(P1: Artist Statement) For this assignment, I was interested in the specificity of having stamps/brushes and embedded aesthetics that behaviorallly and visually express a particular subject of focus. When I was younger I used to have a book about the life of decomposers, soil, and the forest floor. I was reminded of this book when considering how I wanted to approach this projecting because there is something about clustering, layers, and accumulation which fits quite nicely within the realm of decomposition and growth. I edited image assets and used shapes to create stamps and brushes which would function in ways that fit the organic yet processual development of life and rot. This tool is interesting as it has a very particular type of image it is suited for, however a little creativity with how these stamps and brushes are used can yield a variety of whimsical and abstract, textile-like images that retain the same aesthetic qualities within their visual language.
In this program, the user begins with a black background. They may choose to work on top of this black background with different stamps and brushes to create a scene that is more surreal and sculptural, or they may press 'g' to use a stamp which will spread out patches of dead leaves and soil. From here, the keys 1-3 contain the stamp commands for moss, ivy, and mushrooms respectively. The WASD keys are used to determine the direction of this growth. The '4' key may be pressed to set your tool to a brush which the user may implement to lay patches of lichen. The '5' key will set the tool to a brush which draws interlocking white-lined orbs which mimic particulates, light quality, and tiny flying insects. The 'l' key is a stamp tool which paints soft white gradients and the 'k' key does the same in black. Together they may be used to create subtle patterns of light and shadow, as well as to suggest emphasis. The 'b' key may be pressed to create an eraser rectangle stamp tool. The 'x' key may be pressed to reset the canvas, and the 'p' key may be pressed to save a screenshot of the image. Enjoy!
I think this piece was successful in its faithfulness for a particular type of drawing, and I am especially happy with the fact that the particular stamp and brush algorithms were programmed with the behaviors of their associated organisms in mind (for example variation in size and transparency to simulate organic growth patterns, and brush/stamp assignment decisions based on the qualities of growth).
I found it challenging to work with randomness and positioning in a way that would balance a satisfyingly organic visual with a usser-friendly interface. While I enjoy a large degree of randomness from the perspective of someone deeply accustomed to the program, a new user would likely find a lack of control to such a high degree to be unreliable and/or frustrating. It also took me some trial and error to fuse the brush and stamp capabilities into one program; however in many ways this struggle was extrememly valuable in what it taught me and lead to the delayed gratification of having a workable project. If I had more time to develop this project, I would add many, many more stamps and brushes and I would make a larger canvas. I would love to let people get into a hyper-detailed approach with a variety of options for each type of organism, and rotting objects to build growth on top of.