Notes on "Programming, the bigger picture"

These are some notes that I found interesting and informative on "the bigger picture" file. 

-       - Programming is an ideal when you are trying to use variation, interaction, generation, repetition, calculation or scalability. 

-       - Trying to create realistic-type images are much better done on programmes like Photoshop, however if you are trying to create a repetitive pattern then programming is one of the quickest software’s to do so.

-       - It is very important to acknowledge other peoples work, which you incorporate into your own design. If you don’t do this your work can be considered as plagiarism.

I found the file very informative on the background of programming. Although it doesn’t explain techniques to learn programming it gave me an insight on what programming is and is not used for. Also I learnt the pros and cons of the programming language.  

What I have learned and Goals for Creative Coding

After completing the first assignment for DSDN 142 I am gradually grasping an understanding of the open processing software. At the beginning of this course I was only able to plot points on the sketch with no knowledge of methods to create sketches faster or tools to make the designs more dynamic. Now after reading more and a little bit of trial and error I could use lerpColour confidently, write variables in some but not all cases and use the transparency tool effectively. Obviously I still have a lot of learning to do but I now feel I have the basics of open processing covered.

What I would like to improve on is writing variables and creating loops for more complex patterns. As of now I can write basic pattern loops though it would give me a lot more flexibility as a designer to know to write specific equations for difficult design patterns, movements and transformations. For the following project, which is associated with transformation, I think it is essential I learn how use more advanced loops and equations in order to gain a good outcome. Therefore my goal for the next week is to create loops that involve the pattern moving interestingly and possibly unpredictably, and also incorporating the mouse as a means of determining what part of the design you see when it is moved across the screen. 

Processing Wallpaper 4

This is my 4th wallpaper. I made some minor changes in this wallpaper from the 3rd one using the stroke tool and lerpColor tool. I made the stroke transparency the same value to its corresponding as transparent square. I believe this gives the pattern a more natural flow of colour from left to right. I then used lerpColor to blend the pink and orange together on the right side of the pattern. I found this quite difficult at first, however managed to create an aesthetically pleasing transition from colour to colour which I am very happy with. Overall the composition has a nice colour flow throughout the many series of squares. 

Processing Wallpaper 3

This is my 3rd wallpaper design. I decided to go with the very pale pink as a background colour as this is subtle and does not distract the viewers eye from the pattern. Also the pink I added to the right side of the pattern adds another dimension to the design. It gives the pattern more vibrance and energy, I feel in the following wallpaper I could blend the pink and orange together more smoothly.   

Experimenting with Colours

Here I am just experimenting with background colour. The pattern alone consists of light to dark shades of orange with a hint of pink also. Therefore I need to try different tones of background colour that compliment the pattern and that are in harmony with the other colours. By doing this it will make the overall design more dynamic and intriguing.

Processing Wallpaper 2

This is my 2nd wallpaper. This is the same in the shape style as as my first wallpaper because I want to keep my set of 4 very similar in shape and formality. What I incorporated in this pattern was fill and transparency. I found fill easy to use, however I did have to rearrange the code to allow the transparency to work the way I wanted it to. This design emphasises the colour values between orange and white. From the left of the pattern the orange fades in. The fill of the white against the opaque orange shows the contrast between the two.

Processing Wallpaper 1

This is my first wallpaper on processing. This took me quite some time as I could write some variables with the middle three lines that are full, however I had to write each code for every other rectangle on the screen. I wanted to start off simple so the 4 wallpapers show a development of this similar shape. I like the zig-zag and uneven pattern this displays. I positioned the centre rows of the squares to the right slightly as I wanted to follow the rule of thirds technique. The rule of thirds helps to add weight, intensity and interest to the overall composition by placing the majority of visuals to one side.

Concept Sketch 3 & 4

Concept Sketch 4

What inspired me to do this design was when I was turning the volume on my stereo, a series of digital square bars move up and down which correspond to the pitch of the sound. I thought this look very interesting and I knew it could definitley be possible to create on Processing. What I like about it is how it represents a digital/technological world.

