Ice Nine is my Ocean

Another gallery show screen grab created from random oil rig imagery. Although you would never figure that out unless i told you. Lot's of feedback from the canvas back into the source area as the gallery show cycles progress is what leads to the rapid divergence of the specific structural details of the source imagery being distorted and then lost as the gallery show output stream progresses.

Title is from a Kurt Vonnegut reference. How i would imagine a sea of ice nine looking. Read the book if you are clueless to what i'm talking about.

Storage Locker of the Mind

As opposed to 'Coney Island of the Mind'. I used to frequent City Lights Books in San Francisco if that reference makes no sense at all to you.

The image was generate during a gallery show run. It's actually using the Oil Rig Pump imagery i've been playing with recently as randomly chosen gallery show source images. I've been extensively playing with self mutating gallery show techniques, and this was generated using that same overall process. So the image is generative, in the sense that it accumulates or builds up in the canvas over time. And each GS output cycle canvas (recorded into an open image stream) is modified by additional presets in the Current Favorites folder prior to applying a new mutated gallery show technique. One that is also auto masked with a mutating auto-generated mask created from the current source image for that gallery show cycle.

I've been thinking we maybe need to allow for 2 different source image folders to be used in gallery show processes, to increase the level of fun (or craziness) one can achieve by working with gallery show. Again, i feel like we're all just scratching the surface of what can be achieved by this one Studio Artist feature.

Mistake that Works

Sometimes you make a mistake while building a preset for a specific effect, and the mistake ends up being more interesting than what you were originally trying to achieve in the first place.

Rough Rig

That churning oil rig state of mind. As envisioned by gallery show automatically processing a folder full of oil rig pump images with a series of randomly mutating paint presets. Where the output image builds up over time via overdrawing on top of the previous gallery show cycle output canvas. Another attempt at an homage to Stan Brakhage.

Stargate at Midnight

A reworked gallery show image taken from my recent experiments using a collection of oil rig photos as source material for automatic gallery show processing. I'm using a self mutating vectorizer technique. With a folder of custom canvas spreader paint presets as the start cycle processing. And a folder of border generating paint presets as the end cycle processing.

Homage to Stan

It always cracked me up that Stan in South Park was actually a reference to Stan Brakhage.
Anyway, i had access to a lot of his experimental films in college, and they did have quite an influence on me. So i thought i'd try a series of gallery show experiments using oil rig pump imagery, since i remember some experimental films of his that used similar imagery, except in a moving context. To capture the visual rhythm of the oil rig pumps as they moved.

I'm using my usual combo of a randomizing vectorizer gallery show technique along with custom canvas modifier presets in a favorites folder for the start cycle processing. And Surprise Me randomizing auto-masking of the technique effects, along with randomized compositing, as they are overlaid onto to the previous gallery show cycle image.

Mr X

"I found a picture of a perfect stranger. He could be a killer or a blind man with a cane. Perhaps he died in a car crash years ago. Right now it's impossible to tell".

Another gallery show experiment. Similar approach to the last 2 morning's posts.The title and quote is a tribute to the Ultravox song of the same name.

WPAP Attack

Another shot at tackling the automatic WPAP stylistic challenge. Of course we would all like the eyes to come out better. Working through some ideas to improve that part of the puzzle. One day at a time, one day at a time. A work in progress i guess.

I'm using a new vectorizer coloring option in this one that was added directly as a result of the on-going forum conversation about how to emulate this particular artistic style. So these very interesting forum discussions about analysis of different artistic styles we've been having recently does lead to new features popping up pretty quickly.

Indecision

Another gallery show stream grab. Using the same approach i documented in yesterday morning's post  called Jack at the Bar. So the randomly selected MSG start cycle presets i'm using are a big part of the overall effect. Note the space filling curve embedded in the image that is generated by the MSG based start cycle part of the overall gallery show process used for generating this particular visual styling.

