The spring haze.

The scent already in the air.

The moon and the plum blossoms.

春もやや 気色ととのふ 月と梅

Matsuo Basho (1644-1694)

This old haiku by Basho evokes the gentle vivacity of the first warm nights of the year, and the slow awakening of nature after the long winter. “The Spring and the Moon” is a tribute to that Eastern sensibility, and an attempt to capture the style of anime and traditional Japanese prints through software code.

With that purpose, the system brings together different resources. First, a force-directed graph distributes the elements in space, finding the equilibrium between various attraction and repulsion forces. Second, a hierarchical particle system is used to draw flowers in random combinations of styles and color palettes. Finally, some tiny speckles are set in motion, driven by noise functions, like dust or pollen floating in the evening breeze.

100% code – no assets. Made with p5.js.