>>10913959I've done a variety of torn looks for my cosplays, it's pretty straightforward. My biggest advice is to decide early on how "cartoony" you want it to look as that will probably affect your approach.
>leave a little extra when you cutThe tattering process is going to take off fabric, so leave a little more of the sleeve remaining than you think you want to end up with.
>trianglesI like to cut in a sort of wavy pattern, sometimes going further from the seam and then turning back in to constantly vary the shape. Even if you're doing a cartoony big-triangles approach you should add in a bit of curve to your cuts rather than just straight zig-zag lines.
>parallel cutsYou can see the guy in this video demonstrating:
https://youtu.be/2ErLOmGZQMA?si=t5fXxtz0YYqE4p40&t=197A lot of those small close-together cuts will help the fabric fray more naturally as you start getting into abrasion.
>sandpaperTurn the shirt inside-out, then use short strokes to sand outwards, towards the cut edge of the fabric.
I have a lot of scrap sandpaper in the 80-150 grit range from my other projects. Start with a smaller number (more coarse) then work your way higher. This will make it start to pull, tear, and fray - you'll really quickly get a sense of how your fabric reacts to the different grits so you can switch between them for the desired effect.
I usually lay down scrap cardboard underneath when doing this so I don't scratch up my working surface by accident.
>laundryGoing through the process of water, heat, and agitation will further damage the tears and frays of the fabric in subtle and natural ways. If I have the time I like to run it through the laundry at the halfway point, then come back and do more cutting and sanding to further it.
