30 Days of Pen Plotter Dawing

In this 30-day challenge, I will explore the world of pen plotting, creating generative art, and experimenting with different techniques and styles. I will document my progress, share my learnings, and showcase the plots I create along the way.

Day 01: Don’t break the chain

Day 01

Today, I began my 30-day pen plotter journey. For Day 1, I created a simple “breaking the chain” calendar. I coded the layout in Processing, exported it as an SVG, aligned the page, and plotted it from Inkscape on an AxiDraw.

Processing
AxiDraw Docs
AxiDraw Software installation (Inkscape extension)
AxiDraw User Guide (Unboxing, Inkscape extension setup)
Inkscape Download
Inkscape Extensions

Day 02: Basic shapes

Day 02

On the second day, I plotted a series of basic shapes using Processing. I noticed that using P3D mode to draw the shapes resulted in a meshed plot, so I switched to the default renderer (P2D). The plotter executed the design with precision in the center of the page, but with a shiver at the bottom.

Processing SVG Export

Day 03: Shades and textures

On day 3, I experimented with creating a shading scale using hatching, lines, and stippling. The resulting plot showcased various textures, but I noticed that some lines were repeated and overlapped, indicating that the output was not optimized for plotting. Next time, I’ll focus on optimizing the code to avoid these overlaps and achieve cleaner results.

Day 04: Layout and composition

On day 4, I decided to plot a sketch on an A4 page, incorporating the stipples I experimented with yesterday. To enhance the efficiency of the plotting process, I optimized the SVG files using the powerful vpype tool. This optimization significantly reduced the plotting time and distance traveled by the pen, while also removing hidden lines using the occult plugin.

vpype read input.svg occult -i write input-occult.svg

vpype read input-occult.svg linemerge --tolerance 0.1mm linesort reloop linesimplify write output.svg

vpype - The Swiss-Army-knife command-line tool for plotter vector graphics
vpype plugin occult

Day 05: Grid of line shapes

Day 06: Turtletoy

Today is Saturday, and I decided to explore a platform to create a generative plot, I found Turtletoy. I experimented with a simple grid of lines, adjusting the parameters to create different patterns. The platform offers a wide range of possibilities for generative art, and I look forward to exploring more complex designs in the future.

Day 07: Digits texture

Today I plotted a texture of digits using Processing. I started from a sketch I coded for a University project, but made some edits manually to create a more interesting composition. This idea of variations of a single element is inspired by the work of LeWitt.

Day 08: L-System Penrose

I generated a Penrose tiling using an L-System from Inkscape.When I tried plotting the output, even thought the asstet was optimized, there were tons of overlapping lines. I stopped the plotting to save ink and researched how this could be solved. Fortunately, vpype has a plugin for this.

vpype read input.svg deduplicate write output.svg

L-systems in inkscape
vpype plugin deduplicate

Day 09: I broke the chain

It was a busy day, and I didn’t have time to plot anything. I broke the chain, but I’ll continue tomorrow. I’ll pay it later with an alternative checkmark.

Day 10: Freepik

Today, I plotted a design inspired by a vector I found on Freepik. What seemed like a straightforward plot turned out to be more complex. First, I cleaned the SVG to remove hidden shapes and adjusted the document size to crop the area correctly. Then, I applied deduplication to eliminate overlapping lines. Finally, I created an A4 document for plotting. Despite the initial challenges, I’m happy with the result.

vpype read input.svg occult -i write output-occult.svg
vpype read output-occult.svg deduplicate write output-deduplicate.svg
vpype read output-deduplicate.svg linemerge --tolerance 0.1mm linesort reloop linesimplify write output-optimized.svg

Freepik Vector

Day 11: Grid of dices

Today, I plotted a grid of dices using Processing. It consist of a regular grid with squared cells, where containing a dice face. The grid also supports gutters and margins. At this point, vpype is essential in the process.

Day 12 to 14: Don’t close the notebook (To-do WIP)

Day 15: Typography test

Day 16: Muertos

Busy day. I plotted some “dia de los muertos” skulls, and let my kids painte them using markers. We watched the movie Coco thousands of times. I’ll share the results later.

https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/hand-drawn-flat-dia-de-muertos-skulls-collection_18393913.htm#fromView=search&page=1&position=19&uuid=5a4967a8-2c58-47d3-b61f-afb3ef7b644c

Day 16: white Ink on black paper test

Today I cutted a circular mask for an artowrok using a cutting plotter. I reused the cropped shape for Today’s plotter. What I learn?

https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/space-doodle_10837997.htm#fromView=search&page=2&position=3&uuid=f423ecc3-e006-4065-96dd-4408f99f5657

Day 17: Hatch fill

How to add a hatch fill to text and shapes in Inkscape with the Axidraw extension for drawing, foiling, or engraving with your digital diecutter or plotter.