Developing stylized trees and landscapes inspired by Eyvind Earle

Abstract

This work uses Houdini to explore methods of generating and rendering landscapes stylized to mimic the artwork of artist Eyvind Earle (1916-2000). I present general guidelines and procedural characterizations of various trees, a forest, cliffs, mountains, an ocean, and waves. I developed methods for matching the shapes of the objects, relying on noise, L-systems, and other constraints. The graphic style places importance on the shape of the geometry, as it is rendered with simple toon-based shading techniques. Additionally, any intricate details are portrayed with point or line geometry instead of a traditional shader to mimic fine illustrative brushwork. Carefully chosen color palettes, separate shadow geometry, and level-of-detail rules also add to the likeness of Earle's style.