I can kill AI with a paintbrush
And so can you!
Before we dig in
I’m planning out my content calendar for the next quarter (I should have done this sooner). I posed this question over on YouTube so I thought I’d ask here as well to see if the answers were similar.
Thanks, now here’s the goods.
The Finds
Sustainable art doesn’t have to be made with trash (except maybe mine).
If you can figure out which movies are being shown in these abstract color palettes, then you’re a better color theorist than me.
Resource Addition: PlayPhrase.me allows you to look up certain phrases spoken in movies and television. It’s kind of a big deal.
Are de-influencers the antidote to our culture of overconsumption, or merely a symptom of an increasingly divided world?
Will AI chatbots bring about the demise of Lorem Ipsum?
If you absolutely hate AI art take care in knowing that it will NEVER be able to render hands correctly.
Go Buy a Canvas
I’ve been experimenting with AI Art for several months now, mostly as a research tool or a time killer, and I have come to realize one undeniable fact—handmade, physical art will become a much sought-after asset.
This isn’t about art valuations or the fine art market (although I’m sure it will be affected). This is about the moment that the bloom falls off the rose for people as they get bored of seeing all the ways AI has permeated every aspect of our lives.
To be honest, the future looks pretty bleak for many creative people because they will absolutely be commoditized. Yes, there are things that AI cannot do yet, and may not ever be able to do, but with the speed at which this technology is improving, I predict in the next 18 months, we’re going to see a lot more art and design professionals out of work… [cont.]
New in the Shop
Of course, I’m going to talk about Mag Bash again because it’s now almost 30% sold out and I don’t want you to miss your chance. There are only 75 copies left and there will be no second editions. If you want to know the story of how a daily art journal might be the most creative thing I’ve ever done, you’ll want to pick up a copy.
Each order comes with a signed and numbered copy of the book and pre-orders made through April will get an additional signed and numbered art print from the pages of the book. I’ll also toss in some extras for people, and the sooner you order, the better your chances of getting cooler stuff in your package. #freeart
Last Week…
I watched an absolutely cringe-worthy presentation from Canva.com as they talk about all the new technologies incorporated into their system. Much of what was shared was about how easy it is to generate AI design projects but how quickly they can change an adapt based on simple commands. Adobe did the same last year at their annual Adobe Max conference but it’s clear Canva has a significant advantage in the AI design space.
I can’t say that any of the design example shown during the presentation was particularly mind-blowing, but I’ve seen people use the app to make some very compelling work in the past and the AI is only going to get more robust and intelligent over time.
Will this put designers out of business? