This picture isn't right. It's fascinating and beautiful but it's all wrong. I asked the AI for a painting of a woman sitting in chair, holding flowers, with a birdcage next to her, in the cage is a yellow bird.
But the AI ( I really want to call her Mrs Davis) doesn't like to be told what to do. It's a computer program that loves randomness. And it has a hard time with context... and apparently human anatomy.
For anyone thinking this AI art business is an easy lark... HA. A lot of the time it's an exercise in arguing with a computer program. I tried to get the image I wanted a good half dozen times and then gave up because I just don't have enough patience for this. If you have the patience and the time and you spend all day nerding out over all the best text prompts then sure, you could probably win this argument.
It does do some amazing stuff though and it's fabulously good fun to tinker with. As you'll see on my blog right now I'm generating some fun graphics and creating collections which I'm then offering as free content. And I just know at some point someone will ask 'can i get this girl in a different pose/outfit?'
Oh I wish! Not yet I'm afraid. My own skills with this are in beginner mode and the AI isn't there yet either. For now, I'm tinkering with a whole lot of randomness. And quirky mistakes.
I saved these two good ones just to show how AI loves to add extra legs. It does this to animals too.
I've been playing around with AI generative art for a few months now and so far I have experimented with Stable Diffusion, Dalle-E and Mid-Journey. The conversation about AI has exploded recently and it feels like it's just everywhere. New AI tools are popping up weekly and predictions are being made that AI will eventually run everything we do online.
But where are we really at, as things stand right now? There are legal and ethical considerations looming but regardless of those outcomes or any pending regulation, AI is here to stay, on that pretty much everyone agrees. So I'm not going to get into either of those topics here. Instead, I want to address some of the fears that digital artists are feeling at being 'replaced'.
I'm by no means an expert and still relatively green at making AI art, but I have easily spotted the fact that AI generators simply can't do everything, and a lot of what it does is riddled with mistakes. The kinds of mistakes that a human wouldn't do.
Yes, AI art will get better. It already has. But I don't believe you can replicate the human mind, the human experience, or human emotion. And a lot of that is the whole point behind art in the first place.
I know, just by looking at history, that there will always be value in human made art. That some techniques may become endangered, but that there will always be those who keep certain skills and methods going. That we have this tendency to eventually revert back to 'old' ways be it for nostalgia or fashion.
In the short term, artists of all types will continue to have value and earning potential. Certain job roles may disappear but old skills will likely be needed in new ways. As I said, AI can't yet do everything, and I'm not sure it's possible it ever will. But who knows...
All that being said, as a creative maker myself, I am intrigued by AI and it's possibilities. Can I outsource tasks I don't like doing to a computer? That would be very cool. Can I use AI as an assistant to brainstorm ideas? Yes, yes I can as it turns out. Also very cool since I work alone and sometimes my one brain is just not enough. The possibilities are actually quite exciting.
What I'll be doing this year is to continue experimenting. Using AI where it makes sense to do so right now but learning skills that will likely be needed down the road. I will try to be transparent about how I use this where it makes sense to do so.
For fun, I asked ChatGPT the following and got this response:
What is the value in human made art?
"Human-made art has immense value and significance for both the artists who create it and the viewers who appreciate it. Art is a form of human expression that allows individuals to communicate their emotions, experiences, ideas, and perspectives in a way that transcends language and cultural barriers.
Art can serve various purposes, such as providing aesthetic pleasure, challenging societal norms and beliefs, documenting historical events, expressing political and social commentary, and promoting cultural identity and diversity.
Moreover, art has been shown to have therapeutic benefits, both for the artist and the viewer. It can help individuals to process and cope with difficult emotions, reduce stress, and enhance well-being and self-awareness.
Finally, art also holds significant economic value. The art market is a multi-billion dollar industry that provides jobs and livelihoods for many people worldwide.
In summary, human-made art has tremendous value in terms of cultural, emotional, and economic significance. It serves as a powerful medium of communication, expression, and interpretation of the human experience."
Well then. How's that for an answer?!
Even though I will definitely be adding AI generated art into my Etsy shop and utilizing it within my own creations there are many things I will still be making on my own - mostly because I have to, AI simply can't do it for me yet. But one day and many improvements later, if I get exceptionally lazy, who knows.
I can say with some assurance though that human made art will always adorn the walls of my home - because the human experience cannot be replaced.
