Portrait Drawing Machine

2026-09-01 2026-09-09

scmcreativecoding@gmail.com

Post Author: Stephen Milborrow / Nonoti Machine

Project Year: 2026

This project shows how a drawing machine can respond to a person throughout the drawing process. By repeatedly observing changes in pose and expression, the machine builds a portrait that records movement over time. Students can learn how camera input and repeated updates can guide drawing decisions, and consider how a participant’s behaviour can shape both the final image and the experience of being drawn.

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3,512 likes, 170 comments - tiat.place on July 8, 2026: "Come get your portrait drawn by a machine at @tiat.place. This is Portrait Drawing Machine &…

Control Methods: Autonomous, Closed-loop Control, Computer Vision, Direct Motion and Procedural Generation

Drawing Surfaces: Paper

Fabrication and Construction: Custom Electronics, Hand-fabricated and Off-the-shelf components

Human Interaction: Adaptive Interaction, Human-in-the-loop, Human-machine collaboration, Machine-led and Participatory

Input and Sensing: Body Movement and Camera

Machine configurations: Cartesian Plotter

Mark-making Tools or Media: Ink and Pen

Project Types: Reference Project

Reference Relevance: Control-system Precedent, Direct Drawing-machine Precedent, Interaction Precedent and Performance Inspiration

Relationship between Machine and Output: Behaviour-driven, Indeterminate, Machine as Artwork, Machine as Collaborator, Machine as Performer, Mechanism-visible, Non-repeatable, Performance-focused and Process-focused

Scale and Context: Human-scale, Installation and Performance

Technical Complexity: Advanced, Advanced Programming, Electronics Complexity, High Fabrication Effort and Single Sensor

Visual and Compositional Qualities: Figurative, Gestural and Layered

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