During the first lesson, we were introduced some basic fundamentals and mechanics of p5* and how Javascript work. There were Introductory demonstrations of simple computation of lines, circles, and colors.
After reading the Getting Started with p5.js and watching some very useful and fun coding videos from Dan’s The Coding Train tutorial website, I wasn’t sure if I’m ready to code yet but still opened my p5* page and started from coding simple shapes.
Surprisingly, I had been sitting on my chair for the whole Sunday morning because I was shockingly amazed by how fun and spontaneous the combination of coding and art can be. The first homework in ICM course, we were told to create a self portrait without any strict guidelines as to what we should create or specific coding instructions that we should follow. I love how freely we were given to express ourselves in our own work. In fact, the most interesting feeling while I was computing was the unexpected errors and results that showed on my screen. I don’t see these errors or results as a big deal but rather a surprise gift that made the computing process more fun and interesting. The mechanism of having to input different variables in order to create our art piece pretty much have similar mechanisms to the supply/demand graphs and many other economics graph. When we increase or decrease the x(quantity) or y(price) in the market, the equilibrium point will regenerate and moves to a new point. There are many variables in X or Y that can cause the shift of the graph and the equilibrium point just like how we can change different variables to create different designs through computing in the P5*. For my first project, I actually wanted to do a alternated Homer Simpsons that I believe has similar personality and humor to me. I love the Simpsons family and also many other iconic characters such as the South Park, Spongebob, Sesame Street, Rick and Morty, Groot, Hello Kitty, Capybara…and also some ugly but cute animals like salamander and bobfish. I look forward to creating a series of alternated iconic cartoon characters or animals with my own styles(maybe some Y2K styles or vintage looks) added to them.
The sketching process was a self discovering moment. I feel like even though we have only learned the basic fundamentals, we can use that knowledge and bring forward more of the functions by just looking at the references and trying it out on our own. In facts the console helped a lot to reduce the struggle and confusions of how the design didn’t came out as I have imagined in my head. I felt like the more you practice, the more sensitive you will be when putting down variables for shapes, colors, vertexes…etc. One of the pitfalls that I have encountered after finishing my first self portrait is that it seems to be a problem pointing to the order of operation that I could not make a shape that I created to not have stroke. It seems to make the whole self portrait to be without stroke rather than just the specific shape that I desire to not have stroke. Another struggle is that there seems to be more that I want to learn, for example, the curve() function in order to make round and circular shapes. However, the curve() function seems to look complicated and required more advanced learning through future class. Overall, the experience with the web editor is surprisingly soothing and interesting. I have never thought that computing, which seems to be so odd and unfamiliar to me, now have became a comprehensive tool that I develop interest in expressing myself.
I always imagine myself as becoming one of the family members in The Simpsons.
Please don’t zoom in🙂
