Learn Generative Art with Code: p5.js Workshop for Creative Coding & Algorithmic Art
Master generative art and creative coding with p5.js in our comprehensive workshop. Learn algorithmic techniques for visual programming—perfect for artists, programmers, and designers. No coding experience required.
Algorithms as Code: Where Mathematics Becomes Visual Poetry
Discover how generative art and creative coding can transform your artistic practice. Our “Algorithms as Code” workshop teaches you to use p5.js for algorithmic art—turning code into your creative canvas. Learn to generate infinite visual variations through computational techniques like noise functions, particle systems, fractals, and emergent patterns.
This isn’t about writing software—it’s about reclaiming algorithms for aesthetic exploration where code becomes a medium for visual beauty, and mathematics reveals its artistic potential.
What You’ll Discover in This Generative Art Workshop
🎨 From Algorithms as Tools to Algorithms as Aesthetic Medium
Learn to approach code not as optimization and efficiency, but as an instrument for visual exploration and artistic expression.
💻 Complete p5.js Creative Coding Curriculum
Master JavaScript’s most accessible creative coding library—designed specifically for artists, running entirely in your browser with no installation required.
🌀 Foundational Generative Techniques
Implement loops for rhythm, randomness for surprise, Perlin noise for organic textures, recursion for self-similarity, and mathematical functions for pattern generation.
🐦 Physics & Emergence
Create particle systems, flocking behaviors, and autonomous agents—watching complex beauty arise from simple algorithmic rules.
🌿 Advanced Computational Systems
Explore cellular automata, L-systems for fractal growth, generative typography, and interactive real-time systems.
📐 Historical & Theoretical Context
Study pioneering algorithmic artists from Vera Molnár to Casey Reas, understanding computation as creative medium since the 1960s.
🖼️ Complete Portfolio Development
Build a collection of generative artworks, learn professional export techniques for web/print/video, and develop your unique computational aesthetic.
🤝 Supportive Creative Community
Join a Discord community of generative artists, share work-in-progress, and participate in code-sharing culture.
Workshop Pricing & Formats
Complete 8-Session Series (Recommended)
8 sessions × 4 hours each
Progressive curriculum taking you from your first for-loop to sophisticated generative systems. Perfect for building deep skills and a complete portfolio.
What’s Included:
- ✨ All materials and learning resources
- 💻 Access to p5.js web editor and code templates
- 💬 Private Discord community
- 📚 Comprehensive code library
- 🎨 Portfolio showcase opportunity
- 🤝 Ongoing facilitator support between sessions
Investment: Sliding scale $480-$960
Individual Sessions
4-hour deep dives into specific generative techniques:
Available Topics:
- Particle Systems & Physics — Velocity, forces, flocking, autonomous agents
- Cellular Automata — Conway’s Game of Life and custom rule-based systems
- L-Systems & Fractals — Algorithmic plant growth and recursive structures
- Generative Typography — Text as dynamic visual element
- Flow Fields & Noise — Organic movement and Perlin noise applications
- Interactive Systems — Mouse, keyboard, webcam, microphone input
Investment: Sliding scale $80-$150/session
Private Workshops
Custom-designed workshops for your specific context:
Perfect For:
- School and university courses
- Design team professional development
- Maker spaces and art studios
- Artist residency programs
- Corporate innovation labs
Contact us for custom curriculum design and pricing.
What Participants Say About Our Creative Coding Workshop
“I thought code was intimidating, but p5.js became my favorite creative medium. I’m now making visual work I never could have imagined by hand.”
— Elena R., Visual Artist
“As a software engineer, I finally found a way to use my programming skills for pure artistic expression. This workshop gave me permission to create without utility.”
— Marcus T., Software Developer
“These generative techniques completely transformed how I approach layout, color, and composition in my design work. My clients are amazed by the dynamic systems I can now create.”
— Priya K., UX/UI Designer
“Seeing algorithms create beauty was a revelation—mathematics as art. This workshop opened an entirely new creative practice for me.”