Ad Man

Trying out some early experiments at automatic WPAP stylings based on this recent Studio Artist Users Forum discussion about it. I posted some more attempts at various automatic approaches here. These were all thrown together fairly quickly when i had some spare time this afternoon. They all are primarily using the vectorizer. But trying to be clever about how you use it, and maybe incorporating some other Studio Artist effects to push what the vectorizer is going to do in a certain stylistic direction.

Jack at the Bar

Jack at the bar has one more drink before closing.

I tried a different approach to using gallery show for the GS run output stream this was taken from. A custom folder of MSG presets was used for the start cycle processing. This kind of eliminated any direct buildup on the canvas from the previous output frame. But i was using a coin flip for the source being loaded from the last GS output image, or from a new randomly chosen image from a folder. Random vectorizer technique along with random source based masking for the application of that technique to the canvas. So sometimes there were some interesting buildup effects from that process for a few frames. I used a folder of custom geometric transformation presets for the end cycle processing. So, a very different feel for this particular gallery show process i programmed than some of the other ones i've been working with recently.

Mr Roboto

Domo Arigato to you as well. Am i man, or machine? How was i created?

More gallery show experimentation. Using a new approach to programming it. Which will be explained in great detail in tomorrow mornings post. So read that one if you want  to understand specifically how this was made.

The Spiritual Journey Awaits You

Combination of a PASeq that uses 3 different variations on the same vectorizer effect stacked on top of one another, combined with a region fill as brush pen mode paint preset that paints in a zen like textural message.  The guy's head in this looks like he's some kind of bridge troll or elf or puppet, but that's just because of how the vectorizer processing changed his appearance. It's a very normal head shot of a normal looking man that i started with as the source image for this PASeq based effect.

DualFill Grid Face

This was actually generated via automated random mutating gallery show testing, but it's really just a nice fairly simple Vectorizer preset that is pretty effective in it's simplicity. Note that dual fill in the vectorizer draw control panel now lets you have more options for controlling the coloring of dual fill operations. It used to just do a luminance offset (below-above) of the region colors. But now you have lots of other options, as well as a control to dial in the percent of variation in the dual fill of the region. Using the shape vectorizer technique.

So You Think You Can Dance

Created while watching 'So You Think You Can Dance' on Hulu by working with Studio Artist automatically running gallery show on a retina mac book pro. I've turned this whole automatic art generation process into a regular part of my late evening normal life. When my wife and i are relaxing watching a little tv or a movie, i setup Studio Artist to run gallery show experiments automatically on a mac book that sits on a little tea table in front of me. So i can watch what it's doing at the same time i'm watching the tv.

I setup gallery show so that it streams the complete cycle output into an open image stream. And i record everything it does in a history sequence, which i also save when the evening is done. So then i can cull through all of those images at some later date. If i see something truly awesome happen in real time, i might manually save that canvas while gallery show is running, which you are free to do.

Depending on how successfully you set your particular gallery show preference settings for a given GS run, you might get a higher or lower percentage of keeper images from that specific generative process. And it's great for testing purposes for someone like me, because randomly mutating different aspects of the program is a great way to hunt down obscure bugs associated with parameter settings no sane person would ever attempt. It's like stress testing every hidden feature of the program in ways no human might ever manually come up with. Although some times those crazy parameter settings lead to fascinating visual results. So maybe they aren't so crazy, just hidden knowledge brought to light.

Music to My Ears

Another gallery show experiment . Using a folder of Shutterstock images we purchased as the random source material for each gallery show run. You can see the randomized auto masking of the randomly selected source images, as well as the repetitive nature of the generative gallery show overlay process i'm working with that builds up this final image over the course of several different gallery show cycles.

I was using additional start and end cycle processing via specific favorites folders of appropriate presets i put together for use with gallery show testing, but i don't remember the specific ones i was working with for this experiment. And the gallery show technique was self-mutating, but again i don't remember the specifics of which technique. Although i think it's either mutate factory paint, or mutate factory PASeq. The details in the face kind of a give that away if you start to really analyze what is going on with the individual processing elements that make up this image.

Hip Hop Don

Another gallery show screen grab during testing. Finally nailed a bug we uncovered in an obscure corner of the vectorizer with this run.

