What’s convenient about using a drawing machine to make art is that you can make your creations as specific or as generative as you like, all while standing back and admiring the patterns unfolding right in front of you. A good example of generative work is [Rosmarie Fiore’s](http://www.rosemariefiore.com/pages.php?content=galleryBig.php&navGallID=4&navGallIDquer=4&imageID=91&view=big
) Scrambler drawings, which she made by connecting a gas generator and air compressor to buckets of paint, strapped to the seats of an old Scrambler amusement park ride.
Photo courtesy of Rosmarie Fiore.On the flipside, artist Tony Orrico uses his body as a human spirograph by holding writing utensils in his hands, exercising extreme precision to create his geometrically accurate large-scale artworks.But to continue on the theme of “painting the artist out of the picture” from yesterday’s post on Eske Rex’s room-sized drawing machine, this week’s Instructables How-To shows you how to make your own generative drawing machine using simple tools from around your studio… because not all of us have the strength and patience of Orrico.The main materials you’ll need for this project are an old power drill, an offset cam, some clamps, cardboard, a hot glue gun, old pencils, and duct tape.First you’ll want to attach the cams to the drill and secure the drill to a wooden base.Next, you’ll create your styluses. The author made several by gluing pencils (we recommend colored) to various objects including a super ball, the guts of a baseball, a piece of rawhide, and a tennis ball. Your styluses will affect the outcome of the finished drawing.Next you will construct a “fence” made from cardboard and duct tape to mount on top of the wooden box. This will keep the stylus on the paper.Then it’s time to plug in the drill and see what happens. The author suggests clamping the machine down to a table, unless you want the box moving freely on the floor of your workspace. Experiment with different sizes of paper, fences, and utensils for maximum success.For a variation on this Instructable, check out the author’s vibrobot paintings.Visit the Instructables How-To for further instruction, more detailed photographs, and tips on where to buy materials.
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