a second photograph showing a close detail.
- (20 points) Write a paragraph (of about 100-150 words) describing the logic of your composition, your sources of inspiration, your process, and an evaluation of your results. Be sure to acknowledge any code libraries that you used.
You're not under any obligation to use these, but they may be helpful.
