30 SVG prompts benchmark 2025–2026 LLMs on pelican-bicycle-style drawing tests

Show HN: Pelican-bicycle alternatives (updated for 2026)

Tom Gally built a site with Claude Fable 5.1 that extends Simon Willison's pelican-riding-a-bicycle test into 30 SVG drawing prompts. The 2026 run covers six models—GPT-6 Astra, Claude Fable 5.1, Gemini 3.8 Flash, DeepSeek V4 Pro, Qwen3.8 Max, and Fugu Ultra v2—while the 2025 run includes ten models like Claude Sonnet 4.5 and GPT-5.1. Each image shows generation time and cost: DeepSeek V4 Pro finished in 1 min 36 s at $0.10, Qwen3.8 Max took over 12 minutes, and Fugu Ultra v2 cost $1.02. The post presents raw SVG outputs without subjective ratings, so you compare the drawings directly.

Why it matters: Simon Willison's pelican test is a community staple, and this expands it to 30 prompts across 6 models with timing and cost — dense, useful signal. The deliberate lack of subjective scoring means readers have to flip through images themselves, which costs it a bit of immediate...