Okay, so I decided to try out this thing I heard about, linked to someone named Lauren Wessel. Saw some chatter online, folks talking about a particular method she uses, or maybe it’s just named after her, who knows. Sounded kinda different from how I usually tackle my projects, so I thought, why not give it a spin?
Getting Started
First thing, I tried to find some solid info. Wasn’t much official stuff, mostly bits and pieces on forums and image boards. Seemed like the core idea was some kind of layered approach, especially with visuals. So, I just grabbed my usual gear, powered up the computer, and opened the software I normally use. Didn’t have a strict plan, just wanted to mess around with this layering concept.
The Actual Process
Alright, I started simple. Just a basic design element. The supposed ‘Wessel method’, as I understood it from the fragments I found, involved building things up really gradually. Lots of thin layers, almost see-through,重ねて (kasane te – layering up, oops, need to stick to English)… I mean, stacking them up. This felt super weird because I usually block things in pretty solidly from the start.
My first few tries were honestly a bit crap. Everything looked washed out or muddy. It took me a while, maybe a good hour or so, just fiddling with settings, trying different tools I don’t normally use. Trying to get a simple effect to look right with this technique was tough.
- Felt really slow compared to my usual pace.
- Had to constantly tweak transparency and flow.
- It really forced me to think about building up complexity step-by-step.
Patience was the big thing. Seriously thought about ditching it a couple of times because it felt like I wasn’t getting anywhere fast. Keeping the layers organized was also part of the challenge, ironically, since ‘layers’ was the whole point.
End Result and Thoughts
So, after pushing through for an afternoon, I finally got something that looked… interesting. It wasn’t my usual style, definitely softer, more subtle maybe? Hard to explain. It had a unique quality to it that I don’t normally achieve.
Did it work? Yeah, kinda. I mean, I produced something using the technique. Is it revolutionary? Nah, probably not. But it did force me out of my comfort zone. Learned a bit more about handling subtle changes and building things organically.
Will I incorporate this Lauren Wessel thing into my daily routine? Probably not wholesale. It takes way too long for most of the stuff I need to get done quickly. But for certain specific situations, maybe when I want that particular soft, built-up feel? Yeah, I might actually pull this trick out of the bag again. It was a decent experiment, glad I spent the time on it.