Cool Drink on a Wet Day

It's raining here due to tropical storm wali passing through. This screen grab from a gallery show run of randomized vectorizer testing seemed appropriate to the overall mood here this weekend in the middle of the pacific. Cause it's cool and wet.

Ad Man at the Jazz Club

This made me think of Don Draper sitting in a jazz club after a hard day drinking at the office. Once again, another gallery show run generative process image. I think i'll be breaking out of the gallery show ghetto i've been stuck in here soon, since there are some pressing hatching features that should be examined via custom programming in the current Studio Artist User Forum Challenge project.

So this particular image was generated using a new gallery show source preference that flips a coin between loading a new random source image from a specified folder, or loading the current last gallery show canvas image as the new source image. So it's somewhat generative, but can randomly reset itself as well.

Using the random vectorizer gallery show technique. And a favorites category filled with custom geometric transformation presets as the start cycle processing. Mutated auto-masking generated from the current source image was turned on to the Surprise Me setting. And random palette and source memories were turned on. Random compositing was not turned on.

Death Mask

Title inspired by recent events in the news in this crazy world we all live in. The actual visual effect was created by mutating a PASeq factory preset. You can do this manually using the appropriate active link commands located in the integrated help browser inside of Studio Artist (actually located near the bottom of the PaintSynth Evolution help page), or via other Studio Artist features like gallery show.

We added lock options for PASeq action steps in V5 to aid in this process (allowing for selective mutation of specific action steps in a PAsSeq while keeping other ones consistent and unchanged). This can be a very useful feature, because sometimes you want certain action steps that might be associated with finishing touchups (like contrast boost or edge enhancement) to stay consistent while having the rest of the recorded action steps that build the main visual effect to freely mutate.

Drip

A screen capture from one of the more recent nightly gallery show experiments. We were watching True Detective while it was being made, so maybe some of that creepiness bleed into the imagery being generated at the time.

The actual image was created via a free-running generative process. Where the output of one gallery show cycle is auto-loaded into the source area are to be used as the source for the next cycle of gallery show processing. The initial seed image manually placed in the canvas to start things off with some kind of real world source image was a random choice from a folder of old jazz poster art imagery i've been extensively playing with recently.

The gallery show technique used was mutate factory paint. I did have mutated auto-masking turned on, as well as random compositing of the gallery show output into the canvas, and random generation of source color palettes and color memories. And i was using a folder of wet wash paint presets for the start cycle processing. You can select # of repeats for start and end cycle processing now, so i used 2 repeats. This means a random preset from the start cycle favorites folder is chosen and applied to the canvas, then that same sequence of random steps is applied a second time. This happens before the main gallery show technique processing occurs in each gallery show cycle.

I kind of liked the abstract qualities of this particular image taken from the overall gallery show sequence. It's pretty far into the gallery show cycles, so the original source image has long since been abstracted into something radically different that could really be considered procedural in nature by this point in the overall process.

It reminded me of something like old graffiti paint on a warehouse wall in some narrow urban alley that had been washed away by rain or urban decay. So i guess it reminds me of my old south of market haunting grounds in San Francisco in some way. A soft side to the hard city. It was always there right in front of you in the textures of the intensely urban environment if you were willing to just open you eyes to see it.

Note to self, I guess i should consider adding mutation options for the start and end cycle gallery show processing as well. Maybe i can drop that in tomorrow morning as a new feature.

That Cube they Found on Jupiter

Oh you didn't hear about that…
Anyway, same basic ideas as what i described in yesterdays post, but grabbed from much earlier in the overall gallery show generative process cycles (very close to the beginning). So you can see a lot more structural details associated with the original jazz poster image i started the generative process with as it's initial image seed.

Regeneration

Life proceeds by regeneration. In a generative self-sustaining process. The 'source image' used to create this particular abstract painting is much the same. It's not something you could take a picture of with a camera in the real world, or download off the web. It was generated within a gallery show generative image synthesis process that keeps recycling the last gallery show cycle processed output frame back into the source area, to then be used as the new source image for the next gallery show cycle.  I was 205 cycles into the free running gallery show when this one showed up.

