Blog
Analog to Digital Ad Nauseam
Summary
This is an exercise in transforming objects from analog to digital, and then back to analog, and then digital again, ad nauseam. The purpose of the effort was to show how normal and accessible it has become to transform events and their artifacts through digital and analog manipulation. By focusing on a single event (or picture) as the source, I am hoping to demonstrate the multitude of ways that we can transform objects and events. By documenting each step, I also hope to provide traceable evidence of how each artifact was created and what it’s analog or digital state is.
Both successes and failures are being provided as each provides information. Some methods had various barriers to overcome, so building tools and working through the barriers became part of the results. AI (LLM) was used in the creation of some digital tooling (Specifically: Meshy AI, ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini when writing code).
Introduction
I started this journey after being worn out from painting for the past 2-3 years. I was becoming locked into my painting process, understanding what I liked to paint and how I liked to go about it. However, the process was becoming more repetitive and less challenging, and I desired the opposite. Once I removed the burden of requiring to paint in order to make art, I started off on a process where paintings was just one of the many options for a finished product.
I decided to draw my inspiration from myself: Young Me. I would be pulling inspiration from Young Me as I remember and as was captured in a photograph by my parents. Young Me seemed happy. While I have certainly taken to remembering some of the Unhappy Young Me, for most of my life, I thought it was time that I try to remember the Happy Young Me. My mother recently reminded me of a Young Me that she’d have to keep an eye on at the grocery store because I would wander off and start talking to random people. I was happy to have the conversation. I remember Young Me being able to run leaning at a 45 degree angle when I turned a corner, my speed so high I could now completely defying gravity and the laws of physics. Young Me wasn’t buried in social perceptions, fear of failure, or logic flaws. Young Me was just curious.
To start, I decided to focus on a couple of slide images that I had recently scanned for my Dad. While I had seen the images before, the actual slides hadn’t see the light of the projector in multiple decades.
Artifact 1
| Metadata | |
|---|---|
| Title | |
| Description | The event took place in the fall of 1971 where Charles Paul Vivier was photographed sitting on a 1948 International Harvester (Farmall) Cub tractor in the driveway of his paternal grandparents house. Charles Paul Vivier would be age 1 1/2 years at the event. The location his grandparents farm (The Stanley’s) in the Bell Spur community within the state of Virginia. Young Me is sporting a red long sleeved turtleneck sweater, generic blue kicks and custom hand-made jumper created by his Mom. |
| Origin | Live Event - Slide artifact |
| Source | Live Event |
| Date | Fall 1971 |
| Camera | Sears/Mamiya “Tower 32A” 35mm SLR camera |
| Film | Kodachrome 100 ISO (* needs verification) |
| Geographic Location | 36.654006, -80.487381 (36°39'14.4"N 80°29'14.6"W) |
| Geographic location description | Charles Lee and Audrey Puckett Stanley farm. Bell Spur community in Patrick County Virginia on Rt 608 (now referred to as Pilot View Drive). |
| Photographer | Charles Philip Vivier, my father, is facing roughly north. |
| Artifact State | Analog 35 mm slide |
Artifact 2
Tiff Scan
| Metadata | |
|---|---|
| Title | |
| Origin | Tiff File |
| Source | (Analog) 35MM Slide - Scan of slide into a tiff image. Slide was scanned backwards unintentionally. |
| Date Scanned | 2025-12-01 15:46:06 +0000 |
| Artifact State | Digital |
| Description | As a part of my gift to my Dad for his birthday, I scanned a box full of family slides. This picture was one of those slides. |
Analog manipulation
35mm color slide was scanned with Epson V600 Scanner (fact sheet) at Roanoke County Library in Vinton in 2025. That image was saved as a tiff file, recording precisely what the Epson V600 believe it scanned. The Epson V600 is a flatbed scanners convert analog positive slide film images to digital pixels by lighting behind the slide while a 12-line Epson Matrix CCD sensor array moves across the small image. The CCD uses mirrors and lenses to focus light onto a sensor chip. The light first passes through a filter to break down the colors into red, green and blue, and then onto the sensor chip, where the light intensity is translated into analog voltage. That voltage is converted into a to digital signal which is then saved as a bit which represents the pixel. The software then takes that pixel and saves it in the larger file which will be saved as a .tiff
Artifact 3
| Metadata | |
|---|---|
| Title | |
| Description | TIFF file converted to JPEG |
| Source | (Digital) 35MM Vivier014.tif |
| Date: Orientation | The scan is backwards. The original slide was flipped when it was scanned. |
| Artifact State | Digital |
Digital manipulation
As this is a .jpeg of a .tiff source, the file has been compressed at the pixel level. Tiff files display actual pixels scanned while jpeg compressed pictures changes pixels that are similar so they are instead exact matches of each other.
