Introduction

In this text I will expand directly upon the generative art methods introduced in Shepherding Random Numbers and Shepherding Random Grids. Most notably I will be using random walks.

Splines

Splines is a mathematical concept used to draw smooth lines between points. There is an extensive literature about splines, and there are multiple types. The details aren't too important, unless you will be implementing this yourself, but in this text we will consider quadratic Bézier curves. That means that a curve is controlled by two end points (●) and a mid point (๐).

You can think of it as a string which is connected to two points. Then the midpoint is used to stretch (or bend) the string in a certain direction. To get an idea you can have a look at the illustration below.

This text relies on Javascript animations (Canvas). They should work on most devices, but please let me know if you experience any issues.

You can click or tap all animations to restart them.