Art with p5.js

Painting non-orientable surfaces // Part 1

A funky intro to topology and Processing.

This is the second article in the “Painting unorientable surfaces” series. Each article is meant to be self-contained but if you want to start with part 0, on basic topology, head this way !

Processing and p5.js

If you have never heard of Processing, you’re in for a treat!! I hope you didn’t plan much this week because you will be drawing, my friend.

Processing / p5.js is a programming language designed at MIT Media lab in 2001 by Ben Fry and Casey Reas in order to help bridge the gap between arts and sciences. Are these big fishes you ask? You’ll find Casey’s name in the genesis of the Arduino, which is no small feat.

Processing allows stunning visuals with very limited coding required. A quick browse of https://openprocessing.org/ will convince you of its artistic potential. It is amazing for generative art or generative design. Here’s a painting I produced in a minute using a design by Ivan Rudnicky.

Painting produced with Processing, image by Author.

The language is accessible to the very young, due to its simplicity. It is structured around two methods: setup and draw.