Creative Programming

For my Creative Programming course at Leiden University, I developed the Mandala Artwork Drawing Tool, an interactive digital art application built with Processing. This tool transforms simple mouse movements into intricate mandala patterns, offering users a creative, meditative, and stress-relieving experience.

Key Features and Interaction

• Dynamic Drawing: Users can create captivating geometric designs by clicking and dragging the mouse. The drawn lines respond to movement, generating evolving patterns in real time.

• Adjustable Parameters: The tool allows users to easily control the visual output:

  • Increase or decrease the number of lines with the ‘L’/‘l’ and ‘K’/‘k’ keys.

  • Modify stroke weight using the ‘W’/‘w’ and ‘E’/‘e’ keys.

• Visual Feedback: The stroke color changes dynamically based on the cursor’s distance from the canvas center, providing an intuitive visual representation of the interaction.

• Easy Saving: Users can save their creations as PNG files with a simple press of the ‘S’ or ‘s’ key. To prevent accidental file overwrites, the application automatically assigns new names to each saved output.

Development Process and Challenges

The project was designed with simplicity and accessibility in mind, ensuring that both beginners and experienced users could explore digital artistry with ease. During development, I implemented several key achievements:

• Interactive Experience: Successfully integrated adjustable parameters that let users experiment with diverse visual effects.

• User-Friendly Interface: Clear on-screen instructions and responsive controls create an engaging drawing environment.

• Robust Error Handling: I addressed challenges such as preventing the reduction of lines or stroke weight below practical limits, and implemented logic to ensure each saved file retains its uniqueness.

Reflection and Impact

Building the Mandala Artwork Drawing Tool allowed me to merge creative coding with user-centered design. I refined the balance between technical functionality and creative expression—ultimately delivering a tool that not only produces aesthetically pleasing results but also invites users to explore their artistic potential.