Description
Inception. This is the seed of playfulness and happiness to be reintroduced to my current state. I knew it was a big responsibility to sit on this tractor, but look at that face! That kid is so happy to be here and so happy to potentially drive this tractor. Or Dad posed him.
I started off just feeling like this image could be a good jumping-off point to a world that I didn’t know.
Artifact 4
| Metadata | |
|---|---|
| Title | |
| Source | Vivier014.JPG |
| Description | Paul on Tractor - Cropped. This is a cropping of Vivier014.JPG . It is 168 x 198 pixels. |
| Artifact State | Digital |
Artifact 5
Icon (13px x 15px):
Scaled icon 100x
Scaled icon 1000x
| Metadata | |
|---|---|
| Title | Paul on Tractor - Icon |
| Description | Paul on Tractor - Icon |
| Scaling for display purposes | Performed in browser using hugo server software |
| Source | paul-on-tractor-cropped.png |
| Artifact State | Digital |
Digital manipulation
Using GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program), I rescaled the original image into a 13 x 15 pixel image. The goal was to create a pixelated version that was still recognizable as Young Me.
Artifact
| Metadata | |
|---|---|
| Title | |
| Description | Paul on Tractor - Icon - Pencil Drawing (photo of artifact for presentation display). Pencil Drawing using scaled version of icon image (13 x 19 pixels) as reference. |
| Materials | HB4 pencil on sketchbook paper |
| Source | Paul on Tractor - Icon (Scaled) |
| Artifact State | Analog |
Artifact
| Metadata | |
|---|---|
| Title | Paul on Tractor casein painting |
| Source | Vivier014.JPG, paul-on-tractor-5x7pixels.png |
| Artifact State | Analog |
Description:
Scaled icon 500x 1
Artifact
| Metadata | |
|---|---|
| Title | Paul on Tractor ASCII alpha-numeric |
| Source | paul-on-tractor-cropped.png |
| Tool | Forgotten Online Converter |
Ascii art using characters ‘charles paul vivier 05131970’
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Artifact
| Metadata | |
|---|---|
| Title | Paul on Tractor ASCII - Block |
| Source | paul-on-tractor-cropped.png |
| Tool | Forgotten Online Converter |
Ascii art using block characters
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Artifact
| Metadata | |
|---|---|
| Title | Casein + ASCII |
| Source | paul-on-tractor-cropped.png, Paul on Tractor ASCII alpha-numeric |
| Created by | Combining two steps: Painting image from perception on paper with casein; Printing ASCII Art image with laser printer. Use Gel-medium transfer process by applying gel, let dry, soak paper off of the backing. Dry; Apply transfer to painting. |
| Artifact State | Analog |
Artifact
| Metadata | |
|---|---|
| Title | ASCII Animation Controller |
| Source | Origin |
| Description | A tool that I built with Claude AI in html and js that animates a still ascii file. |
| Artifact State | Digital |
Artifact
| Metadata | |
|---|---|
| Title | ASCII animation Block + Shimmer |
| Source | ASCII Animation Controller & Paul on Tractor ASCII - Block |
| Description | A tool that I built with Claude AI in html and js that animates a still ascii file. |
| Artifact State | Digital |
Artifact
| Metadata | |
|---|---|
| Title | ASCII animation Block + Shift |
| Source | ASCII Animation Controller & Paul on Tractor ASCII - Block |
| Description | Using the ASCII Animation Controller “Shift” setting, characters gradually transform into random replacements with a smooth acceleration pattern (slow-fast-slow). |
| Artifact State | Digital |
Artifact
| Metadata | |
|---|---|
| Title | ASCII animation Block + Windy Passing |
| Source | ASCII Animation Controller & Paul on Tractor ASCII - Block |
| Description | Using the ASCII Animation Controller “Windy Passing”, this effect sweeps left-to-right scrambling everything being it. Then a second diffused “cleanup” wave sweeps through gradually restoring the original image. |
| Artifact State | Digital |
Artifact
Github Repo (not public at this time)
| Metadata | |
|---|---|
| Title | Photo to 3D Print Converter |
| Description | This is a tool built with React 18, Vite, ChatGPT and Claude. It creates .stl files and translates the pixel’s light value to a height value in a 3D model. For both Relief Print and Lithophanes, the darker the image pixel is, the “thicker/higher” the images is on a relief map. Lithophanes require thickness to show darkness. Relief prints use height for darkness. Both have similar results. The tool has Max Height, Base Thickness and Resolution to help fine tune the results. |
| Artifact State | Digital |
| Source | Origin |
Artifact
| Metadata | |
|---|---|
| Title | Cropped Paul on Tractor |
| Description | Files for 3D printing: STL, GCODE, 3MF. Prusa Slicer software application loads the .stl file and exported a .gcode file. |
| Source | “Photo to 3D Print Converter” created STL from paul-on-tractor-cropped.png. Prusa Slicer creates GCODE and 3MF |
| Filetype / Filename | .stl / photo_relief_1768058810859-5mm-3mm.stl |
| Filetype / Filename | .gcode / photo_relief_1768058810859_0.15mm_PLA_MK3S_3h9m.gcode |
| Filetype / Filename | .3mf / photo_relief_1768058810859.3mf |
| Artifact State | Digital |
Artifact
| Metadata | |
|---|---|
| Title | Paul on Tractor Relief print |
| Description | |
| Source | photo_relief_1768058810859_0.15mm_PLA_MK3S_3h9m.gcode produced by paul-on-tractor-cropped.png |
Artifact
| Metadata | |
|---|---|
| Title | Paul on Tractor Lithophane |
| Description | |
| Source | “Photo to 3D Print Converter” created STL from paul-on-tractor-cropped.png. Prusa Slicer creates GCODE and 3MF |
| Files for 3D printing | STL, GCODE, 3MF |
| Filetype / Filename | .stl / photo_lithophane_1768061776115.stl |
| Filetype / Filename | .gcode / photo_lithophane_1768061776115_0.15mm_PLA_MK3S_2h50m.gcode |
| Filetype / Filename | .3mf / photo_lithophane_1768061776115.3mf |
| Artifact State | Digital |
photo_lithophane_1768061776115.stl (sample)
solid model
facet normal -7.000714e-1 0.000000e+0 7.140728e-1
outer loop
vertex 0.000000e+0 0.000000e+0 5.346405e+0
