Generative Art Operations

Practical patterns for creative coding and generative art. Covers three.js, p5.js, SVG generation, GLSL shaders, procedural algorithms, and color theory for computational aesthetics.

Color-ops handles CSS color, accessibility, and design tokens. This skill focuses on generative/procedural color techniques (palette algorithms, shader color, gradient interpolation in perceptual space).

Application/game-scale three.js — GLTF asset pipelines, AnimationMixer, fixed-timestep game loops, physics (rapier/cannon-es), react-three-fiber, instancing/disposal at scale — is threejs-ops. This skill owns the creative/shader side of three.js.

The detailed code, technique walkthroughs, and parameter tables live in the references below. This body holds the decisions: which surface, which algorithm, which color space, in what order.

Workflow & tool selection

Pick the rendering surface first — it determines everything downstream:

Goal	Surface	Reference
2D sketches, fast iteration, teaching	p5.js (Canvas2D or WebGL)	p5-sketches
3D scenes, camera, lighting, post-processing	three.js	threejs-scenes
Per-pixel fields, full-screen shaders, ray marching	raw GLSL / WebGL fragment	glsl-shaders
Resolution-independent vectors, plotter/print	SVG	svg-generation

Then generate content (CPU) and colorize it (perceptual space):

Need	Algorithm family	Reference
Organic texture, terrain, marble	noise (value/simplex/FBM/domain-warp)	procedural-algorithms
Even point distribution	Poisson disk	procedural-algorithms
Trees, fractals, self-similar curves	L-systems	procedural-algorithms
Emergent motion/patterns	flow fields / cellular automata	procedural-algorithms
Space partitioning	Voronoi / Delaunay (d3-delaunay)	procedural-algorithms
Tile worlds with adjacency rules	wave function collapse	procedural-algorithms
Palettes, gradients, harmonies	OKLAB / OKLCH	color-and-palettes

Order of operations: surface → generators → color. Determinism = seeded RNG (alea) + no per-frame Math.random() inside the field/particle loop.

1. Three.js scenes

Creative/shader-side scaffolding: minimal scene + camera + renderer (ACES tone mapping, responsive resize), the 2026 THREE.Timer animation loop (auto-pauses on tab switch), OrbitControls (damping requires update() per frame), a three-point lighting rig (key/fill/rim + ambient), bloom via EffectComposer (OutputPass always last — it owns tone mapping), InstancedMesh for 10k+ particle/mass-geometry systems with per-instance color, and a custom ShaderMaterial template (uTime/uResolution/uMouse uniforms). Full code in references/threejs-scenes.md.

2. p5.js sketches

Mode selection drives everything: global (one sketch, fastest path to pixels), instance (multiple sketches per page, module isolation), WebGL (3D, lights, orbitControl). Plus custom GLSL via createShader, loadPixels/updatePixels per-pixel manipulation, and recording/export — PNG frame sequences, SVG output (p5.js-svg), and canvas-sketch for high-res Canvas2D + MP4 streaming. Full code in references/p5-sketches.md.

3. SVG generation

Resolution-independent vector output. Programmatic construction (createElementNS + XMLSerializer), the full path-command reference (M/L/H/V/C/S/Q/T/A/Z, absolute + relative), generative patterns (organic blobs via smooth closed cubic paths, line hatching), generative SVG filters (feTurbulence / feDisplacementMap / feDiffuseLighting), SMIL + CSS animation, and SVGO optimization (preserve viewBox, drop dimensions for responsive output). Full code in references/svg-generation.md.

4. GLSL shaders

The GPU fragment-shader toolbox: standalone WebGL boilerplate (fullscreen quad), common uniforms, hash/random functions, value / simplex / Worley noise, FBM, domain warping (single + double, Inigo Quilez), 2D & 3D SDF primitives, boolean / smooth / transform SDF operations, a full ray-marching template (normal estimation + lighting), and cosine-palette color blending. Full code in references/glsl-shaders.md. Several of these (noise, FBM, domain warping) have CPU/JS counterparts in procedural-algorithms — pick the surface, then reuse the math.

5. Procedural generation algorithms

CPU-side recipes in JavaScript: Perlin/simplex noise (simplex-noise + alea seeding), FBM, domain warping, ridged noise, flow fields (with particle drivers), Poisson disk sampling, L-systems (trees / Koch / Sierpinski / dragon), Conway's Game of Life, Voronoi/Delaunay via d3-delaunay (+ Lloyd relaxation), wave function collapse (simple tiled), terrain from noise octaves (+ biome classification), and seamless toroidal tiling. Full code in references/procedural-algorithms.md.

6. Color & palettes

OKLAB/OKLCH conversion (both JS and GLSL — the perceptually-uniform basis for everything here), cosine palettes (Quilez presets), OKLCH palette generators (even-hue, analogous, warm/cool), gradient interpolation in perceptual space (OKLCH with shortest-hue path, multi-stop), color cycling (phase-shifted per element), and harmony rules (complementary / analogous / triadic / split-complementary / tetradic). Full code in references/color-and-palettes.md.

Quick Reference: Noise Algorithm Comparison

Algorithm	Dimension	Character	Cost	Use Case
Value noise	Any	Blocky, grid artifacts	Cheap	Quick prototypes
Perlin (gradient)	Any	Smooth, directional	Medium	Classic terrain, clouds
Simplex	Any	Smooth, isotropic	Medium	Default choice, fewer artifacts than Perlin
Worley (cellular)	Any	Cell-like, organic	Expensive	Stone, water, cells
FBM	Any	Fractal detail	N * base	Terrain, clouds, organic shapes
Ridged FBM	Any	Sharp mountain ridges	N * base	Mountains, lightning
Domain warping	2D+	Swirling, marble-like	3-9x base	Marble, smoke, alien landscapes

Quick Reference: Libraries

Task	Library	Install
Noise	simplex-noise	npm install simplex-noise
Seeded random	alea	npm install alea
Voronoi/Delaunay	d3-delaunay	npm install d3-delaunay
3D engine	three	npm install three
2D canvas	p5	npm install p5
Canvas export	canvas-sketch	npm install canvas-sketch
Video export	ccapture.js	npm install ccapture.js
SVG optimize	svgo	npm install -g svgo
Color	culori	npm install culori
Shader library	LYGIA	#include from lygia.xyz

Bundled references

Reference	Load when
threejs-scenes.md	Scaffolding a creative three.js scene — scene/camera/renderer, Timer loop, controls, lighting, bloom, InstancedMesh, ShaderMaterial
p5-sketches.md	p5.js global/instance/WebGL modes, custom shaders, pixel manipulation, recording/export
svg-generation.md	Programmatic SVG, path commands, generative patterns, filters, animation, SVGO
glsl-shaders.md	GLSL boilerplate, hash/noise, FBM, domain warping, SDFs, ray marching, palette blending
procedural-algorithms.md	JS procedural recipes — noise, flow fields, Poisson disk, L-systems, CA, Voronoi, WFC, terrain, tiling
color-and-palettes.md	OKLAB/OKLCH conversion (JS+GLSL), palette generation, perceptual gradients, cycling, harmonies

See Also

• color-ops - CSS color, accessibility, design tokens, palette scripts
• javascript-ops - JS async patterns, modules, ES2024+ features
• Book of Shaders - GLSL fundamentals
• Shadertoy - Live shader playground
• Inigo Quilez articles - SDF, noise, ray marching
• LYGIA - Cross-platform shader library
• Red Blob Games - Procedural generation algorithms