So, I came across this name, Jaime Arias, a while back. Not someone you see plastered everywhere, you know? Just stumbled on some of his stuff, maybe it was on some obscure forum or a link a friend shared, can’t quite recall. But a few pieces stuck with me. Had a certain… something. Different.
The Grand Plan (or so I thought)
Anyway, I got this itch. I was tinkering with a little personal project, just a small banner for a blog I mess around with. And I thought, “Hey, why not try to get a bit of that Jaime Arias vibe into it?” Seemed like a cool little challenge. How hard could it be, right? Famous last words, as usual.
So, I fired up my old graphics tablet, the one that’s seen better days, and opened up Krita. Nothing too fancy, just what I had. I figured I’d look at a few of Arias’s pieces and just sort of… absorb the style. Then translate it. Easy peasy.
Where the “Easy” Part Ended
Well, let me tell you, that “easy peasy” idea went out the window pretty fast. This Arias fella, his work might look kinda straightforward at first glance, but trying to actually replicate that feel? Man, it was a proper grind. There’s this subtle texture he often uses, like a very fine grain, but it doesn’t look like a cheap filter. And his color palettes are often muted but have this weird depth to them.
I must have spent a good couple of evenings just trying to get a similar texture. I was fiddling with brush settings, noise layers, overlay modes – you name it. My layer panel started looking like a complete dog’s breakfast. I’d try something, squint at it, compare it to one of Arias’s images, and then usually hit “undo” with a sigh.
- Spent ages on just picking base colors.
- Tried to mimic some line work I saw, but mine just looked clunky.
- Layer blending modes became my best friend and worst enemy.
It’s funny, I remember I was actually meant to be clearing out the garage that weekend. My wife even printed out a checklist. But there I was, hunched over the screen, muttering about “subtle color shifts” and “atmospheric perspective.” The garage, needless to say, remained a chaotic mess. She just rolled her eyes when she saw me still at it late Sunday night. “Discovering your inner Arias, are we?” she asked. Yeah, something like that, minus the actual talent, I guess.
A Glimmer of… Something
After a lot of trial and, mostly, error, I started to get a tiny inkling of how some of it came together. It wasn’t one single technique. It was a bunch of small things, layered carefully. Like how a slightly desaturated color would sit next to a very specific, almost hidden highlight. Or the way edges weren’t always sharp, but not blurry either. It’s the kind of stuff that makes you appreciate the skill involved.
I eventually landed on a version for my banner that… well, it wasn’t a Jaime Arias masterpiece, not by a long shot. But it had a hint of what I was aiming for. It felt a bit more considered than my usual slap-dash efforts. I think the main thing I took away was patience. And that “simple” often isn’t simple at all when you’re the one trying to make it.
So yeah, that was my little adventure trying to decode and practice a bit of the Jaime Arias style. Didn’t exactly become a pro, but it was a decent learning curve. And the banner? It’s up. I look at it, and I mostly remember the swearing under my breath. Good times.