Photoshop's Linear Dodge filter really helped with this one what with all the glowiness happening. I used it on seven layers!

"What? Something on my face? Haha... you're just imagining things... it's fine... everything's okay..."So around 9 months ago I uploaded a picture called. It was a headshot of Vinyl Scratch as a cyborg, with grunge textures, an appropriate font, paint splatters and some semi-grimdark undertones. And it was amazing fun, in between when Genevieve (my old graphics tablet, who has since been succeeded by Abigail) wasn't working. I really loved that picture, and I still do. Actually, looking at anything I drew a month ago or more always leads to me going "There's a flaw... there's a flaw... there's a flaw... ouch, did I really think that looked alright??" as a rule. But as I'm looking at Mechanism right now, there actually aren't any glaring errors. I think it's fair to say it's still some of my best work.And shortly after I completed it, I wanted to do another one because it had been so much fun. And the two ponies who sprung to mind as good candidates were Spitfire and Octavia. Spitfire was the one that really stuck with me. And I always imagined it like this: she'd be facing the camera head-on, but looking slightly up and to the right; she'd also have cybernetic implants in the same vein as Vinyl, and she'd have this cocky grin (because that's just so her, you know?)But I couldn't find that spark of an idea that made me absolutely want to draw it like "Yes! That's it! OMC, I totally have to draw that!!" until just a few days ago. I really can't remember what inspired me to think of the half-of-the-face-dissolving-into-polygons thing, but it happened, and I knew I had to draw it because if I pulled it off it would be really cool, etc, etc.Then, with the concept about 65-70% fully-formed in my head, I started sketching... and the strangest thing happened. Her expression... shifted. She was still smiling, but she had this scared look in her eyes that wasn't there before... and I decided to roll with it. Is she a hologram that's breaking down? Is she just a simulated pony, a computer program that has maybe been corrupted? I'm not sure, but I like it.Sketch (different to the WIP seen in the journal, because the "pony" layer is at full opacity here: )Background grunge texture by Foreground grunge texture by Circuit board photo by Brohoof!Here's a layer-by-layer breakdown that I did just for fun: