tinturtle | A New Art Technique

I'm excited about the new art technique I've come up with. I used it today to make the MFU fan art below.

For this technique, I made a rough photo manipulation, then traced it using a digital pen and tablet. Next, I deleted the manip, leaving only the tracings. Finally, I applied some virtual ink washes, also with the digital pen. (I added a couple of fictions not in the manip, too, notably Illya's right sleeve.)

This technique has two main advantages. First, it allows me to create finished images from photo manipulations without the endless color adjustment and attempts to match the noise and blur of different components. Besides being time consuming, those things tend to be hit-and-miss in their success. Second, it allows me to create something with a human touch despite my limited drawing skills. (I can draw a bit, but not well enough to create likenesses of the characters.)

It's also an interesting process. There is some artistry in choosing which lines to trace and how, what ink washes to use, etc. Not to mention the already creative process of making the kind of many-layer manips I have often produced.

I'm looking forward to exploring the applications of this technique.