Art that creates art. Inspired by an artist named James Nolan Gandy, I set out on this creative adventure to learn and understand more about how this type of drawing machine works. Also known as a harmonograph, these machines create epic and mesmerizing (and trippy) drawings. Combining my engineering skills, I designed, 3d printed, and built my own harmonograph. The machine was built with customizable parameters for endless opportunities. The motors actuating each arm and turn table are fully controllable using an arduino microcontroller. I also built a bluetooth app to make changing the parameters easy and accessible so I could focus on the art.

Once the machine was built, all that was required was a good selection of sharpies and some 7”x7” paper.

The result was two-fold. I ended up with LOTS of amazing drawings as well as a better understanding of how each component affects the drawings. Tweaking the software and code can lead to endless combinations creating forever unique designs.