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HN score 12.0 · tutorial

Computing history, graphics & visual media

Painting a Character with Maths

Inigo Quilez · Discussed on HN from 2021 to 2025

Editorial context · source-attributed

What the Hacker News discussion says — and what it does not

Discussion focus

Across the sampled HN recommendations, people specifically point to Builds a 3D scene from a formula step by step and Mind-blowing math art with live coding.

A recorded perspective

The recorded HN source is “This was a mind blowing example of math and art from last year” — a useful perspective from kn8a in 2021-01, rather than a claim that every Hacker News reader agrees.

Evidence boundary

Alongside recommendations, the export retains a reference mention from t8y (2022-02): “people appreciate that it's a shader, even people that are not into programming” This is context, not proof; use the linked discussion to inspect the original thread.

Who should start here

Intermediate learners exploring signed distance fields. Its upstream classification is creative coding & generative art, while this Explorer page groups it with related material in computing history, graphics & visual media.

HN comments behind this record

6 sampled comments · 2021–2025
reclligallo · 2021-01

Builds a 3D scene from a formula step by step

“It makes a full 3d complex scene out of a math formula, with step by step explanation”
Open comment #25627023
strong reckn8a · 2021-01

Mind-blowing math art with live coding

“This was a mind blowing example of math and art from last year”
Open comment #25689173
strong recsxp · 2021-01

Amazing demo of signed distance fields

“is an amazing demo of their power.”
Open comment #25946777
referencet8y · 2022-02

Making-of video for a shader artwork

“people appreciate that it's a shader, even people that are not into programming”
Open comment #30284122

Topics and ideas

  • 01sdf
  • 02shaders
  • 03shadertoy

Inigo Quilez live-codes a cartoon character painting entirely from math, using signed distance fields in a Shadertoy shader. He explains each step of building the image from formulas.

Original HackerTube classification: Creative coding & generative art.

Source context

Documented HN source

Mind-blowing math art with live coding

“This was a mind blowing example of math and art from last year”
Read the original HN comment

kn8a · 2021-01 · 13 recommenders across 10 months

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