Notan: Calm

The calm before the storm.

In the old days sailors noticed that, just before a storm, the air around them seemed to get very still. Even the waves would calm for a few moments.

This pixel metaphor is created in Processing4 + changing Cellular Automata rules, part of the Notan collection.

Notan is the underlying abstract framework of dark and light values, upon which the structure of a painting is built. The arrangement of darks, lights, and grays, regardless of the colors used, creates an impression of beauty.

It derives from two words that refer to the amount of ink you use for a pen and ink wash drawing. Nong( 浓 ) meaning thick, strong, concentrated, and Dan (淡) means weak, watery. Hence, the term ‘Notan’ literally means concentrated/weak.”