Grammar of Hatching is a generative system that lets artists produce real-time pen-and-ink 3D renderings by describing a texture in plain language. The technique is unusually demanding because each stroke has to convey both surface texture and tonal shading at once, and authoring it today requires a rare mix of programming expertise and traditional illustration skill. The project bridges that gap with a small, purpose-built language that organizes the rendering around the layers artists already think in, such as outline, detail, and shadow, with directly editable controls for stroke width, spacing, orientation, and jitter. A language model handles the translation from a text description or reference image into that program, giving the artist a structured, refinable starting point. The result aims to open expressive pen-and-ink rendering to designers, illustrators, game developers, and filmmakers who currently have no path to the style.
Grammar of Hatching2026-2027
