Inset Patterning

MSG abstraction processing effect. Working off of a source image, modulating different MSG pattern generation processors to build up the overall effect. As usual, this involved some directed evolution using the Studio Artist Evolution Editor.

BBC 333

Photo collage generated with 'vintage' San Francisco graffiti images (vintage = 90's).

Soviet Propaganda Stack Filtering 8

Another stack filtering experiment, using old soviet propaganda poster images like the other examples in this series. This particular one was generated using the temporal difference matte effect.

Soviet Propaganda Stack Filtering 7

More from the recent stack filtering series of posts. All of these images were generated by stack filtering a set of old soviet propaganda poster art images.

Soviet Propaganda Stack Filtering 6

Another image from my recent series of posts that use stack filtering to process a movie file that consists of old soviet propaganda poster images.

Soviet Propagando Stack Filtering 5

Another stack filtering experiment. Using soviet propaganda poster images as the individual frames in a source movie file processed with temporal image processing effects.

Soviet Propaganda Stack Filtering 4

More fun with stack filtering and soviet propaganda poster images. I'm using the Temporal Difference 1 effect, with incremental offset, across 7 frames.

Soviet Propaganda Stack Filtering 3

Another Studio Artist stack filtering experiment. Working with a source movie generated from a folder of old soviet propaganda poster images. I used the temporal scan tracker effect to build this particular stack filtering effect. Note that it has a very different look than the other stack filtering examples in this series.

Soviet Propaganda Stack Filtering 2

More fun with soviet propaganda poster art, used as a source for stack filtering in Studio Artist. As previously discussed, stack filtering involves processing a folder of images using temporal image processing effects designed for processing video files. Correlations in adjacent folder images are detected as movement in the temporal video processing algorithms, and really interesting visual effects result from this misuse of video processing effects.

Soviet Propaganda Stack Filtering

Playing around with some experiments based on stack filtering a movie file that was generated from a folder of old soviet propaganda posters. I'm not restricting myself to anti-drinking propaganda posters like the earlier posts this week. In fact, this is a totally different set of poster art used as the source imagery.

Stack filtering means processing a folder of images using temporal image processing effects. The image folder is first converted into a movie file, then loaded into Studio Artist as a source movie. Various temporal image processing effects are then tried until something falls out that looks interesting.

Facial Photo Collage

Automatic photo collage of a manipulated facial image using a folder or 'ruins porn' imagery. If you don't know what 'ruins porn' is, here's a link.

More Vodka Comrade 5

This image was generated using Studio Artist's gallery show features. I was working off of a folder of the soviet anti-drinking poster art images that has been the theme for this weeks posts. I used the random vectorizer gallery show technqiue. With automatic masking turned on. The start cycle was set to use a current favorites category of wet wash paint preset. And the source for each gallery show cycle is a random selection from the folder of soviet poster images.

I run gallery show until i see something build up in the canvas that i like. I then stop gallery show, put a few finishing touches on the canvas, and then save the canvas. Finishing touches means maybe some gradient lighting, contrast optimization (image compressor), and some sharpening.

More Vodka Comrade 4

More fun with photo mosaics made out of old soviet anti-drinking poster art. This is an inset adaptive tiling. The movie brush frame indexing is random, and re-colorization is done on the fly using image processing brush load features of the Studio Artist paint synthesizer.

More Vodka Comrade 3

Another gallery show rendition derived from a folder of soviet anti-drinking posters. Continuing the thread for the previous 2 day's posts. Again, i'm using the random vectorizer technique, with auto-masking, and a start cycle process based on a random wet water wash paint preset.

More Vodka Comrade 2

Another take on generating new art from a folder of old soviet anti-drinking posters. See yesterday's post for the explanation on how i got onto this particular mental train track.

Today's image is based on probably 3 different random poster images selected and processed by Studio Artist's Gallery Show feature. I was running a random vectorizer technqiue. With auto-masking (surprise me) turned on. I'm also using a start cycle process based on a favorites category that is filled with wet water wash paint presets.

So this is an example of generating artwork in a somewhat random manor (but still with constraints). Gallery Show is choosing random source images, and generated random mutations of vectorizer presets, and random mutations of auto-masking effects (so that i get partial coverage for the various vectorizer passes associated with a gallery show cycle). And of course it's a 2 step processing cycle, because the previous canvas is water-washed with a randomly selected paint preset, then the random vectorizer mutation is applied (auto-masked to be a partial overlay). And the cycle continues. You run it until you like the way the canvas looks, then stop the gallery show run, save the canvas, and then let it continue.