vertex 2.000000e-1 0.000000e+0 5.542484e+0
vertex 2.000000e-1 2.000000e-1 5.542484e+0
endloop
endfacet
facet normal -2.638568e-1 -5.277137e-1 8.074019e-1
outer loop
vertex 0.000000e+0 0.000000e+0 5.346405e+0
vertex 2.000000e-1 2.000000e-1 5.542484e+0
vertex 0.000000e+0 2.000000e-1 5.477124e+0
endloop
endfacet
facet normal 0.000000e+0 0.000000e+0 -1.000000e+0
outer loop
vertex 0.000000e+0 0.000000e+0 0.000000e+0
vertex 0.000000e+0 2.000000e-1 0.000000e+0
vertex 2.000000e-1 2.000000e-1 0.000000e+0
endloop
endfacet
... (continued)
photo_lithophane_1768061776115_0.15mm_PLA_MK3S_2h50m.gcode (sample)
M907 E430 ; set extruder motor current
G21 ; set units to millimeters
G90 ; use absolute coordinates
M83 ; use relative distances for extrusion
M900 K0.05 ; Filament gcode LA 1.5
M900 K30 ; Filament gcode LA 1.0
M107
;LAYER_CHANGE
;Z:0.2
;HEIGHT:0.2
;BEFORE_LAYER_CHANGE
G92 E0.0
;0.2
G1 E-.8 F2100
G1 Z.4 F10800
;AFTER_LAYER_CHANGE
;0.2
G1 X97.989 Y78.941
G1 Z.2
G1 E.8 F2100
M204 S1000
;TYPE:Skirt/Brim
;WIDTH:0.42
G1 F1200
G1 X99.863 Y77.066 E.08312
G1 X101.544 Y76.37 E.05704
G1 X154.702 Y76.37 E1.66674
G1 X156.383 Y77.066 E.05704
M73 P0 R169
G1 X158.258 Y78.941 E.08312
Artifact
| Metadata | |
|---|---|
| Title | Paul on Tractor Lithophane |
| Description | |
| Artifact State | Analog |
Artifact
| Metadata | |
|---|---|
| Title | Paul on Tractor - Clay Impression |
| Description | This relief print was used by pressing the Paul on Tractor Relief Print into a block of plasticine. |
| Source | Paul on Tractor Relief print |
| Artifact State | Analog |
Artifact
| Metadata | |
|---|---|
| Title | Paul on Tractor - STL animation |
| Description | Animation exposing the layers in an STL file |
| Source | Paul on Tractor Relief print |
| Artifact State | Digital |
Artifact
| Metadata | |
|---|---|
| Title | Test Pattern for Relief Prints |
| Description | In order to proceed with the next step, I needed to perform a test print. The goal was to create a 3D print that I could make ink relief prints from. I had thought I may be able to make ink relief prints from ‘Paul on Tractor Relief print’ but it was obvious that they were not going to take ink. I decided to do a more shallow print with more surface area that was on the same plane. Halftones are generally a good place to start with printing photos so I decided to create a halftone image from the original. However, not knowing anything about ink thickness or how well different 3D printed surfaces behave once inked was an unknown. |
I decided that it would be wise to create a test print that had gradations of multiple types of halftones. Dot patterns would be ideal, but they may not print well. In the end, long lines over, or at least were as good as anything. | | Source | Origin | | Artifact State | Analog and Digital |
- Digital File: Origin (Gimp)
- to Digital Tool: Gimp
- to Digital Tool: Photo to 3D Print
- to Digital File: STL File
- to Digital File: GCODE
- to Analog Print from Prusa
Dilute water-based Speedball black ink. Apply with roller.
