Processing Foundation has been a leader in creating communities and tools which make computational art more approachable for visual artists who are new to coding. We will be using p5.js:
“P5.js is a JavaScript library for creative coding, with a focus on making coding accessible and inclusive for artists, designers, educators, beginners, and anyone else!”
It is beneficial for us to code in an environment that is designed for visual artists because it provides us with functions we might have otherwise had to code from scratch. Their website provides plenty of educational materials, and The Coding Train is a fantastic visual learning resource.
I am using p5.js today because it is easy for us to incorporate p5.js directly into our own websites. 72% of Canadian developers work in web development, so it will be useful to learn something which can contribute to that path. What's more, JavaScript is the most commonly used language. So p5.js will be a great asset to you if you continue to learn it or expand into Javascript without p5.js. You can code with p5.js in your browser here, in codepen (import the p5.js library into pen), or using the p5.js app.
Another fantastic tool by Processing Foundation is Processing:
“Processing is a flexible software sketchbook and a language for learning how to code within the context of the visual arts.”
Processing Foundation has provided many instructional resources on their website and across Youtube. You can use processing through their app or through OpenProcessing.
In the 60s John Whitney had to pioneer his own analog computer for creating graphics. It's a miracle what's available to us now.