Generative Art over the Years
3 days ago
- #generative-art
- #creative-journey
- #algorithmic-expression
- The author began making generative art in 2016 as a programming exercise, evolving into a personal form of expression through visual means.
- Early work focused on mathematical algorithms like phyllotaxis spirals, producing organic patterns from inorganic code, with aesthetic choices secondary to the math.
- A shift occurred when the author grew bored with clean mathematical looks and started exploring texture, simulating brush strokes, particle systems, and flow fields, often in greyscale to focus on form.
- Experimentation with lines revealed that accumulation and density could create textures, leading to the realization that geometric primitives could evoke physical materials like pencil sketches.
- The approach changed from algorithm-driven to material simulation, asking questions like "can I make this look like watercolor?" and building a library of simulated materials (e.g., watercolor, brush strokes, cracked glaze).
- Color remains a challenge due to lack of formal theory, but improvement comes through intuition, exposure, and experimentation, moving beyond greyscale to limited palettes.
- The journey transformed from playing with algorithms to composing with shapes, colors, and textures, where algorithms serve artistic goals rather than being the primary focus.
- The author's "vocabulary" consists of accumulated techniques and tools, allowing intentional choices between maximalism and minimalism, with a shift from "what can I do" to "what do I want to say."
- Despite a busy life, the practice persists through occasional sketches and experiments, valued for its patience and lack of pressure, culminating in personal projects like books for family.