Artifact
| Metadata | |
|---|---|
| Title | Failed Life-Like 3D models |
| Description | Continuing my partnership with Claude, I tried a to improve on “Photo to 3D Print Converter” tool. Unfortunately, it wasn’t even close. I tried explaining lots of different ways to potentially go about making this, and went about testing many variations of the code. All resulted in what you see below. Note that these are in order of creation. Each attempt to modify an approach resulted in slowly degrading results. |
Artifact
| Metadata | |
|---|---|
| Title | Meshy AI Lifelike model |
| Description | After days trying to make my own tool, I decided to search for one that could already do what I wanted. I was not disappointed. Meshy AI took my photo and made a model for me. Yes, it may just be a generic young boy model (or not!), but at least it was close! |
| Source | |
| Files | Meshy_AI_Curious_Toddler_0114024411_texture.stl, Meshy_AI_Curious_Toddler_0114024411_texture.3mf, Meshy_AI_Curious_Toddler_0114024411_texture_5h_41m.gcode |
| Artifact State | Digital |
Artifact
| Metadata | |
|---|---|
| Title | 3d print of Paul on tractor - Bust |
| Description | Print from “Curious Toddler” on Prusa 3D printer using white PLA filament. |
| Source | Meshy_AI_Curious_Toddler_0114024411_texture_5h_41m.gcode |
| Artifact State | Analog |
Artifact
| Metadata | |
|---|---|
| Title | Paul on Tractor - Halftone Image |
| Source | Created from paul-on-tractor-cropped.png |
| Artifact State | Digital |
Description: This is a halftone image created in GIMP using the Filter->Distorts->Newsprint. After images is converted to grayscale ‘mode’ the filter was applied with a Line pattern, occuring every 12 pixels at a 90 degree angle. Image was then exported in GIF format, as there is no compression in GIF and pixels stay as expected.
Artifact
| Metadata | |
|---|---|
| Title | Paul on Tractor - Halftone 3D Print Files |
| Source | Created from file paul-on-tractor-closeup-contrast-12pxLine-Halftone and loaded it into ‘Photo to 3D Print Converter’ tool |
| Artifact State | Digital |
Description: STL file created from tool, then brought into Prusa Slicer, and exported as .gcode.
- Filenames:
- photo_relief_176827857507512px.stl
- photo_relief_176827857507512px.3mf
- photo_relief_176827857507512px_0.05mm_PLA_MK3S_5h15m.gcode
Artifact
| Metadata | |
|---|---|
| Title | Paul on Tractor Halftone 3D Print |
| Source | Created from photo_relief_176827857507512px_0.05mm_PLA_MK3S_5h15m.gcode |
| Artifact State | Analog |
Description:
Variation on .stl using different parameters to produce print.
Artifact
| Metadata | |
|---|---|
| Title | Paul on Tractor - Halftone Ink Prints |
| Source | Paul on Tractor Halftone 3D Print |
| Artifact State | Analog |
Description: Diluted water-based Speedball black ink. Applied with roller.
Artifact X
| Metadata | |
|---|---|
| Title | Image Keyboard |
| Source | Created using REACT and JS by partnering with Claude and ChatGPT |
| Artifact State | Digital |
Description: This is a tool that reads the light and dark values of the pixels in an image, and converts them to MIDI notes. It requires that a synthesizer be plugged into it. The notes can then be played on a synthesizer, or any other midi input. I wrote the code for this with the help of Claude AI and ChatGPT. After making these, a decision was made to abandon the “synthesizer” portion of this instrument and focus on only sending notes. Future integrations will integrate with multiple instruments via MIDI.
Artifact
Fast Audio Wave
Long Audio Wave
| Metadata | |
|---|---|
| Title | Sound Waves from Paul On Tractor Halftone |
| Source | paul-on-tractor-closeup-contrast-12pxLine-Halftone.gif & Image Keyboard (earlier version) |
| Artifact State | Digital File but Analog sound waves once played from a speaker. |
Description: These sound files were produced with an earlier version of the Image Keyboard, when it was still called the Image Synthesizer. These outputs represent the light and dark pixel placement in the halftone image, but as data in a sound file. For each, there is a carrier wave that changes based on whether there is an occurance of a dark pixel or light pixel.
