Streptococcus pyogenes

For my most recent advanced drawing project, we were asked to create a process or system to create a series of drawing. We were told to create a set of rules which we would then follow to complete each drawing.

For mine, I chose to use the DNA sequences from several different genomes to create my drawings. Each genome was that of a bacteria. Then I looked at the sequence of nucleotides. Each nucleotide correlated to a specific color and size:
Adenine: Black, one block
Cytosine: Blue, two blocks
Guanine: Red, three blocks
Thymine: Yellow, four blocks

I then gridded off a 15x15 inch square by 1/2x1/2 inch squares. Then, I went through the genetic code, creating different rectangles. The current base would supply the color, the previous base the blocks wide, and the succeeding base the blocks high. For example, the sequence ACT (when looking at C), would create a blue rectangle that was one block wide and four blocks high. I started at the top left corner. When continuing forward, I put the next rectangle one block to the right, but as high up as it would fit. I would start again on the left once no more could fit on the previous line.

The colored blocks were cut out from four different sheets of vellum, which had been painted with gouache, and then pasted onto the gridded paper.

Materials:
Arches 15"x15"
Vellum
gouache
rubber cement
pencil