— David L., Mathematics Educator
Session-by-Session Curriculum Breakdown
Sessions 1-3: Foundations of Generative Art
Building Your Algorithmic Vocabulary
- For-loops for patterns, grids, and tessellations
- Random vs. noise—when to use each for visual variation
- Color theory for code: HSB vs RGB, algorithmic palettes
- Flow fields and Perlin noise applications
- Mapping values and creative constraints
Learning Outcome: Create your first generative compositions using fundamental techniques.
Sessions 4-5: Dynamics & Emergence
When Algorithms Come Alive
- Physics simulations: velocity, acceleration, forces
- Particle systems: arrays of autonomous agents
- Flocking behavior: separation, alignment, cohesion
- Emergence: simple rules creating complex beauty
- Gravity, friction, springs, and collision detection
Learning Outcome: Build dynamic, animated systems that evolve over time.
Sessions 6-7: Advanced Computational Techniques
Sophisticated Generative Systems
- Cellular automata and custom rule-based systems
- L-systems (Lindenmayer systems) for fractal plant growth
- Recursive structures: trees, ferns, fractals
- Generative typography and text deformation
- Data-driven visual composition
Learning Outcome: Master complex algorithmic techniques used by contemporary generative artists.
Session 8: Interactivity & Professional Portfolio
Integration & Export
- User input: mouse, keyboard, touch, gesture
- Webcam and microphone integration
- Real-time responsive systems
- High-resolution image export for print
- Video and GIF creation
- Web deployment (GitHub Pages)
- Portfolio best practices for generative work
Learning Outcome: Complete portfolio of generative artworks ready for exhibition and professional presentation.
Who Should Take This Creative Coding Workshop?
🎨 Visual Artists Curious About Computational Tools
You create with traditional media but wonder what algorithmic techniques could unlock. Perfect for painters, illustrators, and multimedia artists ready to add code to their practice.
💻 Programmers Seeking Creative Expression
You write code for work—now discover coding for pure aesthetic joy. Ideal for developers wanting to use their technical skills for artistic exploration.
🖌️ Designers Expanding Their Generative Toolkit
Add procedural design, algorithmic branding, and dynamic visual systems to your design practice. Great for UX/UI designers, graphic designers, and creative technologists.
📐 Math & Algorithm Enthusiasts
Fascinated by the intersection of mathematics, algorithms, and visual beauty? Explore computational aesthetics and see equations come alive.
🎓 Educators & Students
Teachers wanting to integrate creative coding into curriculum, or students seeking project-based learning in computational art.
Prerequisites & Technical Requirements
No prior programming experience required! This workshop is designed for complete beginners.
What You Need:
- Computer with modern web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)
- Stable internet connection
- Curiosity and willingness to experiment
- Patience with yourself as you learn a new medium
What’s Helpful But Not Required:
- Basic comfort with computers and file management
- Visual art background (any medium)
- Interest in mathematics and pattern
Why Learn Generative Art with p5.js?
Browser-Based & Accessible
No complex software installation—p5.js runs directly in your browser. Start coding immediately in the free p5.js web editor.
Designed for Artists
Created by artists for artists, p5.js prioritizes visual creativity over technical complexity. See results immediately with beginner-friendly syntax.
Vibrant Global Community
Join thousands of creative coders worldwide. Access endless tutorials, examples, and open-source projects for inspiration.
Professional & Powerful
Despite its accessibility, p5.js is used by professional artists, designers, and studios for exhibitions, installations, and commercial work.
Web-Native Output
Your creations are instantly shareable on the web, embeddable in portfolios, and viewable on any device.
The Generative Art Creative Process
Our workshop teaches you to work in the iterative feedback loop used by professional generative artists:
- Write Code — Express a visual idea algorithmically
- Run — Execute and observe the output
- Observe — What surprised you? What’s beautiful?
