bettina-randomface-teal

function setup() {
  createCanvas(480,640);
}

//import math; 
/*head coordinates*/
var TLx=120; //top left x
var TLy=100; //top left y
var TRx=400; //top right x
var TRy=270; //top right y
var BRx=330; //bottom right x
var BRy=500; //bottom right y
var BLx=160; //bottom left x
var BLy=490; //bottom left y
/*eye coordinates*/
var LEx=110; //left eye x
var LEy=280; //left eye y
var REx=300; //right eye x
var REy=260; //right eye y
var eye=50
/*eyebrows*/
var high= 50; //how much higher than eyes
var BrowAngle=0; //angle of brows
var BrowThick=10;  //how thick brows
var lineStart= 60;//left starting x of brows
var lineLength= 30; //length of brows
var LBstart=60; //left brow start
var RBstart=275; //right brow start
var LBangle=0;
var RBangle=0
/*nose*/
var noseBLx=150;
var noseBLy=320;
var noseBRx=200;
var noseBRy=350;
var noseMx=180;
var noseMy=200;
/*mouth*/
var mouthTLx=150;
var mouthTLy=400;
var mouthWidth=100;
var mouthHeight=100;
var MouthRound=20;


function draw() { 
  background(255);
  strokeWeight(6);
/*face*/
  noFill();
  stroke(90,196,186); //teal
  beginShape();
    curveVertex(BRx,BRy);//ones on the ends are the "handles"
    curveVertex(BRx,BRy);//first point (bottom right)
    curveVertex(TRx,TRy);//top right
    curveVertex(TLx,TLy);//top left
    curveVertex(BLx,BLy);//bottom left
    curveVertex(BRx,BRy);//bottom right
    curveVertex(TRx,TRy);// last point (top right)
    curveVertex(TRx,TRy);//ones on the ends are the "handles"
  endShape();;
  
/*eyes*/
  stroke(119,117,224); //indigo
  ellipse(REx,REy,eye);//right eye
  ellipse(LEx,LEy,eye); //right eye
/*eyebrows*/
  strokeWeight(BrowThick);
  line(LBstart,LEy-high,LBstart+lineLength,(LEy-high)+LBangle); //left brow
  line(RBstart,REy-high,RBstart+lineLength,(REy-high)+RBangle); //right brow
/*nose*/
  strokeWeight(6);
  stroke(232,117,106);//red
  triangle(noseBLx,noseBLy,noseMx,noseMy,noseBRx,noseBRy);
/*mouth*/
  rect(mouthTLx,mouthTLy,mouthWidth,mouthHeight,MouthRound);

}

function mousePressed() {
/*face*/
  TLx=random(80,200);
  TLy=random(100,300);
  TRx=random(300,440);
  TRy=random(80,310);
  BLx=random(80,200);
  BRx=random(310,440);
/*eyes*/
  REx=random((TRx/2)+40,TRx);
  LEx=random(TLx,((TRx/2)-40));
  eye=random(10,45);
  REy=random(TLy,BLy);
  LEy=REy+random(-10,10);
/*eyebrows*/
  lineStart=random(-20,20);
  LBstart= (LEx-(eye/2)+lineStart);
  lineLength=random(30,80);
  BrowThick=random(6,14);
  RBstart=(REx-(eye/2)+lineStart);
/*nose*/
  noseBLx=random(LEx+20,LEx+((REx-LEx)/2));
  noseBRx=noseBLx+random(10,60);
  noseBLy=random(LEy+eye,BRy);
  noseBRy=noseBLy;
  noseMy=random((noseBLy-50),noseBLy);
  noseMx=random(noseBLx,noseBRx);
/*mouth*/
  mouthTLx=random(Math.max(TLx,BLx),(noseMx-20));
  mouthTLy=random((noseBLy+20),BLy);
  mouthWidth=random(20,150);
  mouthHeight=random(0,80);
  MouthRound=random(10,50);
  BrowCounter=3;
  LBangle=random(-30,31);
  RBangle=random(-30,31);
  }

I was inspired by Moka piece, which felt playful and childish. I wanted to challenge myself to create more organic lines as opposed to geometric ones I did for my first project. After a lot of math and quadrants, and bringing a bit of Math.min and Math.max, I was able to set enough rules for the randomization so the facial features were in believable positions.

I intended for each face to have the energy of children’s drawings, incorporating near primary colors for the lines. My concept was that generative art is not about creating a single perfect piece, but instead a system. Thus, while each face on it’s own seems laughable, I intended to present the outcome as patterns, showing the theme and variation throughout my system.

For the time being, I could not implement enough rules to draw all these faces in one program (my code was getting messy and I could not figure out how to put in conditionals), so I modified the program above to make the face outline different colors, add an additional curve vertex, as well as add an additional translated outline.

Sample spread of the book

Conditional Design Workbook

This is a workbook created with Conditional Design studio. I admire it’s analogue interpretation of “programming” and generative art. Programming at it’s core is the logic and rules, whereas the syntax we learn is simply the language necessary to communicate the rules to a computer. Since these rules are communicated to people, there is freedom in how the information is presented, as well as opportunities for more organic, “hand-made” forms. I admire how inherently interactive the piece is; it reinforces my belief that interactive art forms are more palatable to a wider audience.

This system also relates to my design studies: our school head, Terry Irwin, asserts that to solve for “wicked”, or complex, problems, it is more effective to create rules for creation as opposed to simply creating a set number of things. In other words, it is creating a lasting system. Unlike set “things” rules for a system may outlast wear, as well as adapt to unpredictable conditions of an environment.