I started with a random image chosen from a folder of old jazz festival poster art. I manually placed that in the canvas, and then started up gallery show. Saving each gallery show output cycle into an open image stream (with the appropriate write on gallery show cycle stream flag turned on).  I was using the mutate factory paint gallery show technique. Along with source image derived selection masks auto-generated from randomly mutating mask generation techniques used to auto mask each gallery show main technique process when it's rendered into the canvas.

I had the gallery show option that derives color palettes and color memory settings automatically from the current source image turned on as well. So any paint presets that work off of color palettes or color memories were using those automatically derived color palettes.

Not as critical in this particular experiment, but i mention it because it's a really useful feature when working with randomized vectorizer based gallery show techniques, since so many vectorizer output coloring options are derived from the current source color palette or color memories. I kept wondering why blue was coming up so often during some of my recent gallery show experiments, and then i realized the source color memories were all set to blue. So now you can choose whether you want them to stay static or randomize in some way as a part of your gallery show preferences.

It would be interesting to build some animated movies based on the complete series of images that get created over time by one of these gallery show generative image creation processes. Hopefully i can find some time to try that out soon. Studio Artist V5 has new PASeq Transition Context features, so that's what i'll probably use to do it when i do get around to trying it out.

Singing the Blues

More of my blue phase i guess i've been going through lately. Another gallery show experiment using old jazz poster art and randomly mutating presets.

The Endgame

There has been a lot in the news lately about the development of robotics. Eventually leading to what some refer to as the singularity. Here we see 2 two of our robot overlords peering back into the past from beyond the singularity. Or maybe they are just playing jazz, since this is another one of my gallery show experiments based on old jazz poster source imagery being run through self mutating gallery show techniques to create a generative image synthesis process.

Shade of Blue

Continuing my blue tinged themes for the last week i guess. This is a randomly mutated gallery show vectorizer preset. I wasn't too excited about the effect at first. But on closer examination, it's kind of interesting  in that your perception of the spatial features associated with the underlying face really depend on the actual resolution you view the image at. So when seen at full size, i completely lose the face (other than it being a big bluish orb), but at smaller sizes the individual features are perceptible. That's kind of the inverse of what you normally see, where the small image might be harder to perceive detail while it become apparent in a larger view of that image.

Flow in Motion

This is actually an image taken from the jazz series i've been working with recently using gallery show to process a collection of jazz art posters. Not that you would ever know that if i didn't bring it up, unlike a lot of the other images in that series.
Like everything in that series, the final presented image builds up during a multi-stage process over several consecutive gallery show cycles. My custom water wash presets that i used for start cycle processing should be especially apparent in this particular image if you look closely.

ScareCrow

Why are scarecrows scary? This one has an interesting story associated with it.

This one was created using Studio Artist's gallery show feature working in a pretty fascinating new way. I added a new feature where you can take the output of the previous gallery show cycle and then auto-load that as the new source image to be used for the next gallery show cycle.

So this particular image actually started with a news photo picture of Larry Ellison standing on a stage that i manually placed in the canvas as a starting image. Then i started up gallery show with this new processed canvas to source recirculation feature turned on. So at the end of each gallery show cycle, the resulting painted image was then loaded as a new source to be used for painting the next gallery show cycle. I was also using a mutate factory paint gallery show technique. With mutating auto-masking based on the ever changing recirculating source imagery. And my custom water wash paint preset favorites folder i like to use for the start cycle processing.

I think the end result of this procedural image generation process is fascinating. And again barely scratches the surface of what you could achieve by working with it. Now as to why that scare crow is scary...

Let's Dance

Put on your red shoes and dance the jazz blues. More gallery show experiments using generative processing and random compositing working with a folder of random old jazz poster imagery. Not getting to the level of imagery i was able to get to with using the old soviet propaganda poster imagery, but it's still early on in this particular experiment.

