1 day - one Prompt - 1 creation

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What is Genuary

Genuary is a creative coding challenge created by Piter Pasma, running every January, where artists and developers create generative art exclusively through code—without using graphic design software. Each day brings a new prompt, pushing participants to experiment with algorithms, explore new techniques, and redefine the possibilities of computational creativity. It’s a global movement where code becomes the sole medium of artistic expression.

Each day of January, a new theme or challenge (called "a prompt") is provided by a generative artist (see "Credit"), serving as a starting point for exploration. These prompts can be conceptual (e.g., "Black on Black"), technical (e.g., "Use only circles"), or algorithmic (e.g., "Reaction-Diffusion"), encouraging coders to experiment and iterate.

Genuary 1.

Vertical or horizontal lines only. (credit: Stranger in the Q)

My idea was to render basic 3D shapes in a framebuffer and then analyze each pixel of the framebuffer animation to determine its luminosity. This information is then used to decide whether to draw a horizontal line or not.

Curious how to make that? View the code in the p5.js editor.

View the tweet.

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Genuary 2.

Layers upon layers upon layers. (credit: Monokai)

The process is very simple: I draw a square positioned randomly on every frame, with its size decreasing over time. The blend mode is set to difference to create an OpArt effect. The number of variations is unlimited.

Curious how to make that? View the code in the p5.js editor.

View the tweet.

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Genuary 3.

Exactly 42 lines of code. (credit: Roni Kaufman)

For this prompt, no matter the outcome, the code must be exactly 42 lines long. In this piece, I created an animation using randomness and even managed to include the code to export the animation—all within those 42 lines. I also took the opportunity to use a custom Google Font: Alfa Slab One Regular.

Curious how to make that? View the code in the p5.js editor.

View the tweet.

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Genuary 4.

Black on black. (credit: Stranger in the Q)

This piece made me think of a quote by Leonard Cohen: “There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.” In these dark times, it’s reassuring to believe that things will naturally brighten up (or at least, we hope so).

For “Black on Black”, I decided to use black elements on a black background within a 3D scene. Three lights illuminate the space, where I randomly distribute black spheres in an abstract setting, along with X, Y, and Z reference points and interlocked boxes.

A pixel dithering algorithm then redraws the image, adding a unique texture of white pixels that react to the light sources.

What makes this design special is that it was exhibited as a long-form generative piece on EditArt.xyz for the Genuary 2025 event. This allowed 150 collectors to mint a personalized version of the scene, which they could create themselves using an intuitive interface. EditArt is a generative art co-creation platform, designed for simplicity: only five sliders are available for customization, or, for an even easier approach, a random button generates a unique artwork among infinite possibilities.

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Genuary 5.

Isometric Art (No vanishing points) (credit: P1xelboy)

This piece explores the concept of isometric art without vanishing points by leveraging a structured grid and procedural transformations. The composition is generated algorithmically, with each element positioned using Perlin noise to create organic variations within a controlled framework. The result is a dynamic interplay of forms that adhere strictly to an isometric structure, evolving over time through a construction process.

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Genuary 6.

Make a landscape using only primitive shapes (credit: Jonathan Barbeau)

This generative piece constructs a forest landscape using only triangles and rectangles. The trees are formed by staggered triangular patterns, creating a dense, layered effect. The sky and atmospheric depth emerge from a structured grid of rectangles, each with subtle variations in brightness, evoking a foggy or overcast ambiance. Noise-based transformations influence the tree distribution, density, and lighting, making every execution unique. The result is a procedural, evolving terrain, where a simple algorithm produces a naturalistic yet stylized environment.

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Genuary 7.

Use software that is not intended to create art or images (credit: Camille Roux)

For this prompt, I explored the creative potential of a spreadsheet as a generative canvas. Instead of a traditional coding environment, I used Excel (Google Sheet) to generate procedural visuals, leveraging built-in formulas and conditional formatting.

The first approach applied cell-based rule systems, similar to cellular automata, producing intricate grid-based patterns with controlled randomness. The second approach used Perlin noise, mapped directly onto cell colors, resulting in a smooth, organic texture, something rarely associated with spreadsheets.

This experiment highlights an important principle of generative art: the tool doesn’t define creativity—constraints do. A spreadsheet, meant for calculations, can unexpectedly become a visual playground for structured randomness and algorithmic design.