Finally, this moment has come! Having seen enough of the fractal pictures of others, you decided to create something like this yourself. You decided to become a fractalist! That is the person who creates fractals on the monitor screen. Not a scientist-mathematician who studies fractal sets, recursiveness of objects and phenomena, not an artist-algorithm, namely a fractalist! I do not know any other definitions of a person who has devoted himself to fractal graphics, but personally I call us that way. The desire to become them is very good and commendable, but where to start? How to do it so that you can use your time for training as efficiently as possible? And most importantly, how not to waste it? Since the result can be pitiable - you can "be disappointed" in the fractal graph and, after getting excited, throw the study into a long box, if not forever. In this post we will deal with the basic mistakes of beginning fractals.
Praemonitus praemunitus, (lat) Forewarned - means armed!
1. We need to understand first that fractal graphics are not just a computer-generated image generation system. You, of course, know that there is a raster, vector and voxel 3D graphics. But in addition to them, there is quite legally a fractal graphics based on mathematical models of fractal geometry. Many people tend to think that fractal graphics are not for artists and illustrators, but I hasten to disappoint skeptics - it's not so. Fractal artist - a full-fledged creator and creator of many masterpieces of computer and algorithmic art. So it does not belong to fractal graphics, as to marginal and unpromising art - this point of view at a minimum can be considered inferior. ))))
2. The main mistake is disbelief in yourself and your abilities. I very often encountered this phenomenon, covering all aspects of our life activity, and not only self-learning fractal graphics. And indeed, often a beginner, faced with problems in the program - the generator of fractal graphics, throws the whole process. You can more! But you do not admit to yourself! For example, here is my work in the initial stages (here the program mandelbulb 3d is used):
After some time I could do this:
and then I began to turn out like this:
Do not doubt yourself - this is an indisputable truth. Because of this error, 80% of the future masters are eliminated by fractal graphics, which can not be upsetting. (((Another example familiar to many coders: you sit and see yourself a piece of someone else's (let's say php) code.) And you need to figure it out and you need to, but the unbridled interest is working.) You begin to learn the php syntax at first, then variables, operators, arrays, etc. And you step on to a new stage of your professional and creative development, just like with fractals - you need to make yourself understand that "Fractal knowledge" is subject to you, too .
The next mistake is that the person is afraid to ask about any details. He might think that it would be bad for him to talk if he laid out poor-quality work. It's not true - people can speak it badly because of the lack of good manners - and only. I went through this and spent three months in the demiart forum (by the way, almost the only one then, able to teach something) in the read-only mode, afraid of criticism and harsh statements. Maybe, in some cases, this works (I then decided that I will lay out only quality work and do without questions), but do not hope at first only for yourself. You will be happy to help and prompt!
Decide on the software: from the variety of generators of fractal graphics in the inexperienced can spin around ready (I was spinning). After a while, I realized that they can actually be listed on the fingers and toes, but capable of work and creativity - and even less. Decide for yourself - that you want to study 2D - or 3D - generators of fractals, and there it will go even easier. Do not try to learn everything at once. Go to success in small but correct steps. (I will tell about the generators in a separate post). It is better to be a pro in some aspect or program than to know the tops of a dozen programs. Squeeze out of the software maximum !!!
To operate fractal graphics, you do not need to know any code and operate with mathematical terminology. The developers are also people and they understood perfectly well that they did not develop generators for scientists and mathematicians - all the operations for image generation and rendering are performed "quietly", they do not exit the program core and beyond the optical interface. An exception is only some programs (for example, for good results and rendering in Fragmentarium you can use the GLSL code)
Find yourself a normal environment among the fractal people - there are enough communities. You do not need to try to figure out the information. Look for communities - where they speak their native language and sort out the same questions that torment you.
When the fractalist learned something, a lot of feelings arise - from jubilation to pride. But pride is different - do not confuse pride in realizing your own potential and feeling success with pride. Know your friends that, no matter how great your successes are, there will always be someone who knows more about you in this topic.
This conclusion comes from the previous one: look for knowledge and experience of someone who knows more than you - ask, collect the grains of priceless knowledge and build your own experience.
Sorry for my English)))