What are your thoughts on AI? Have you tried it, and if so, what have you learned from it? I'd love to hear from you.
Shawnna
After taking a hiatus from freebie posts I'm excited to be back with all new content for the blog and will be posting regularly very soon!
Lovelytocu as a shop is also going through some changes and in time I'll likely have some new products there as well. To catch you up if you are unaware, I recently closed up the Lovelytocu shop on Etsy as well as on my own website and I'm now selling almost exclusively on Design Bundles.
I won't be designing character clipart anymore, at least not in keeping with my past collections. Instead I'm looking forward to creating new content in new styles and taking advantage of the many new tools that have come along since I started 14 years ago.
Tools like Procreate and AI generation will feature regularly here as I learn to navigate both. I've been having fun exploring different digital mediums and love the creativity both offer.
I'm also working very regularly on my second Etsy shop, Terrific Templates. Here I offer craft and planner templates alongside related digital resources. You might see these featured here from time to time.
I hope you'll like the new format!
Shawnna
It's been non-stop weekly freebies for over a year and a total of four years of freebies through my Facebook group and then here on the blog. And so it's time for a bit of a break.
While there won't be any freebies for a number of months while I work on other projects, I'm hoping to setup a new schedule for early next year, so stay tuned for more to come in 2023!
In the meantime, I hope you've enjoyed the content so far and Thank You for supporting Lovelytocu :)
With Love
Shawnna
SMALL BUSINESS COMMERCIAL LICENSE -
terms of use
Lovelytocu is a graphic design supply shop specializing in cute girly
character clip art. Our pre-made designs are ready to use and the
perfect addition to your small business branding and marketing, social
posts or creative projects with a diverse range of character styles.
Shop the current collection at www.lovelytocu.com and be sure to check out our current offers.
Shawnna
SMALL BUSINESS COMMERCIAL LICENSE -
terms of use
Lovelytocu is a graphic design supply shop specializing in cute girly
character clip art. Our pre-made designs are ready to use and the
perfect addition to your small business branding and marketing, social
posts or creative projects with a diverse range of character styles.
Shop the current collection at www.lovelytocu.com and be sure to check out our current offers.
Shawnna
SMALL BUSINESS COMMERCIAL LICENSE -
terms of use
Lovelytocu is a graphic design supply shop specializing in cute girly
character clip art. Our pre-made designs are ready to use and the
perfect addition to your small business branding and marketing, social
posts or creative projects with a diverse range of character styles.
Shop the current collection at www.lovelytocu.com and be sure to check out our current offers.
Shawnna
SMALL BUSINESS COMMERCIAL LICENSE -
terms of use
Lovelytocu is a graphic design supply shop specializing in cute girly
character clip art. Our pre-made designs are ready to use and the
perfect addition to your small business branding and marketing, social
posts or creative projects with a diverse range of character styles.
Shop the current collection at www.lovelytocu.com and be sure to check out our current offers.
Shawnna
SMALL BUSINESS COMMERCIAL LICENSE -
terms of use
Lovelytocu is a graphic design supply shop specializing in cute girly
character clip art. Our pre-made designs are ready to use and the
perfect addition to your small business branding and marketing, social
posts or creative projects with a diverse range of character styles.
Shop the current collection at www.lovelytocu.com and be sure to check out our current offers.
Shawnna
SMALL BUSINESS COMMERCIAL LICENSE -
terms of use
Lovelytocu is a graphic design supply shop specializing in cute girly
character clip art. Our pre-made designs are ready to use and the
perfect addition to your small business branding and marketing, social
posts or creative projects with a diverse range of character styles.
Shop the current collection at www.lovelytocu.com and be sure to check out our current offers.
Shawnna
SMALL BUSINESS COMMERCIAL LICENSE -
terms of use
Lovelytocu is a graphic design supply shop specializing in cute girly
character clip art. Our pre-made designs are ready to use and the
perfect addition to your small business branding and marketing, social
posts or creative projects with a diverse range of character styles.
Shop the current collection at www.lovelytocu.com and be sure to check out our current offers.
Shawnna
SMALL BUSINESS COMMERCIAL LICENSE -
terms of use
Lovelytocu is a graphic design supply shop specializing in cute girly
character clip art. Our pre-made designs are ready to use and the
perfect addition to your small business branding and marketing, social
posts or creative projects with a diverse range of character styles.
Shop the current collection at www.lovelytocu.com and be sure to check out our current offers.
Shawnna
