Rik Roots
rikroots.bsky.social
Rik Roots
@rikroots.bsky.social
Coder. Poet. Occasional Human. Responsible for the Scrawl-canvas JS library - responsive, interactive and more accessible HTML5 canvas elements.

I'm here mainly for the cute cat memes!
Pinned
There is an empty space, man shaped,
that walks by my side.
Once it lived in my guts, but now
I can see it
when I look in the mirror, razor
touched to my throat.

#poetry
I wanted to see what happens when we pixelate an image, reduce its palette then dither the result. This, apparently. Codepen code here: codepen.io/kaliedarik/p... #creativecoding #digitalart #computerart
Dithering pixelated images
...
codepen.io
November 29, 2025 at 11:56 AM
Another day, another self-published chapbook thing from me to the world. Enjoy! rikverse2020.rikweb.org.uk/book/seeking... (also: it's free to download and read). #poetry #cavafy #translation and lots of other tags I can't remember.
November 28, 2025 at 5:31 PM
One more - this #graphic #poem is far more traditionally #concrete in form. Like a map. Really, the only graphical thing about it is the background.
June 22, 2025 at 10:05 AM
This #graphic #poem thing is a bit more #conceptual. I'm not convinced I like "conceptual" - I'm happier with words and phrases and stuff. But you don't get anywhere by hiding under your own comfort blanket ...
June 22, 2025 at 10:03 AM
I'm sure there's lots of people who have created #graphic #poems like this before. But now I've done it too. The world is not safe from me anymore!
June 22, 2025 at 9:47 AM
So I'm struggling - this new #CSS shape() thing is basically an attempt to add relative values when defining a shape's parameters, but instead of adapting the existing path() thing to accept % values they instead introduce an entirely new syntax? I mean ... why? developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/W...
shape() - CSS: Cascading Style Sheets | MDN
The shape() CSS function is used to define a shape for the clip-path and offset-path properties. It combines an initial starting point with a series of shape commands that define the path of the shape...
developer.mozilla.org
April 19, 2025 at 1:22 PM
Looking for suggestions for more creative coders to follow here. Made the mistake of following some influencers when signing up and now my feed is full of politics. My eyes beg for astonishments! Also: pixel manipulation is fun!
March 16, 2025 at 11:19 AM
I completed #genuary - never done that before. I'm not an artist or designer; I don't expect people to like or understand this past month's contributions from me. But it felt good to feel creative. And it's been great seeing other people's #genuary2025 efforts. So much to enjoy! Thank you all!!
January 31, 2025 at 8:43 AM
#genuary - #genuary31 prompt: Pixel sorting ... or not. Instead, a reduced-palette dither effect. The screencapture must've done it's own palette reduction too cuz it's very different from the original - available for playing with on CodePen here codepen.io/kaliedarik/f...
January 31, 2025 at 8:30 AM
#genuary - #genuary30 prompt: Abstract map. I love maps! I love their simple complexities. I love the fact that I struggle to read them. These maps need a lot more work before I love them. CodePen here: codepen.io/kaliedarik/f...
January 30, 2025 at 7:00 AM
#genuary - #genuary29 prompt: Grid-based graphic design. I'm not a designer. This is my brain when told to #design something. All power to the Designers! Code can be recovered from this CodePen: codepen.io/kaliedarik/f...
January 29, 2025 at 6:36 AM
#genuary - #genuary28 prompt: Infinite Scroll. I wanted to create a natural infinite scroll so I built a waterfall. Making it look (vaguely) like a 20th century pixellated game scene gives me warm retro vibes. Code on CodePen here codepen.io/kaliedarik/f...
January 28, 2025 at 7:29 AM
#genuary - #genuary27 prompt: Make something interesting with no randomness or noise or trig. I chose to visualise FizzBuzzBang. All very boring until I turned pixels into hairs and animated them. Making the numbers bigger made my device cry less. For code, see CodePen: codepen.io/kaliedarik/p...
January 27, 2025 at 7:24 AM
Gathering ideas for #genuary Day 29 (Grid-based graphic design) and came across reference to Mueller-Brockmann's famous Beethoven poster. A few years back I did a CodePen inspired by this work! Link to the Pen here: codepen.io/kaliedarik/f...
January 26, 2025 at 11:51 AM
#genuary - #genuary26 prompt: Symmetry. When someone says "symmetry" I always think "snowflakes!". I'm quite happy with how this one turned out. Code can be played with on CodePen - codepen.io/kaliedarik/f...
January 26, 2025 at 8:47 AM
#genuary - #genuary25 prompt: One line that may or may not intersect itself. An idea for a random pathfinding line didn't work out. So in the end I went for knitting. The animation is achieved using a "marching ants" line-dash offset. CodePen showing animation here: codepen.io/kaliedarik/f...
January 25, 2025 at 8:42 AM
#genuary - #genuary24 prompt: Geometric art - pick either a circle, rectangle, or triangle... I've already done triangles and rectangles, which leaves circles as my only option. I found myself thinking of black holes, which Genuary has become for me. CodePen here for code: codepen.io/kaliedarik/f...
January 24, 2025 at 7:49 AM
#genuary - #genuary23 prompt: Inspired by brutalism. Brutalism ... doesn't inspire me. Noise - on the other hand - is fun! So a set of noise-based patterns rendered in a nice concrete-gray gradient. Code in the Pen here: codepen.io/kaliedarik/f...
January 23, 2025 at 7:26 AM
#genuary - #genuary22 prompt: Gradients only. I like gradients, especially when applied to noise. I also like stacks of owls. Or are they cats? Code can be found in CodePen here: codepen.io/kaliedarik/f...
January 22, 2025 at 7:57 AM
#genuary - #genuary21 prompt: Create a collision detection system. I don't care for collisions. It's forces and springs all the way down for me! Also: I find playing with the results very satisfying - a nice time waster. Feel free to play with this CodePen: codepen.io/kaliedarik/f...
January 21, 2025 at 8:19 AM
#genuary - #genuary20 prompt: Generative Architecture. When I think of Architecture, I think of blueprints. I'm sure generative architecture will help us design better windmills - one day. CodePen with the code here: codepen.io/kaliedarik/f...
January 20, 2025 at 8:14 AM
So I'm mucking around on a Sunday trying to figure out what I can do for some of the upcoming #genuary challenges and I have an idea for one of them which involves using a "grid" to deform images and this isn't the demo but gives me great satisfaction to waste time playing with it ...
January 19, 2025 at 2:21 PM
#genuary - #genuary19 prompt: Op Art. Yeah ... it's not "Op". It's barely "Art" - but it feels kinda funky and retro and I'm glad I created it. CodePen for the inquisitive: codepen.io/kaliedarik/f...
January 19, 2025 at 8:15 AM
#genuary - #genuary18 prompt: What does wind look like? I've no idea what wind looks like! Desparation being the mother of inspiration, I've ended up with something a million miles away from my original intentions. CodePen for the generator code here: codepen.io/kaliedarik/f...
January 18, 2025 at 7:20 AM