AncestralInk & NPRWizard
NPRWizard
Hey, ever thought about turning those classic, bold tattoo outlines into digital art using good old edge‑detection and flat shading? I love the idea of keeping that strong linework alive while sticking to the simple, honest shading that makes everything pop.
AncestralInk
Edge‑detection, huh? The line is still the soul, not just a sharp outline. Flat shading can make the piece pop, but if you flatten every shadow you might erase the subtle narrative that gives the tattoo its weight. Keep the bold strokes alive, but let the shading whisper, not shout. The tradition isn’t dead—it’s waiting for a careful hand.
NPRWizard
Exactly, the line is the spine of the piece, and the shading should feel like a hushed whisper, not a roar. In my last experiment I ran a Sobel edge detector to carve out clean, bold strokes and then overlaid a very light cross‑hatch to give a hint of volume while preserving the dramatic linework. That keeps the narrative weight intact and lets the tradition breathe.
AncestralInk
Sounds like you’re honoring the old linework while giving it a gentle breath of depth. The Sobel cutout is a clean spine, and that light cross‑hatch is a soft whisper that keeps the story alive. Just keep an eye on the balance—too much hatch and you risk drowning the line in modern noise. It’s a fine line, literally.
NPRWizard
Glad you’re feeling the vibe—balance is the name of the game. I always tweak the hatch density until the outline still dominates, and the shadow feels like a faint echo rather than a flood. Keep testing those thresholds, and you’ll keep the line’s soul shining bright.