I lost a ton of really cool stuff last night because i forgot to run on the gallery show write enable flag for the open movie stream. So i'm going to add something to gallery show preferences that will just automatically make the image stream saving work if you have it turned on. You need to do 2 manual steps right now to turn it on, so it's a little too easy to mess that up, as i discovered last night.

Jazz Man

Paris does love their jazz. Working gallery show processing a folder of old jazz poster art. Using the random vectorizer technique with the new random composite feature turned on. And intelligent mutated source masking.

Blue

My mood for the evening i guess. More generative art experiments using some of the new gallery show features.

Tears of Rage, Tears of Grief

Reflection of recent events in the middle east. Especially digesting recent events after watching 'The Promise' on Hulu last week, which was kind of an eye opener for my wife and i.

The actual image was produced as a part of my recent series of pieces produced using generative processing with Studio Artist's gallery show features. Including random mutations of factory presets, random auto-masking of randomly selected source imagery, and random compositing options added to the gallery show cycles. When you use gallery show this way, the images you generate build up over the course of several different consecutive gallery show processing cycles.

Decisions

More gallery show experiments. I'm working with a new feature that allows you to turn on randomization for the composite options associated with whatever gallery show technique you are working with. They always defaulted to Replace before.

This really opens up a whole new range of potential visual effects you can create using gallery show.

Edge of the World

Another gallery show experiment using automatic randomly mutated masking algorithms that combine together different parts of different random source images while painting those individual masked pieces using randomly mutated factory paint presets.

Feeling Blue

More experiments with multiple processing options running simultaneously inside of gallery show. Using the random vectorizer technique. With Surprise Me option for Auto Masking. And a custom process folder for the gallery show start cycle processing based on a collection of geometric transformation presets.

Alabama Blues

Homage to the place of my birth. Little know fact that i'm actually a southern boy, although i was never there long enough to have any real memories of the place. But who knows what dark hidden part of dixie lurks in my sub conscious.

I'm on a serious roll with pushing the envelope of what gallery show is capable of doing. Running new experiments every night. As i keep mentioning, we're barely scratching the surface of what this particular Studio Artist feature is capable of achieving. I hope others will join me in these explorations.

So how was this image made using gallery show. We're using a mutate factory PASeq technique. We're using Surprise Me auto masking. We're using custom preset folders for start cycle and end cycle processing.  We're using random sequencing through a folder of specifically selected source images with particular thematic relationships.
How it all works together over time as the gallery show cycles evolve is the real magic. You build a custom generative process and then let it do it's magic over time.

Night in Harlem

Jazz is alive somewhere. More experiments with custom generative art processes built in gallery show. We're trying to add some innovative new features to really push the boundaries of what you can potentially achieve with gallery show even further in Studio Artist V5.

Sometimes people bring up legitimate criticism about possibly getting lost or distracted with all of the functionality available in large monolithic programs (like Studio Artist). But then when you start using something like gallery show that allows you to utilize all of that diverse functionality in new autonomous ways, the synergistic capabilities of all of that diverse functionality working together to create custom generative visual effects opens vast and endless new vistas for exploration of what creating digital art could really be all about.

We've barely begun to explore or even understand everything this one small part of Studio Artist is capable of achieving. Begin your own unique journey and find out for yourself.

Venice

Working with mutating factory paint action sequence as a gallery show technique. In combination with multiple random water wash paint presets for the start cycle processing. So gallery show is always applying an auto-masked randomly mutated effects to a water washed previous gallery show canvas output.

V5 lets you work with end cycle processing options in addition to start cycle processing options in gallery show. You can also assign repeats to start and end cycle, so then it runs N multiple random applications of the effect.

Ghost in the Rain

Working with some of the new advanced gallery show features in V5 during nightly testing sessions. Part of the goal for these new features is to create something like a more fluid version of a paint action sequence where the script is series of mutating processes working together to create a designed but fluid generative process.

Duality

Screen grab from a nightly gallery show test run. Start cycle is running random geometric transformation presets. Technique is mutate factory paint. Masking is Surprise Me. End cycle is a folder of random cleanup PASeqs. You can set the number of repeats for the start cycle and end cycle processing in gallery show runs now.