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Illustrating Crafting Interpreters

Bob Nystrom
Demos
YouTube
2 HN users recommended this demo2 months2020–2024 score 2
Years with an HN recommendation, 2007–2026

Shared in Crafting Interpreters threads because it shows the care behind the book and is satisfying to watch.

Bob Nystrom shows his process for hand-drawing the diagrams in his book Crafting Interpreters, from pencil sketches to tracing and inking. It is a time-lapse of the whole illustration workflow.

“the time-lapse video of the entire process is like ASMR for geeks” (HN, 2020)

2 recommendations · 2 citations · Demos

4 Hacker News comments

From the HN archive; up to 20 kept per video, favoring different commenters. Recommendations first.

@airstrike Apr 2020 Recommends
on HN thread Crafting “Crafting Interpreters”
Read more
> I used to do graphic design, and I have this weird tic where any time I see something that looks handwritten, I look for multiple instances of the same letter to see if they are different or if the design just used a handwriting font. It’s almost always a handwriting font and I die a little inside to see the illusion evaporate. Not a graphic designer, but I do the exact same thing and feel the exact same way... Happy to see I'm not crazy alone And his look like really neat hand-drawn diagrams! I certainly appreciate the degree of craftsmanship and care displayed throughout both books As a someone put it on YouTube, the time-lapse video of the entire process is like ASMR for geeks [this video]
Time-lapse of hand-drawing the book's illustrations.
@vishnugupta Feb 2022 Recommends
on HN thread Crafting Interpreters – Web Version
Related. The author's love for their craft oozes through their work. If I'm not wrong every single illustration in the book is hand-drawn ; like literally. Take a look: [this video]
Shows the hand-drawn illustrations in the book being made.

Citations, criticism and jokes

@munificent Jul 2021 Cites it
on HN thread Crafting Interpreters is available in print
Literally hand drawn with my hands. Here's a video of me making one: [this video] It's, like, comically time consuming. But also pretty satisfying.
Author shows the process of hand-drawing the book's illustrations.

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