Skip to content
integrated computational thinking

Algorithms 1: Intro to Algorithms

< Back to Building Block
Step 9 of 10: Algorithms in the Arts

The use of algorithms in the Arts focuses on using a sequence of logical, precise, repeatable steps to create or analyze art. Artists might use algorithms to understand the steps one needs to follow in order to create certain artistic works. For instance, the steps to creating a ceramic bowl would form an algorithm.

Artists use algorithms to design the most efficient, productive, or safe set of steps to create certain artistic works. For instance, think about how an artist manages materials. The steps to creating a ceramic bowl, a cast sculpture, or how long to let an oil painting dry are all examples of algorithms. Similarly, certain techniques that have been developed and passed down are algorithms: how to create perspective in a painting, theories about color combinations, and layering instruments or voices of different tonal ranges in a musical score.

Algorithms are also used to interpret a work of art. By using a set of steps to analyze a painting, observers can uncover meanings of art that might not be readily apparent. Furthermore, artists might use algorithms to program a piece of digital art.