Eli Most
CSC 151-02

Design Statement

My image series is constructed in a layered manner. The purpose of these layers is to provide a basic continuity throughout the series of images. I will first elaborate on the construction of the image by its layers, and then move on to each individual layer’s compositional and artistic goals.
This image series will be constructed of three layered components. On the bottom layer there here will be a cascading pattern of geometric shapes towards the upper edges of the image. The second layer, placed upon the geometric shapes, will consist of a variable number of lines which branch out from a main line. Lastly, the third layer sits on top of these lines, particularly at their final edges. The third layer extends, in a different color and with different movement, the second layer.
The second layer will consist of a sheet of geometric shapes dotted over the upper portion of the image. They may extend to the bottom of the image based on the seed number. These geometric shapes are relatively cool in color, especially when compared against the third layer. However, the value of these geometric shapes (in terms of color) is relatively high. This high value allows them to recede into negative space. The shapes consist of ellipses and rectangles, arranged in a grid, which is intended to contrast against the organic feel of the following layers.
The third layer consists of various lines which jut out from one another in a branching pattern. These lines are more various in terms of warmth and coolness and of darker value than the colors of the previous layer. This layer provides the predominant shape of the image series, dominating the positive space.
The final layer takes off where the branching ends, with dotting, floral brushstrokes. The eye should be drawn up the branches toward this final layer, whose value, saturation and warmth are the greatest of all the layers. The aim of this layer is to have warm shapes that contrast against the first layer’s geometry and the second layer’s organic quality. This layer’s warmth places it on top in terms of positive space. Moreover, its lines, which change the pattern of the previous layer, contrast sharply with the previous layer’s visual movement. It’s warmth and high value should draw the eye toward it, but the harsh lines of the first layer should, at least for some images in the series, make the reader question this final layer’s position in relation to the other layers. The three layers together aim to observe the exchange between shapes of varying distinctiveness.
This design statement was revised to remove one base layer from the scheme. This layer turned out to be impossible to add, as no variation of image-compute! found in the reference or otherwise could modify an existing image. Moreover, such a layer would add excessive business to the image. I find that a linear gradient from top to bottom would probably detract from the aesthetic appeal of the image series (as well as be a distraction for the viewer).


Technique Statement

The first layer of this image series uses GIMP drawings with recursively dividing spaces. The second and third layers of this image series use turtle graphics. The second layer uses numeric recursion to achieve its branching pattern. All three layers use lists or vectors of brushes and/or colors for further variation. 
The first layer uses use the GIMP paradigm to create the geometric shapes. The upper portion of the image (about two-thirds of the way down from the top) is recursively divided into a grid of small rectangles in which to place the ellipses and rectangles. Ellipses and rectangles generally differ in color. There are three distinct patterns of these geometric shapes.
The second layer uses turtles to draw out a series of branches, which radiate toward the center of the image. Each turtle moves a certain amount, is cloned, and then it and its clone turn is opposite directions. These turtles then repeat the previously outlined steps a variable number of times. The number of times new branches are created (i.e. turtles are recursively created) is delineated by the seed. There will be a second level of recursion tacked onto the original, which will increase branch variability and thickness (thickness refers to the density of branches rather than the thickness of the brush used to draw those branches). The length of the subsequent branches off of the main branch depends on the seed. That is, the factor by which each subsequent branch changes depends on the seed. The angle between branches is also affected by the seed.
The last layer uses the turtles from the previous layer. These turtles may move slightly to create a small shape. These turtles move in lines or a some-what circular pattern. The shape of the lines differs in three ways.
The algorithm creates well over 1,000 distinct images. The first layer uses the primes 7 and 3 to achieve variation in color and pattern respectively. The second layer uses the primes 11, 19, 13, 23, 2, and 7 to modify brush type, brush color, the branch-length multiplier, the angle between the branches, the presence of a second level of recursion, and the level of the basic recursion of the branches respectively. The third layer uses the primes 13, 11, 17, and 3 to modify the brush color, a particular pattern’s side length, that particular pattern’s angle difference between turtle moves, and the total number of pattern variations found in the third layer respectively. Clearly, a number of redundant primes are used. These were used to add further distinctness between images. Overall, however, the total number of images produced in this series is the product of all the primes (not counting redundant ones twice), which is well over 1,000.
The technical aspects were changed for several reasons. As discussed in the revised design statement, the first layer was both unnecessary from a design point of view and infeasible from a technical point of view. Previously I had discussed the idea of having all seeds lead to different colors by calculating IRGB values. I chose not to do this in order to preserve some consistency in color palette of the series. Other modifications I made, such as the first layer’s pattern variations, came about as a result of being curious how manipulating the code in scheme could vary the image. That is, in this example, I realized that vectors, being mutable, could allow for some interesting variation when coupled with recursion. In other cases, such as in the second layer where I added the angle between branches as a further item effect by seed, it simply made sense to take an arbitrary number I previously had chosen and have it vary within a controlled range that I thought was reasonable.