We really like the rough and simple look of the conductive paint, as being used in the picture below.

As mentioned in an earlier blog post it reminds us of work by the artist Franz Kline. We are thinking to create a similar canvas for our etch a sketch to move away form the old visuals to a more modern and artistic one. We could create squares in which we can project the drawing of the digital etch a sketch and at the same time make the controllers, which we’ll be paining with electronic pain and that work like potentiometers, match the visual.

using a style like this also allows us to project several images at once. We can either have multiple etch a sketches working at once or show previously drawn ones in empty squares. As shown in the example below. If we go for several etch a sketches then we can have different styles for our brush. One that that might stick to the typical etch a sketch visuals and then others that are more abstract.

Step 1

The begin this we needed to set up ardunio so that the board would work with processing. To do this we used a sketch already set up by arduino called StandardFirmata. After resetting the arduino board we uploaded this. 

 

Step 2

The next stage we had to put code into processing.

Code Breakdown

The first lines of code tell processing to work with arduino
The Second section simply sets up what the page will look like, e.g. the background colour, pen colour and size. It also tells processing where to read the processing board from
The third section (void setup) tells processing the size of the screen, where to start the pen from (width/2 = centre). And finally what arduino port the input is coming from
The last section (void draw) tells processing how to read that particular input on the board (analog in this case), where to map the pen, and what the inputs are (penx and mouse)

 

Step 3

Set up the board.

From left to right of the poteniometer, the first wire(G) goes to 5V, second wire(O) goes to A0, and the third wire(Y) that goes to GND.

 

Step 4

Running processing and arduino.
This runs using JAVA.

The mouse will control the y axis (up and down) and the arduino will control the X (left and right)

 

Step 5

To add another poteniometer to replace the mouse, code needs to be added.
To do this, you need to change the original code that said ‘sensor’ to ‘sensor1’ all throughout the code.
Then add a sensor 2 that picks up the second poteniometer from A1
And lastly a PenY is needed, that will respond to Sensor 2

 

Then the board will need to be set up.
Adding another  poteniometer the same as the first. the only difference is, the wire than originally ran to A0 (O), goes to A1 on the second poteniometer.
As there will now be 2 wires going to both 5v(G) and GND(Y), for both poteniometer, we put the wires going to 5V in the + line and GND to the -. ANd then one connecting wire from + to 5V and one from – to GND.

 

Finally run Processing using JAVA.
This time the first poteniometer (sensor 1) will do X axis and the second poteniometer (sensor 2) will do Y axis.

 

 

 

Step 6

To add the button
DO THIS

After trying out the previous tutorial, we found that we could get the first one (the one with the etch e sketch frame) to work, but still found some faults in that the top of the screen couldn’t be used, and if you went to near the top, then it would erase what was on the screen.
With the second tutorial, the problem we found was that the code in arduino was not accurate enough for processing to find the arudino board port. Therefore it could not be used well

 

Therefore we have tried to develop this further b y creating basic processing code that could run the same system, but hopefully with less issues.

Obviously our main focus is on the actual product namely our modernised etch a sketch but in order to bring it to the market we have to have a way of packaging it, at the very least have a logo to go with it.

Since we  haven’t entirely decided if we are only working towards an etch a sketch or if we want to have other ways of interacting with the product the logo will have to be suitable for any outcome.

Therefor I have had a look at old games (including the etch a sketch) and their logos for inspiration.

There is a definite tendency towards yellow concerning the logos. Whilst the fonts are quite funky the actual games are kept quite simple regarding the visual, yet making them very colourful. The simplicity has obviously to do with the performance of graphic cards from around that time.

I also looked at newer games such as Journey, Limbo and Patapon. all of these games have a very strong yet simple visual aspect to them. Considering we are modernising an old game this might be the style to go for.

  

Limbo

Patapon

Because we are using black electronic paint, the logo will have to work in black and white to fit our style. Whilst using the paint we saw similarities to Franz Kline’s work which again led us to look at asian calligraphy and art.

 

This is a very late belated update of what we looked at as inspiration for our piece. Should have been posted 16th Feb 2016

 

This link take you to a game that lets you create your own beats. Especially the visuals were of interest. http://www.incredibox.com/v3/#

 

The second example plays with the idea of collecting impressions of different people and creating a collaborative piece.