Mechanized Abstractions is a collection of 1,234 on-chain generative abstract art pieces.
Unlike NFT projects that are optimized for use in a profile picture, Mechanized Abstractions optimizes for the wide aspect ratio that can be used in banners (for example, the Twitter banner).
Both the generative process as well as the rendering script are on-chain. The rendering script has an external dependency on p5.js, a well regarded graphics library that is safely stored in Github’s Arctic Vault. The collection uses Chainlink VRF to generate a provably random seed for our mint.
The Name
Mechanized Abstractions, the name of this project, is a nod to the collision of computer science and art.
On one hand, "Mechanized Abstraction" is a reference to the first chapter of the book "Foundations of Computer Science" by Aho and Ullman. They refer to programming as: "the science of abstraction — creating the right model for thinking about a problem and devising the appropriate mechanizable techniques to solve it."
On the other hand, the name refers to what this project is all about: "Mechanized" (or automatically generated, on-chain), "Abstractions" (or abstract art).
Disclaimer: the following examples are based on simulations. Though pieces in the collection will generate from the same script, since they are generated at mint, it is extremely improbable (borderline impossible) that any of these exact pieces actually show up in the collection.
Mechanized Abstractions has a total of 22 color palettes. Each is identified below. Different colors can take the prominent background color role, which gives significant variety even within a single palette.
The type type describes how the shapes are filled in. Some pieces have a solid fill which make them look bold and accentuated. Others have a semi-translucent fill which looks smoother, almost like paint strokes.
Density describes how closely packed the shapes are and filled in the canvas is. Below is the same art seed compared across the three density levels.
Curve width determines how thick the curve shapes are. Thinner curves make the piece look more detailed and delicate, the thicker curves give a more striking appearance.
Curve rate determines whether the lines are curved or straight. Truthfully, the lines are never actually straight, the rate of the curve is just so low that the effectively look straight to us (kind of like looking out at the earth’s horizon).
The curve length identifies what the mean length of each curve is. Each curve has has a gaussian distribution with a relatively high standard deviation. So no matters which length is selected, there is a still some variability.
The canvas border is a small margin that surrounds all of the shapes. Having the border frames the art well; not having the border allows the art to take over and make full use of the canvas. Even when there is a boarder, it isn’t hard-set: shapes are still allowed to spill over once in a while to keep it looking organic.
This describes whether or not the pieces has a texture. The texture makes the pieces looks more like a physical canvas, with natural imperfection. No texture makes the piece look super clean and smooth.
The focus of Mechanized Abstractions is the generative art. But we wanted to go beyond that by building an exceptional collector experience and allowing holders to get the most of their Abstractions.
The first special feature we created was the PFP studio. The value of this feature roots from the recognition that a banner can look good on its own but can look truly special when it matches the the user’s profile picture.
To allow users to have this, an entire workflow has been built that allows holders to upload their existing profile avatar and have it automatically adapted to their Mechanized Abstraction.
I’m chef! Growing up, I loved creating and appreciating art. I always tried to share my passions broadly - but had never found the right opportunity to let it blossom. As a result, I turned professionally to other things that I enjoyed: computer science and building tools that others can find valuable. I went on to get a degree in CS and launch a few web2 tools. Watching the emergence of web3 over the few years, and especially the growth of the NFT space, it's been a really exciting opportunity to bring together my interests and finally share what I love doing with more of the world. I'm very grateful for what web3 and the NFT space will do for many people in a similar situation!
About my technical background and experience: as mentioned above, I've launched several web2 products (and more recently been playing around with deploying web3 projects) and have seen the process through of launching and growing. I'm excited to bring some of the exciting things I've learned launching tools to make this collection even more special. I've been working with a developer who has a breadth of experience launching NFT projects and blockchain protocols. He is helping by writing the smart contracts for this collection.