You could of course let it run un-attended, and use an open image stream to output the results of the various gallery show cycles, then run through them at a later time to pick your favorites. With any process like this, there are a lot of bad or just not really interesting images, and then something amazing happens, and you get a keeper.

More Vodka Comrade

A Studio Artist forum user got me hooked on classic soviet anti-drinking propaganda imagery. The artwork used in the posters is really classic (in a kitchy kind of way for the most part, but a few of them are really classics of design). Anyway, i put together a Studio Artist movie brush based on a complete set of propaganda posters for some experimentation and fun.

The first thing i did (of course) was render a bottle of vodka with the anti-drinking soviet propaganda poster movie brush. I'm using adaptive block path start regionization. With a very small amount of black stylized vectorizer outline technique as an overlay to accent the shape of the bottle.

TomorrowLand

MSG based source abstraction effect. I usually work in the Studio Artist Evolution Editor to build this kind of stuff using swap and mutate directed evolution.

Earache

MSG source processing abstraction effect.

The Wave

Spin Cycle was another title i was thinking about for this one. ok, my promise of something light to cleanse the palette after tuesday's post has been fulfilled. Who knows what tomorrow will bring (ha,ha). This is all procedural imagery generated via directed evolution manipulation of MSG processors. In Studio Artist of course, we wouldn't have it any other way here at Happy Island Music.

MSG Patterning Abstraction

Well i promised a happy MSG abstraction, and this seems a little dark and mysterious, so perhaps i missed the mark. More from my recent series exploring the effects of piled on patterning in MSG abstractions.

Reflections on Easter, and the Paths we Choose as a Nation

A reflection on easter, and the paths we choose as a nation, and where they lead us.

I used an image folder brush based on what i would consider american war crime imagery to build the photo collage. I think there's some relevance to last monday's supreme court decision, which is really what got me thinking about all of this, since it in some sense legitimizes bad behavior abroad as potential common practice domestically when it's abused (as it undoubtably will be).

There is this other disturbing thing i read recently that was playing in the back of my mind as i angrily tossed this piece together in a fit of passion. I'm usually a little more subtle in my pointed commentary imagery, but sometimes you just need to let loose with what you're really feeling and get it out there in the open. I guess my Easter reflections were not happy thoughts.

More happy carefree abstract MSG imagery coming your way here tomorrow.

Dual Attraction

MSG based procedural art abstract image. Created using the evolution editor in Studio Artist 4. Using a process called directed evolution to build the image via repeated processor swap and mutate evolution steps.

God's Rottweiler

You'd have to have read Maureen Dowd's NYT op ed piece today to get the title reference. I wanted the vectorizer processing around the hand features to have the feel of 'blood on the hands', so i'm using a max saturation coloring option to pull out that feeling.

More vintage SF graffiti worked into an automatic photo collage effect. Using the new image folder brush features.

RaptureMan

RaptureMan, a cartoon character for today (the movie is coming soon). More fun with image folder brush based photo collage effects. And my obsession with warp symmetry, and my love of poking fun at current certain political figures. The pattern texturing is actually a vector effect (i'll leave that mystery for obsessive Studio Artist observers to figure out).

More Patterning Experiments

Another example of a multi-step process. Started with a source photo, abstracted it using photo collage technqiues. then copied that to the source, and applied MSG patterning presets along with some vectorizer outline technique to build the final artistic effect.

The Decider (of your fate)

Vectorizer processing applied to what was originally a photo collage effect. Some interactive warp in there as well, but applied to the photo collage source before using the vectorizer for the final abstraction effect.

Recursive Patterning

MSG abstraction effect. Based on recursive IO connections between MSG processors that perform geometrical transformations. Here's a link to the skinny on that if you want to understand the tech behind the recursive nature of the effect.

Plan 333

Don't go plan 999, go plan 333 (yes the joke is kind of subtle). Intricate photo collage abstraction, although it's been so transformed it's hard to catch the photo collage part except for the fine texture detailing. Lot's of MSG geometric processing going on to the original photo collage image. It's all created from a set of images from my extensive vintage SF graffiti series.

Is my love of symmetry a strength or weakness? I often reflect on that. I love the perceptual punch it gives, but it could be considered a crutch in some respects.

Reflective Shards

More experiments with the dual process of image folder photo collage combined with MSG pattern generation to build a composite effect that utilizes elements of both approaches.

Party Like It's 1997

Working with the new image folder brush to build a automatic photo collage based on vintage 1997 San Francisco graffiti imagery. There's also some subtle MSG based patterning going on in this, which is my latest processing trick to add some textural complexity to a rendered canvas.