2011.020 "Look Into My Hypotrochoid"

All that talk yesterday about the Spirograph toy led me to one big question for today's blog piece. Can I created a hypotrochoid in photoshop in a similar manner to the way I create fractals? The answer...well, sort of.

Fractals begin as a single square and evolve with a combination of manual adjustments and machine calculations. Each one can take 3-6 hours to put together. If I have a bit of something or other left over from a previous attempt it may take less time but generally it does take a chunk of each day to produce them.

Hypotrochoids are a horse of a different color, however. They seem innocuous enough. I mean it's a bunch of perfect circles arranged in a particular pattern, right? Not so much! The precise angles of rotation are challenging and there are not much in the way of machine calculations readily available. As I mentioned when I posted the Fibonacci fractal, I am most defnitely NOT a numbers person.

So my blonde went to war with the stubborn and after half a pot of coffee we finally figured it out. Today I share with you my first hypotrochoid not created with my favorite childhood toy. Because I am so mesmorized by these shapes I thought it only fitting to call this one, "Look Into My Hypotrochoid".

Look Into My Hypotrochoid - 12x12 compound hypotrochoid

You're getting very sleepy. Verrrry sleeeeepy.  :o)

~ Lisa

You can purchase any of these blog pieces printed on canvas and stretched over a 1/4" gallery frame through my new website: http://www.lisacantrell.com/

If you would prefer I also offer printing that is wood mounted and smooth matte laminated. You can order these from my ArtFire studio page online at:  http://www.artfire.com/users/LisaCantrell

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If you're fascinated enough to care about the math behind these shapes check out this book: Hypotrochoid