What makes a gradient look great? "Near the Gradient" aims to answer that question – it's the first step towards making an algorithm that produces a random perfect-looking gradient. Gradients are everywhere, from the sky at sunset to web design to phone backgrounds. As I designed interfaces, I always struggled to pick & use a beautiful gradient correctly, so I avoided using them in UI, staying with flat UIs. It appeared only gradient masters can draw perfect ones. This algorithm is my first step to deeply understand gradient & color through code.