(Or “How I Stopped Worrying And Loathed The Process”)
Diving into AI art felt like venturing into uncharted waters, especially when contrasted with the structured world of fractals. In fractal creation, I set parameters to shape the art to my liking. However, working with AI turned out to be more akin to negotiating with a confused genie who hears your wish for a Rolls Royce but grants you the truck from the Beverly Hillbillies, albeit with a very gorgeous and detailed mural of the Mona Lisa on the side of the truck.
How It Goes
My process usually goes something like this: I come up with a vision, maybe sketch it out, take a picture, or throw together a Photoshop mashup, tweaking images here and there until they’re almost what I had in mind. Then, I hand this concoction over to the AI, clearly and exactly instructing it.
For instance, I’ll say, “Here’s a piece of artwork for reference. I want to keep everything the same, especially the person in the lower right-hand corner. They should stand just like that, wearing an almost exact copy of those clothes. The only tweaks needed are some realistic lighting and shading, and maybe make the lines a bit more defined.”
And the AI, in its infinite wisdom, responds, “Sure, got it, boss. Here’s a completely different scene where your guy is now inexplicably in the upper left-hand corner, shaded in pop art colors. And isn’t the tutu a charming addition?”
Rinse, Tweak, Repeat
This ritual of request and misinterpretation could reach attempts ranging into triple digits, as the AI creatively sidestepped my instructions. Sometimes, by sheer luck, it would get close to the mark early on, but consistency was a stranger in these parts. The artwork would often need rescuing by photoshopping, where I’d try to salvage it closer to my original intent before tossing it back into the AI’s whimsically obstinant vortex, armed with ultra-specific directions that it would inevitably decide to interpret through an artistic lens of WTF.
After enough rounds to test the patience of a saint, the art sometimes lands close enough to my initial artwork, with only minor, manageable deviations. That’s when I take over for the final tweaks, applying manual edits, grabbing pieces from individual outputs where one object or another is correct, Frankenstein them together and smooth it out until I’m satisfied with the outcome, and finally declare it finished.
When it comes to my card art, incorporating AI Art is definitely involved for the most part, in combination with manual and/or digital drawing, photography, adjustments, and some Photoshop finesse. It’s sort of a partnership, albeit one where the AI acts more like a free-spirited collaborator on LSD rather than a reliable assistant. Unlike the mostly predictable fractal software, working with AI art is a wild ride of managing expectations, embracing serendipitous mistakes, and somehow finding beauty in the chaos, and the occasional tutu.
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LENORMAND | ORACLE | TAROT | PLAYING CARDS