- Adjust — Tweak parameters, refine rules
- Repeat — Iterate toward your aesthetic vision
This process embraces happy accidents, encourages experimentation, and reveals visual possibilities you couldn’t have planned in advance.
How to Register for the Algorithms as Code Workshop
📧 Request More Information
Email us with your background, interests, and any questions:
workshops@creativecodingtech.com
We’ll send you:
- Complete session-by-session curriculum
- Upcoming workshop dates and times
- Sliding scale pricing details
- Access instructions for Discord community
- Sample p5.js sketches to preview the medium
🎯 Related Workshops You Might Enjoy
💻 The Conscious Coder: Engineering for Sustainability
Apply your coding skills to environmental technology with micro:bit hardware. Build a smart greenhouse system while learning to code as planetary service—complementing the aesthetic focus of generative art with purpose-driven engineering.
🖌️ Conscious Art Making: Mindfulness-Based Creative Practice
Explore creativity without code through intuitive art-making and meditation. Perfect balance to algorithmic art—discover how analog creative practices can inform and enrich your computational aesthetic explorations.
🎵 Ableton Live + Sonic Pi: Hybrid Live Performance
Take your coding creativity into the audio realm. Learn to live code music with Sonic Pi integrated with Ableton Live—algorithmic composition for sound rather than visuals, using similar generative thinking.
About This Creative Coding Workshop
Algorithms as Code is one of eight transformative workshops we offer at the intersection of technology, consciousness, and creative expression.
Explore Our Full Workshop Catalog:
- ⚡ Reformed Mindfulness: Calvinism Meets Contemplative Practice
- 💻 The Conscious Coder: Engineering for Sustainability
- 🧘 Basic Meditation: Foundation Practices for Mindful Living
- 🌀 Algorithms as Code: Generative Art & Creative Coding (you are here)
- 🖌️ Conscious Art Making: Mindfulness-Based Creative Practice
- 🌍 Conscious Consumerism: Inner Alignment & Planetary Healing
- 🎵 Ableton Live + Sonic Pi: Hybrid Live Performance
Learn More About Generative Art & Creative Coding
Recommended Resources
Books:
- Generative Design by Benedikt Gross, Hartmut Bohnacker, Julia Laub
- The Nature of Code by Daniel Shiffman (free online)
- Code as Creative Medium by Golan Levin & Tega Brain
Online Communities:
- OpenProcessing — Share and discover p5.js sketches
- r/generative — Generative art subreddit
- Creative Coding Discord servers
Inspiring Artists to Follow:
- Vera Molnár (algorithmic art pioneer)
- Casey Reas (Processing co-creator)
- Tyler Hobbs (contemporary generative artist)
- Zach Lieberman (creative coding innovator)
- Manfred Mohr (algorithmic geometry)
Share This Generative Art Workshop
Know someone who would love to learn creative coding? Share this workshop with visual artists, programmers, designers, and anyone fascinated by algorithmic beauty!
All workshops offered on sliding scale for accessibility ✨
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to know how to code?
No! This workshop is designed for complete beginners. We start with the absolute basics and build progressively.
What if I’m “not good at math”?
You don’t need advanced math—we’ll teach you the specific mathematical concepts as creative tools (sin, cos, noise functions). Most of it is visual, not numerical.
Can I take individual sessions or do I need the full series?
Both options work! The full 8-session series provides the deepest learning, but individual sessions are perfect for exploring specific techniques.
What equipment do I need?
Just a computer with a modern web browser and internet connection. Everything runs in the browser—no software to install.
Will I own the code I create?
Absolutely! All work you create is yours. We encourage sharing in the community, but you retain full ownership.
Can I use generative art commercially?
Yes! Many participants go on to sell prints, create client work, or integrate generative techniques into their professional practice.
How is this different from a regular coding course?
We focus exclusively on visual creativity and artistic expression. This is art class that happens to use code, not computer science that happens to make pictures.
Algorithms as Aesthetic. Code as Canvas. Mathematics as Medium.
| *Wingston Sharon Wilson | Creative Coding & Technology* |