Category: 3. Generative Thing

The inspiration for my project came from a childhood game that we all played many times and most of us are familiar with, chip-chop. The original game can be seen in the following images as well as my initial sketch. 

I wanted to create a game that has the same idea of choosing one of 4 options that lead you to 4 different games. I also wanted to create something interactive and has a sense of satisfaction or a trippy effect when watching it. I wanted the audience to take control of the art. Therefore, I created a canvas that gives you an empty screen with a pop up stating: “Start Here: Press anywhere in the empty space”. 

When the user presses in the empty space the four options pop right where the mouse location is, as seen in the figure:

The first option:

The second option:

The third option:

The fourth option:

The four different “modes” had different generative possibilities within them, such as color, shape, size, and orientation. These possibilities were generated using random variables with specific restrictions that shape the mode of each setting. These modes were controlled by mouse clicks on specifics buttons I created in order to choose the settings. 

I submitted two sketches below as I was not sure if it was a requirement or not for the objects to stay visible and not disappear after the mouse is released. If that is a requirement please use the second version. 

1: https://editor.p5js.org/zme209/sketches/arlnzyLfw

2: https://editor.p5js.org/zme209/sketches/f8mwnFEPa

 

 

Reflection

For the generative project, the idea of letting go of complete control of your art mesmerized me. It truly did push me to think of the seemly random nature of art around us. For the project, I chose to depict a flowery field surrounded by a dark starry moonlit sky. The reason for this is that I have always been fascinated by nature’s ability to create art all around us and how much variation exists as well.

My first step was designing each element, sketching it, and coding it individually. The stars were the hardest as I had to calculate multiple shapes (triangles) and set their locations to be related to one another.

Every time the mouse is pressed, a cluster of randomly generated stars are created around it by a certain radius. The amount of stars, the amount of “arms” it has, its location, its color, and its size are all randomly generated for each star. If the mouse goes down to the field and is pressed, the location of the x and y are randomly generated between a more acceptable range. The same is true for the flowers. Their quantity, size, and colors are randomly generated. They are also kept within an acceptable range (the field) when the mouse is pressed on the sky.

Code: https://editor.p5js.org/ym1820/sketches/-rXGZAL98

Grid of Images

At first, I was only working on this project to have a bunch of squares that generate different polygons within themselves (the first attempt below, the idea was scrapped). This initial idea was inspired by Alexandre Zajac’s Generative Art. 

However, as I was experimenting with this project, I drew inspiration from my personal experience of constantly feeling judged by others. Every time I go out, I always get the feeling that there are people watching me, leaving me always on the lookout for who may be looking at me and wondering why they do so. I try to make sense of the way people perceive me by attempting to see myself through their eyes. The motifs of eyes and perception persisted through the planning phase of this project, which gave my work If We Had Your Eyes its name. 

After some experimentation, I felt that it would be more interesting to have an eye inside each square instead. When I saw the output for the first time, that was when I came up with the idea of how the eyes can cause discomfort for the viewer. To make the system more unpredictable, I decided to have 8 different variations of the eye (normal/cat/shining/bloodshot/mixed) where each one has a different probability of occurring, with the chance that multiple ones can appear at the same time (excluding normal/cat), and that each eye will be rotated a random amount. The reason I positioned the pupils/iris to look in multiple directions and not just at the viewer is to show how people can really get in their own heads or get lost in their own thoughts when in reality not everyone is watching their every move. However, there is also a very small chance that all the eyes will be staring at the viewer to showcase the special cases where people would be staring at someone. The background and squares have three main colors – red, green, and blue. There is also a rare chance that the color of the squares will be completely different and random. There is also a rare case that shows a fully black screen with red eyes, which showcases the cases when overthinking can take over your conscious thoughts, and you think that everyone is judging you and staring at you. All randomness/probabilities are calculated using ‘if’ statements and the random() function. My thought process and initial sketch can be seen below including all the probabilities: 

Collage of different outputs:

I really enjoyed working on this project especially since it has a lot of personal meaning to me. I hope you enjoy experimenting with the outcomes and trying to get the rare ones! 

Generate Image! 

 

 

For my Generator Thing Project, I created a lollipop generator. Within my generator code, the following elements varied:

1. Color
2. Shape
3. Lollipop pattern 

My inspiration for my lollipop generator was the flower stem generator shown in class. It can be seen and accessed through this link, https://editor.p5js.org/brain/sketches/2N3oI7V3x. For the spiral/ swirl lollipop, I was inspired by Josef Albers and Color Relativity. The concept of being able to use three colors and make it look like four was fascinating as simple as it may be to others. The use of color theory can make or break a piece because of how the individual looking perceive the colors.

I managed my project’s unpredictability through the use of the random function. Even with the use of the random function, the lollipops would generally appear at the same starting point or very close to each other. The lollipops would group near each other. In an attempt to increase the unpredictability, I added small expressions to either be added, subtracted, or multiplied to the random variable. However, within the canvas constraint I made for my generator, this time I pressed my mouse, the lollipops would emerge randomly within a bunch. The lollipops were most likely to appear in bunches of four compared to a single lollipop appearing on its own. A single lollipop would surface at least once every when I played around with the generator.  Moreover, I placed my lollipop type functions into a random list, the most common lollipop to appear was the oval, swirl, and circle. I wanted to in some way control the unpredictability of the generator. I wanted the generator to pick not only all four functions but possibly three, two, or just one at each click instead of constantly four at a time.

Generator link: https://editor.p5js.org/aatlove/full/dNLqWxRbp

Generator Initial Paper Idea

Generator Results