In my latest artwork, I’ve been exploring a blend of two distinct techniques that bring together digital drawing and mechanical rendering. The process starts with a digital drawing, where I experiment with capturing an image by translating its essential elements—shapes, tones, and shadows—into lines. This phase is particularly enjoyable for me, as it allows for a lot of creative freedom in interpreting how the image should be represented.
Once the digital drawing is complete, I move to the next step using my Silhouette Cameo machine. Typically used for paper cutting, this machine can be adapted to swap the blade for a pen, transforming it into a tool for mechanical drawing. By loading my digital design into the machine, I’m able to create a mechanically rendered version of my original work.
What makes this part of the process particularly interesting is the challenge of creating an image with thin, single lines. Since the machine uses a pen, I have to think about how to represent depth, texture, and detail using just lines. To solve this, I experiment with various styles of hatching, which adds richness and texture to the lines, giving the final piece a unique feel that blends the hand-drawn with the mechanically precise.
This combination of techniques allows me to explore new textures and visual effects, making each piece both a creative experiment and a technical challenge.
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