Floridablanca is an art generator based on flow fields.
💡 Short definition of flow fields is that they define a flow in every point in a space.
Imagine a particle let loose in a space under the influence of a variable flow field. Allow it to go with the flow, while tracing the particle’s path over time. You’d get a smooth undulating line. Repeat this for a hundred times in different starting positions in the field. You’d start to get a somehow harmonious picture, with lines close to each other flowing in similar ways (assuming the underlying field is smooth).
Now, colour them, stylise them, stick ‘em in a stew — you get flow field art.
Floridablanca sample outputs
In Floridablanca, the underlying flow field is generated by a set of poles, not unlike how magnetic poles generate a magnetic field.
A magnetic field made visible by tiny metal particles.
Once you realise this, it becomes quite easy to locate the source poles based on their influence on the lines.
The number of poles, their sizes, strengths, and properties are randomised. From a single pole, up to several. Inward pull, or outward pull. Clockwise or counterclockwise. A wide variety of images can be generated!
Range of variety
The main algorithm is quite simple, but the emergent patterns are interesting! I could spend hours discovering endless amounts of random Floridablanca generations.
Three levels of construction: (1) the underlying poles, (2) the total flow field, (3) the coloured painted particles.
Another level of generation is colour palette generation: it’s based on random colours but adjusted to produce pleasing combinations. I won’t go into detail about it in this post, but it uses complementary accent colours.
See more examples in the gallery below!
