GENERATIVE SYSTEMS, ILLUSTRATION, MOTION GRAPHICS
Not A Butterfly: Generative Art Piece
Reinterpreting Matsuo Bashō’s famous haiku, this project visualizes metamorphosis as a generative, cosmic cycle rather than a literal biological event. By developing a modular system in TouchDesigner, I translated hand-drawn Procreate animations into interactive particle fields and symmetrical mandalas.
View the full process deck, or explore highlights below.
VIEW PROCESS DECK
Project Type:
Generative Art, Motion Graphics
Role:
Creative Technologist, Motion Designer/Illustrator
Tools:
TouchDesigner, Procreate, AfterEffects
Timeline:
6 weeks
01
The Assignment
Reinterpreting Matsuo Bashō’s haiku, this piece moves away from a literal garden setting and visualizes the "waiting" period as a cosmic, suspended state.
The prompt: To design and produce a series of generative design sequences and integrate them into a motion design project.
The idea: The caterpillar is not just on a leaf, but floating in a void, reinterpreting transformation as a cycle.
The Haiku:
A caterpillar,
this deep in fall –
still not a butterfly.
-Matsuo Bashō
02
My Approach
I approached the assignment using a "Modular Design Process," breaking the project into three distinct technical experiments:
Phase I: Kinetic Typography: Mapped particle systems to text brightness. Applying turbulence fields allowed solid text to drift apart, visually representing the impermanence described in the poem.
Phase II: Hand-Animated Assets: Drew 75 frames of animation in Procreate at a low frame rate (12fps) to maintain a sketchy, vibrating line-art style, then brought into TouchDesigner to use as assets.
Phase III: System Integration: Composited generative renders in TouchDesigner and sequenced them in AfterEffects to create a narrative that moves from literal (caterpillar) to surreal (mandala).
03
Results & Takeaways
The final result is a melodic, synchronized video that explores the 'waiting' period of transformation, using creative coding and generative design to bridge the gap between tactile illustration and procedural motion design.
The Technical Hurdle: Mastering the "Cook Dependency Loop" in TouchDesigner. This forced me to stop thinking like a linear illustrator and start thinking like a programmer.
Data Proficiency: Gained proficiency in converting between DATs (text), CHOPs (math), and SOPs (geometry) to make text truly interactive.
System Modularity: Learned that separating complex TouchDesigner setups into smaller files prevents performance bottlenecks and allows for faster iteration.
GENERATIVE SYSTEMS, ILLUSTRATION, MOTION GRAPHICS
Not a Butterfly: Generative Art Piece
Reinterpreting Matsuo Bashō’s famous haiku, this project visualizes metamorphosis as a generative, cosmic cycle rather than a literal biological event. By developing a modular system in TouchDesigner, I translated hand-drawn Procreate animations into interactive particle fields and symmetrical mandalas.
View the full process deck, or explore highlights below.
VIEW PROCESS DECK
Project Type:
Generative Art, Motion Graphics
Role:
Creative Technologist, Motion Designer/Illustrator
Tools:
TouchDesigner, Procreate, AfterEffects
Timeline:
6 weeks
01
The Assignment
Reinterpreting Matsuo Bashō’s haiku, this piece moves away from a literal garden setting and visualizes the "waiting" period as a cosmic, suspended state.
The prompt: To design and produce a series of generative design sequences and integrate them into a motion design project.
The idea: The caterpillar is not just on a leaf, but floating in a void, reinterpreting transformation as a cycle.
The Haiku:
A caterpillar,
this deep in fall –
still not a butterfly.
-Matsuo Bashō
02
My Approach
I approached the assignment using a "Modular Design Process," breaking the project into three distinct technical experiments:
Phase I: Kinetic Typography: Mapped particle systems to text brightness. Applying turbulence fields allowed solid text to drift apart, visually representing the impermanence described in the poem.
Phase II: Hand-Animated Assets: Drew 75 frames of animation in Procreate at a low frame rate (12fps) to maintain a sketchy, vibrating line-art style, then brought into TouchDesigner to use as assets.
Phase III: System Integration: Composited generative renders in TouchDesigner and sequenced them in AfterEffects to create a narrative that moves from literal (caterpillar) to surreal (mandala).
Audio: Dead Poets Symphony. (2024, August 5). Haiku by Matsuo Bashō. YouTube. https://youtu.be/NfKSEfN0bdQ?si=fuWsppg-aqZnbFwu
03
Results & Takeaways
The final result is a melodic, synchronized video that explores the 'waiting' period of transformation, using creative coding and generative design to bridge the gap between tactile illustration and procedural motion design.
The Technical Hurdle: Mastering the "Cook Dependency Loop" in TouchDesigner. This forced me to stop thinking like a linear illustrator and start thinking like a programmer.
Data Proficiency: Gained proficiency in converting between DATs (text), CHOPs (math), and SOPs (geometry) to make text truly interactive.
System Modularity: Learned that separating complex TouchDesigner setups into smaller files prevents performance bottlenecks and allows for faster iteration.