# Evolved Art with Transparent, Overlapping, and Geometric Shapes

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/1904.06110 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/1904.06110/

## Key facts

- Cited by 3 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 12 Apr 2019.

## Built on by (most cited first, 3 of 3)

- [Modern Evolution Strategies for Creativity: Fitting Concrete Images and Abstract Concepts](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2109.08857/) (2021)
- [Stroke-based Rendering: From Heuristics to Deep Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2302.00595/) (2022)
- [Discount Model Search for Quality Diversity Optimization in High-Dimensional Measure Spaces](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2601.01082/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

In this work, an evolutionary art project is presented where images are approximated by transparent, overlapping and geometric shapes of different types, e.g., polygons, circles, lines. Genotypes representing features and order of the geometric shapes are evolved with a fitness function that has the corresponding pixels of an input image as a target goal. A genotype-to-phenotype mapping is therefore applied to render images, as the chosen genetic representation is indirect, i.e., genotypes do not include pixels but a combination of shapes with their properties. Different combinations of shapes, quantity of shapes, mutation types and populations are tested. The goal of the work herein is twofold: (1) to approximate images as precisely as possible with evolved indirect encodings, (2) to produce visually appealing results and novel artistic styles.