How is drawing by hand from observation different from programming the computer to draw for you? Can you think of some commonalities as well?

Programming the computer to draw for you results in pieces that are more precise and patterns that are more equal. Drawing by hand isn't necessarily inferior, a lot of people enjoy the aesthetic of a piece of art not being "perfect". I see them both as tools to create art, with neither being the superior one, although I will note that computer programming takes less practice to perfect compared to drawing by hand, which is why many historic art pieces are so highly valued. The introduction of AI is also a factor to take into account when gauging the value of "computed" art since AI is so accessible and powerful nowadays.

What properties have you manipulated in the repetition / iterations? Describe your observations and visual outcomes during the process.
I liked the use of noise and angles to create these star-like patterns. The aesthetic of noise made the patterns seem natural and something you would see in space and less of something that a computer would generate (ironic). For the background landscapes, I used the same method as the first few landscapes, but used a for-loop to repeat them in the background, creating a beautiful landscape. I thought of using random at first but found that not being as consistent and easy to control as noise, so after the substitution, I was able to create galaxies, star systems and everything in between.

What makes a good generative pattern?

Since I've always been fond of the minimalist aesthetic, I think an art piece that's easy on the eyes is crucial for a good generative pattern. Different types of patterns also have different aspects that make them "good". For example, for the background landscapes, its important to make everything look similar and not have any single pattern stand out amongst the rest. On the hand, with the single, central patterns, its easier to add more bold features to it since the audience would only focus on one "object" in the art.