Exploration Process

At the beginning, our main focus was to explore creative coding using the software Processing. We began with basic experiments, learning how to generate visuals through code and understanding the possibilities within the platform. As we developed our skills, our visual direction started to take form. From early on, we knew we wanted to combine this digital process with physical output using the Axidraw plotter. That goal gave our experiments a clear direction: to create something generative that could also exist as a tangible print.

As we thought more about the visuals, we drew inspiration from Van Gogh’s Starry Night and planetary imagery and those swirling, cosmic forms in these images. This led us to experiment with circular shapes and compositions that echoed the movement of stars and orbits. We tried to capture the same sense of energy and motion through code, playing with patterns, density, and repetition to see how we could evoke that celestial feel. These shape-based experiments helped us refine the visual language we were working toward.

Once we had a sense of form, we turned our attention to materials. We were curious how different types of paint and techniques would behave during the printing process. So we tested watercolor, acrylic, and gouache, along with wet and dry brush applications, to observe how each interacted with the Axidraw’s movements. It was during this phase that we realized our desire for control, and trying to make the output match our references exactly was holding us back. Instead of resisting the unpredictable, we leaned into it. We started treating the materials not as tools to be controlled, but as collaborators, letting their natural textures, flows, and behaviors influence the final artwork.

Making The Final Artwork

In the final stage of our project, we shifted focus from generating complete visuals to creating paths in Processing that would guide the brush, allowing the ink to mix freely and spontaneously on the paper. Rather than trying to control every visual outcome, we designed motions and patterns that encouraged natural blending during the printing process. To support this, we carefully selected materials that would enhance the watercolor effect while holding up to repeated exposure to moisture and ink.

For the paper, we chose 300 gsm cold-pressed watercolor paper, which retains water longer without warping or deteriorating, essentially allowing the colors time to blend organically. For the medium itself, we used watercolor ink, which offered the right balance of fluidity and vibrancy. To apply it, we used wet watercolor brush pens. These gave us the flexibility to activate and maintain the flow of ink during printing with just a gentle squeeze, keeping the brush wet as the Axidraw moved across the paper.

Design & Printing Workflow

> Design Preparation

We first created our design digitally in Processing, including not just the brush paths but also small circles or markers to guide where ink would be applied on the paper.

> Marking the Ink Placement

After printing the guide design onto the paper, we used the markers to manually apply watercolor ink to specific areas using the brush pen.

> Apply Ink

The ink was carefully added to the marked areas—enough to allow color movement but not so much that it would pool or oversaturate the paper.

> Activate the Watercolor Effect

To encourage blending, we lightly activated the ink with a wet brush or mist spray, letting the colors begin to spread and interact naturally.

> Set Up the AxiDraw

We attached the wet watercolor brush pen to the Axidraw and loaded the design file. As the machine followed the paths, it brushed over the paper in a controlled way while letting the ink behave unpredictably.

Explaining Coding Process

Explanation:

• These are the anchor positions from which lines will radiate.
• They act as source and destination points for the curved lines.
• Each focal point is spatially distributed, giving a balanced visual composition.

Axidraw Relevance: These serve as starting nodes from which the plotting paths will extend. The points where we keep our Ink droplets.

Explanation:

• Perlin noise is used to create organic, smooth curves rather than rigid lines.
• bend adds angular deviation, and strength shapes the curve’s amplitude.
• This makes each line unique and hand-drawn-like, ideal for Axidraw's aesthetic style.

Axidraw Relevance: Prevents mechanical-looking output, producing natural flow that mimics freehand drawing

Explanation:

• Interpolates between two focal points.
• Applies directional bending at every step (t) to curve the path.
• vertex() adds each modified point to the shape, which becomes an SVG path.

Axidraw Relevance: These points form a vector paththat  Axidraw can follow precisely. The result is a dynamic, flowing line that helps the brush to mix colors.

Conclusion

Our artistic intention is to explore the tension between control and chaos, structure and spontaneity. By working with generative systems, we question the role of the artist as an absolute creator and instead embrace unpredictability as a form of collaboration. The artwork becomes a space where intention meets chance and where coded precision gives way to organic variation. In doing so, we reflect on the limits of authorship and the beauty that emerges when systems are allowed to behave in ways we can influence but never fully command. This interplay becomes a metaphor for broader themes of uncertainty, emergence, and the creative potential of letting go.