This document describes Debora Alanna's "Tears" digital drawing and virtual reality series from 2018. The series seeks to connect people by exploring tears at a microscopic level and manipulating microscopic tear images through different software and 3D printing to create poly-objects and a VR environment. Microscopic tear images were obtained online and imported into programs like Inkscape and Tinkercad to generate 3D models. These were then 3D printed and assembled in a VR space for collaborative viewing and discussion. The goal was to challenge assumptions about common human experiences like crying through transforming the microscopic into multi-dimensional artwork.

1. Tears
A digital drawing series
Debora Alanna
Summer 2018

2. Rationale.
Tears are common to
everyone.
I seek a way to connect
people.
Sometimes what is
beyond assumption
because it is not
quickly apparent
allows
understanding.
Drawing on the seemingly invisible provides a
basis for poetic living.
The macrocosmic from the microscopic
seemed a worthy means of exploration and
development.
Digital drawing seemed a viable way to
challenge presumption about commonality,
allow refreshed views, opportunities to
engage in dialogue and expand the human
experience of tears.

3. Tear of abandonment
Tears is a series of digital
drawings.
Microscopic images of human
tears were obtain from the
internet.
Images were manipulated in 3
different software to realize
them as 3D prints.
Tears as poly-objects were
imported into virtual reality
(VR) to create a VR
environment for collaborative
purposes. (left)

4. Tear of elation at a liminal moment
When people cry, tears change biological
constructs seen with microscopic imagery.
Microscopic Images available from the
Smithsonian site were used for this as initial
image resources for this project.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-microscopic-structures-of-dried-human-tears-180947766/
Many of the microscopic images originated
from the eyes of scientist Rose-Lynn Fischer.
She photographed hers and other’s tears.
https://www.lensculture.com/projects/524542-the-topography-of-tears

5. Overwhelm
The microscopic
image was imported
into the Inkscape™
program to create a
3D file with vectors.
Vectors are a means
of plotting 3-
dimensional space.
This file was adjusted
to thicken lines and
adjust surfaces, give
the drawing
materiality and
develop composition.

6. The tear from being
overwhelmed
was brought
into Tinkercad™
to extrude the
shapes – give
them height and
depth (left),
produce a base
(red box) that
would be
digitally merged
as one unit.
Later, prior to
the VR import,
the work was
disassembled to
remove the
base.

7. Variations to the
structure of the
image can take place
in Tinkercad™.
Changes to the height
and width of the
drawing were
experiments in image
manipulation.
The red square is the
base before it gets
adhered to the rest of
the image surface
and set below the

8. Adobe Netfabb™
software was required
to repair files prior to
bringing the work into
the 3D print program.
3D or digital prints are
called
stereolithographs and
files must be saved
with that extension
prior to printing (STL).

9. Tear of compassion
The 3D file was ‘sliced’ or
readied for the Prussa
3D printer, a rapid
prototyping machine.
The file was converted to a
g-code, a numerical
device to instruct the
machine how to render
the 3-dimensional
imagery as
stereolithograph.

10. Stereolithography
Printing of Tears:
#cusandbox
Concordia Sandbox
2nd Floor, Webster Library.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BlqjCd6jjBY/?
taken-by=embellish4art
https://www.instagram.com/p/BlJPR6CndxH/?

13. Tears – Overwhelming
VR environment – 1st manipulation.

14. Tears is an ongoing, multidimensional,
intermedia project by
Debora Alanna.
For further information:
embellish4art (at) gmail (dot) com