Crafted by Code

Original Art. Inspired by Nature. Drawn by a Robot

CraftedByCode.com is a online store for Generative art created with code, and drawn using a robotic pen plotter. Computational artworks in Physical Ink and Paper.

Crafted By Code

Generative Art, Algorithmic Art, Computational Design, Parametrics are all different names for this method of designing. Essentially using the power of computation to realise your ideas.
Algorithms are like recipes; you are creating a series of instructions for the computer to follow. They can be short and sweet, or they can be long and confusing.

The design process is all about logic and problem solving, like playing chess. You need to break your ideas down into a number of small steps, solving issues and challenges as they arise. Which doesn’t sound that conducive to creativity, but you are only limited by your imagination!

The beauty of generative art is that every drawing can be unique. Simple ideas can extrapolated to be unbelievably complex. Concepts can be refined until the design is perfectly what you want. Designs can also utilise physics simulations, machine learning or even chaos theory.

Drawn by a Robot

Instead of using a printer, I use a pen plotter. A 2-axis robot arm that uses pens to slowly draw each piece. Real ink on real paper! A normal printer is instant, flat and sterile, mass producing identical images.

I love the plotter as it breathes life into a drawing. Producing drawings that are rich, textured and tactile, you can feel the stroke and pressure of the pen, the layers of the ink. Each plot is naturally different due to the flow of the ink from the pen against the texture of paper.

Sometimes this can be very slow, up to 7 hours depending on a drawing’s size, complexity or density.