Incorporating characteristics of human creativity into an evolutionary art algorithm

A perceived limitation of evolutionary art and design algorithms is that they rely on human intervention; the artist selects the most aesthetically pleasing variants of one generation to produce the next. This paper discusses how computer generated art and design can become more creatively human-like with respect to both process and outcome. As an example of a step in this direction, we present an algorithm that overcomes the above limitation by employing an automatic fitness function. The goal is to evolve abstract portraits of Darwin, using our 2nd generation fitness function which rewards genomes that not just produce a likeness of Darwin but exhibit certain strategies characteristic of human artists. We note that in human creativity, change is less choosing amongst randomly generated variants and more capitalizing on the associative structure of a conceptual network to hone in on a vision. We discuss how to achieve this fluidity algorithmically

Incorporating characteristics of human creativity into an evolutionary art algorithm (journal article)

A perceived limitation of evolutionary art and design algorithms is that they rely on human intervention; the artist selects the most aesthetically pleasing variants of one generation to produce the next. This paper discusses how computer generated art and design can become more creatively human-like with respect to both process and outcome. As an example of a step in this direction, we present an algorithm that overcomes the above limitation by employing an automatic fitness function. The goal is to evolve abstract portraits of Darwin, using our 2nd generation fitness function which rewards genomes that not just produce a likeness of Darwin but exhibit certain strategies characteristic of human artists. We note that in human creativity, change is less choosing amongst randomly generated variants and more capitalizing on the associative structure of a conceptual network to hone in on a vision. We discuss how to achieve this fluidity algorithmically

FaceSpace: A facial spatial domain toolkit

We will describe a visual development system for exploring face space, both in terms of facial types and animated expressions. Imagine an n-dimensional space describing every humanoid face, where each dimension represents a different facial characteristic. Within this continuous space, it would be possible to traverse a path from any face to any other face, morphing through faces along that path. It is also possible to combine elements of this space to create an expressive, emotive, talking 3D synthetic face of any given facial type. This development toolkit called FaceSpace is based on a hierarchical parametric approach to facial animation and creation. We present our early results on exploring a face space and describe our preliminary investigation of the perceptual and cultural relationships between different facial types; as well as creating an additive language of hierarchical expressions, emotions and lip-sync sequences by using combined elements of a facial domain

Knowledge based approach to modeling portrait painting methodology

Traditional portrait artists use a specific but open human vision methodology to create a painterly portrait of a live or photographed sitter. Portrait artists attempt to simplify, compose and leave out what is irrelevant, emphasizing what is important. While seemingly a qualitative pursuit, artists use known but open techniques such as relying on source tone over colour to indirect into a colour temperature model, using "sharpness" to create a centre of interest, using edges to move the viewers gaze, and other techniques to filter and emphasize. Our interdisciplinary work attempts to compile and incorporate this portrait painter knowledge into a multi-space parameterized system that can create an array of painterly rendering output

PUT ON SHOW: weft of meanings and social ties in the New Argentine Cinema

El artículo desarrolla como objetivo principal una reflexión sobre las modalidades de expresión del lazo social en las imágenes y las estéticas del Nuevo Cine Argentino. Se propone primeramente una introducción sobre la definición de ese cine y sus especificidades estéticas e históricas y seguidamente se vincula con algunas indicaciones teóricas respecto a transformaciones sociales y culturales en el tiempo presente. Así se empieza una reflexión que analiza las imágenes y narrativas del nuevo cine argentino como medios de expresión de esos cambios culturales y sociales, que obligan a definir una relación entre las imágenes y la experiencia social que muestre el devenir de las relaciones entre individuos.The main objective article develops a reflection on the modalities of expression of the social bond in the images and the aesthetic of the New Argentine Cinema. It was first proposed an introduction to the definition of that new cinema and its aesthetic and historical specificities and then linked to some theoretical indications of social and cultural transformations at the current time. It is developed a reflection that analyzes the images and narratives of the new Argentine cinema as means of expression of those cultural and social changes, which require defining a relationship between images and social experience that shows the flow of relations between individuals

Exploring a Parameterized Portrait Painting Space

We overview our interdisciplinary work building parameterized knowledge domains and their authoring tools that allow for expression systems which move through a space of painterly portraiture. With new computational systems it is possible to conceptually dance, compose and paint in higher level conceptual spaces. We are interested in building art systems that support exploring these spaces and in particular report on our software-based artistic toolkit and resulting experiments using parameter spaces in face based new media portraiture. This system allows us to parameterize the open cognitive and vision-based methodology that human artists have intuitively evolved over centuries into a domain toolkit to explore aesthetic realizations and interdisciplinary questions about the act of portrait painting as well as the general creative process. These experiments and questions can be explored by traditional and new media artists, art historians, cognitive scientists and other scholars

Extending the range of facial types

We describe, in case study form, techniques to extend the range of facial types and movement using a parametric facial animation system originally developed to model and control synthetic 3D faces limited to a normal range of human shape and motion. These techniques have allowed us to create a single authoring system that can create and animate a wide range of facial types that range from realistic, stylized, cartoon-like, or a combination thereof, all from the same control system. Additionally we describe image processing and 3D deformation tools that allow for a greater range of facial types and facial animation output