Artifact
| Metadata | |
|---|---|
| Title | Front to Back Split (along X Axis) |
| Description | This is the result of a vertical split of a Meshy AI Lifelike model into sections. The idea came to me after thinking of the halftone images and how were just vertical sections of the original image. The resulting 13 slices are front to back (along the x axis), resulting in slices that are ordered left to right. |
| Source | Meshy_AI_Curious_Toddler_0114024411_texture.stl |
| Files Created | blender_slice-x-axis.py, v_slice_01.stl, v_slice_02.stl, v_slice_03.stl, v_slice_04.stl, v_slice_05.stl, v_slice_06.stl, v_slice_07.stl, v_slice_08.stl, v_slice_09.stl, v_slice_10.stl, v_slice_11.stl, v_slice_12.stl, v_slice_13.stl, paul-on-tractor-13-slices-x-axis_0.07mm_PLA_MK3S_5h43m.gcode |
| Artifact State | Digital |
Artifact
| Metadata | |
|---|---|
| Title | Left to Right Split of Paul on Tractor Bust (along Y Axis) |
| Description | This is the result of a vertical split of a Meshy AI Lifelike model into sections that are split but along the Y axis (sliced left to right.) The resulting 13 slices are ordered front to back. Gemini was used to create the python code that performed the slicing in Blender. |
| Source | Meshy_AI_Curious_Toddler_0114024411_texture.stl |
| Files Created | blender_slice-y-axis.py, depth_slice_01.stl, depth_slice_02.stl, depth_slice_03.stl, depth_slice_04.stl, depth_slice_05.stl, depth_slice_06.stl, depth_slice_07.stl, depth_slice_08.stl, depth_slice_09.stl, depth_slice_10.stl, depth_slice_11.stl, depth_slice_12.stl, depth_slice_13.stl |
| Artifact State | Digital |
Artifact
| Metadata | |
|---|---|
| Title | Top to Bottom Split of Paul on Tractor Bust |
| Description | This is the result of a horizontal split of a Meshy AI Lifelike model into sections that are split along the Z axis (sliced top to bottom.) These slices are top to bottom (along the z axis), resulting in slices that are ordered front to back. Gemini was used to create the python code that performed the slicing in Blender. |
| Source | Meshy_AI_Curious_Toddler_0114024411_texture.stl |
| Files Created | blender_slice-z-axis.py |
| Artifact State | Digital |
Artifact
| Metadata | |
|---|---|
| Title | Cubed split of Paul on Tractor Bust |
| Description | This is the results of splitting the Paul on Tractor Bust into cube shapes (voxels). |
| Source | Meshy_AI_Curious_Toddler_0114024411_texture.stl |
| Files Created | blender_slice-voxel-axis.py |
| Artifact State | Digital |
Artifact
| Metadata | |
|---|---|
| Title | Image to WAV filter Lab tool |
| Description | This is a tool that I wrote which rasters an image by scanning it one horizontal line at a time, and then converts those pixel values into a sound wave. The tool then reads the wave file and re-interprets it back into an image. The tool allows for manipulations of the image scanning process, and ways to degrade the receipt of the sound wave before decoding. This process is similar to the process of how televisions and faxes work, digitizing an image, one row at at time and sending the data over a carrier wave at a specified frequency. |
| Source | Origin |
| Artifact State | Digital |
Artifact (Final)
This web page is now a digital artifact which encompasses all of the digital and analog artifacts, providing a detailed description and branching off point.
Final Comments
The more I work with the photo and artifact, I become more amazed at how many types of iterations there are as possibilities. This technological age allows us a massive number of possibilities and options.
While existing in the digital world, artifacts are subjected to the risks of being digital. While existing in the analog world, artifacts are subjected to the risks of being in an analog world. Sometimes they overlap. Sometimes they are similar. For instance: “I’ve lost my (file, print, drawing or painting)” still applies to both.
As an artist in the information age, and someone that has experience working in the field of information technology, I feel that I am positioned to provide a unique perspective in bridging traditional values with current times. In today’s age, a painting is what? It is a reference to the past. It’s subject may be new (and even futuristic), but it’s materials reference tradition and history. The past. For a very long time, I felt like it was my job to continue the methods of the past because the digital age is constantly erasing itself. I wanted something that would last. While that feeling and perspective is still valid, I don’t feel it as strongly as I used to. Now, I’m starting to think that it’s my job to bridge the gap. Bring both. Cover the bases. And in a meaningful way. Reflective of some intent or purpose. I hope this is an example.