Heroes don’t aspire to be heroic. At the end of his life, Alex Pretti was simply caring for someone in need. He’s one of the best of us. Learn. #heroplot #penplotter #algorist #machinearts #bantamtools

Plotting Mona

Mona plot in the making.
Audio from the exquisite MNMT#456 set by Efdemin

#plotterart #petplot #machinearts #bantamtools #axidraw #rstr #cmy #deatramentis #octopusfluids #rotring #mona #kooiker #efdemin #mnmt456

Welcome to the purple room

We are here to guide you.

Mona plot in the making.
Audio from the exquisite MNMT#456 set by Efdemin

#plotterart #petplot #machinearts #bantamtools #axidraw #rstr #cmy #deatramentis #octopusfluids #rotring #mona #kooiker #efdemin #mnmt456

The pet plot challenge by @bantamtools was the perfect opportunity to take new CMY (WIP) version of [RSTR](https://rstr.d17e.dev) for a spin.
#petplot #machinearts #bantamtools #axidraw #rstr #cmy #deatramentis #octopusfluids #rotring #mona #kooiker
Pt. 2, UV AHOY! I can never resist making art of my pibble, Topanga, so when I saw @bantamtools “Plot Your Pet” challenge I had to enter. I masked Topanga and her toys, processed each through noise fields, limited to 2–3 colors, and mixed inks to get just the right shades. My handwriting became UV-reactive hatch-filled text. Layers were drawn with a dip pen for an organic feel. The process ended up being iterative, painterly, and deeply satisfying. #PetPlot #MachineArts #BantamTools #MastoArt
I can never resist making art of my pibble, Topanga, so when I saw @bantamtools “Plot Your Pet” challenge I had to enter. I masked Topanga and her toys, processed each through noise fields, limited to 2–3 colors, and mixed inks to get just the right shades. My handwriting became UV-reactive hatch-filled text. Layers were drawn with a dip pen for an organic feel. The process ended up being iterative, painterly, and deeply satisfying. #PetPlot #MachineArts #BantamTools #Pibbles #MastoArt
This is Kiwi, my submission for @bantamtools #petplot challenge, a #parametricportrait using smith style Truchet tiles. #machinearts #bantamtools #penplotter #algorist #plotterart
The final version of Truchet in the Sky submitted to @bantamtools for the Plot the Landscape Challenge #machinearts #plotthelandscape #bantamtools.

Our Forge & Craft “mini-masterpiece”1 for the Wimbledon Art Fair for spring 2025, is titled Heliocode.

Throughout the past year, we’ve been experimenting with the use of paint as an element of our pen plotter work. This is not to the same extent as some of our friends in the community, who have built complete systems to pick and apply colours individually2 – instead, we’re using 3D printed styli to draw through poured paints. We’ve found this to be an interesting combination, juxtaposing the organic and unpredictable movement of the paints with the precision of the drawn lines.

Our previous mini-masterpiece, New Horizons, was in the show sale last November; a behind-the-scenes image crept into my previous post about plotter work.

The new piece, Heliocode, is something that Heidi spent a lot of time on, largely while I was travelling in my new role! The line art design was my principal contribution – that may reappear in different form, in a future project; experimentation with paint, and creation of the final artwork, were all thanks to her efforts. The design was was not intended to be reminiscent of the previous work, at all (in fact, it was never created with the intent to be plotted) – although, viewed one after the other, I can see that there’s a coincidental similarity.

Heliocode

The artwork was created with a Bantam Tools NextDraw 1117, and again combines poured paint techniques with the more strict stylus dynamics of a coded SVG design. We chose a vibrant yellow medium, and a dark violet for the line art. A slight imperfection still found its way into the pattern, which is part of the charm of working with a mixture of digital and analog tools.

Feel free to take a look at the new work, on the Wimbledon Art Fair sale site – it is one of a kind, at an affordable price.

You can also come to visit us at the event itself – find us in Red Studios 273, between May 8th – May 11th 2025.

  • The mini-masterpieces are made and donated by each of the artists taking part in the fair, as part of fundraising for the future of the show. ↩︎
  • See Licia He’s Painting with Plotters course, as one example. ↩︎
  • https://andypiper.co.uk/2025/04/28/heliocode/

    #100DaysToOffload #art #artwork #bantamTools #creativity #forgeAndCraft #generativeArt #nextdraw #paint #paintingWithPlotters #penPlotter #wimbledonArtFair #wimbledonArtStudios

    Forge & Craft

    We are Makers. 3D printing, vinyl cutting, crafting, pen plotting, electronics, digital design, and Open Source enthusiasts.