I think this is the sketch I will develop on processing out of the 4 as I believe this has the most potential. My goals for this design on processing is to learn how to use the transparency tool in order to create a fade-out effect on the squares. In addition to this I want to learn how to use the LerpColor tool so I can merge the pink and orange together in a more natural and organic sense. I am excited about modifying this concept as I believe the finished design will look fascinating.

Concept Sketch 3

This pattern is based on a series of lines which follow random paths. What inspired me to do this was a maze-like pattern I wanted to emulate, however the grey background and white lines did not come out very crisp on the scan so it is hard to get a good understanding of how I wanted it to look. I like this idea because the nature of the lines are arranged in a random and unpredictable type way and the viewers eye unconsciously follows the pattern. 

If I was to modify this design on Processing I think I could make the design more abstract with more variety of line stroke. Also I could change he colour scheme as it is quite subtle at the moment. By utilising bright highlighter colours that smoothly transition into other colours along the lines could look really effective.

Concept Sketch 2

This pattern is similar to my first concept as it is a composition based on duplicated shapes. My inspiration for the shapes was a window in my house which has that diamond texture you usually see in church windows. Then for the colours, I experimented with light and dark. I quite like this colour scheme as it similar to Louis Vuitton which I feel has a funky yet sophisticated appearance.

If I choose to modify this pattern on Processing I would think about fading the colours in and out between the diamonds making it look more dynamic. Learning how to use transparency and loop on Processing will be essential in order to execute this design pattern.

Concept Sketch 1

This pattern as you can see is based on a series of repeating circles. The idea for this came to me from just playing around on a piece of paper with a compass, experimenting with stroke sizes, as well as circles drawn inside and outside of each other. I like the colour scheme I have chosen for this as the majority of the composition consists of heavy and light tones of brown creating an overall sense of harmony in the design.

Processing Sketch 4 (The Beautiful One)

This is my favourite Processing design of all as I feel it just glows with beauty and importance. I created this by drawing lines on each top corner, coming diagonally to the centre. Then I drew an ellipse in the centre of the design. What I found out about when creating this is that when you continuously repeat lines and closely together also, the pattern begins to form illusions that your not intending to do.

Processing Sketch 3 (The Interesting One)

After playing around and experimenting with code, I learnt how to duplicate lines and other patterns which ended up saving alot of time and effort. This pattern was formed by drawing two triangles which met in the centre of the composition. By finding an equation suitable, I was able to duplicate each line downwards 10 pixels to create this vibrant and futuristic pattern. I find this design interesting as you can use your own imagination for this one. To me it appears as though the green lines are being stretched downwards by the tip of the white triangle. I think the repitition and glowing green look very effective also.

Processing Sketch 2 (The Fancy One)

For this pattern I wanted to create a design that looks neat and tidy. By neat and tidy I mean a design that has symmetry and balance throughout the composition. I used orange and white as my two colour schemes as they compliment each other and produce a vibrant appearance. The pattern is simply made up of ellipses and squares which gradually come together from both sides of the composition to form a flower-like symbol down the middle. I made the white line quite thin as this gave the overall design more elegance.

Processing Sketch 1 (Hand-drawn Sketch)

Design Influence:

This is an image which I was fascinated by and wanted to use as an influence for my hand-drawn sketch. It is a series of lines which create overlapping rectangles and squares. I wanted to create something which looked quite confusing and hard to comprehend and I thought this was the ideal image.

Hand-drawn Sketch:

This is my hand-drawn concept which I created after the lecture. I made this drawing slightly different to my influence by adding small and large squares throughout the composition. I also changed the length and the direction of the lines. I believe this makes the design appear like a maze and when created on Processing it will look like an interesting illusion.

Final Sketch (On Open Processor):

This is my modified concept which has been created on Processing. It is very similar to my original drawing. Although I could have experimented with different colours, I feel the black and white conveys the powerful relationship between positive and negative space. I also the sense of balance in this design as well as the different paths of line which allow your eyes to wander.