I’ve had a personal interest in making digital art ever since I started using computers. Back in middle school I used to love making geometric paintings in a program called Paint.NET:
I also used a program called Simply 3D to make cool 3D abstract scenes:
After that I started learning how to use photoshop to do simple photomanipulation and make space-themed paintings, which I’m probably most proud of:
After middle school I started learning programming, and my art turned to be more simulation- and interactivity-based. I started using Processing to make neat little simulations of fractals or physics or math concepts I was learning in school:
My dad was a math teacher at my high school, and ever since he was little he would pass his passion for the beauty of math to me. Programming (especially in Processing) was my way of exploring the concepts he told me about on my own. Processing was a great way to learn how to make these kinds of programs, since it was so easy and simple. Ever since then I’ve loved making neat little explorations of mathematical concepts in various programming languages, like this one on iterated functions. Often whenever I was learning a new language or platform I would make a Conway’s Game of Life simulation as a first project in it.
In terms of consuming art, I love music probably most of all. I listen to music all the time when I’m working or playing games or out walking. I like lots of different kinds of modern rock and electronic music. In the past when I did more digital painting I also followed a lot of artists who did similar things on DeviantArt, such as chriscold and Tobias Roetsch.
I’ve always been fascinated with properties of light, both as an artistic medium and a physical and mathematical concept. I took a 3D graphics course last year where we learning a lot about light physics and light simulation, and that definitely piqued my interest. Often even the most simple 3D scenes can be given so much life and beauty simply by adding a good light simulation. I learned a lot about a 3D rendering technique called path tracing from this post, and was inspired by the beautifully-lit images of fractals they produced.
In this practicum I think I’d like to combine my interest in light with my love of music to make some sort of light-based music visualizer that tries to capture the mood and tone of the music that’s playing. I think this will work well because like music, light has a innate ability to evoke emotion.