Bring analogue soul back into your digital work. In this class, you’ll design a piece with handmade layers, then pull it all together in Photoshop for a look that’s beautifully imperfect—and uniquely yours.

This is the first class in my new Inky Illustrations series. We’ll explore a Slo‑Fi workflow: creating handmade colour separations (with paper, pens, ink, cut shapes, textures), then compositing them digitally for the perfect blend of analogue feel + digital control.

I’ll walk you through everything: planning your composition, making separations by hand, scanning, cleaning up in digital, layering in Photoshop, and finishing with crisp, print‑ready colour. The process is intentionally simple and playful—so you can focus on ideas and craft rather than endless tweaking.

You’ll learn how to:

Turn analogue marks into flexible digital layers
Do clean, fast colour separations (Steinweiss‑inspired)
Scan for best contrast & alignment
Build a tidy Photoshop file (layers, blend modes, masks)
Add texture, misregistration, and “human” charm on purpose

Who it’s for: Illustrators and designers who want handmade warmth in their digital work. Comfortable with basic Photoshop. Beginners are welcome—just follow along and keep it simple.

Software & Alternatives: Primary demo is Photoshop; you can adapt in Procreate or Affinity with the same principles, although workflows and results will vary.

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Bare Minimum Kit

If you just want to get started without buying a ton of supplies, here’s all you really need:

A sketchbook or plain paper
Pencil & eraser
A couple of black drawing tools (e.g. a marker + a fine liner pen)
Colour media (a few markers or coloured pencils)
Scissors & glue stick (or tape)
Tracing paper (light table recommended)
A phone camera (scanner recommended)
Photoshop (or Procreate/Affinity in a pinch)

Full Tools/Materials Kit

If you're really going to town with supplies, here's a full list of possible tools you might use:

Paper
- Plain paper or a sketchbook (easy-tear pages for sketching)
- Mixed media or marker paper (for inking)
Basic Drawing Supplies
- Pencil & eraser (for sketching)
- Colour media (markers, pencil crayons for the colour sketch)
Cut & Paste Tools
- Scissors or X-acto blade + cutting mat
- Glue stick or clear tape
Correction Tools
- Fine white paint pen, correction fluid, or white gouache/acrylic paint
- Green painter’s tape
- Ruler
Black Drawing Tools (use a mix of broad & fine sizes)
- Paint pens
- Markers
- Micron pens
- Black India ink
- Nib pens & brushes
- Jar of water (for ink & brushes)
For Tracing and Digitizing
- Lightbox for tracing (or use a window)
- Scanner for digitizing (a camera can work, though results may vary)
Digital Tools
- Photoshop (recommended)
- Or an equivalent app, like Procreate or Affinity

Ana Karelskaia

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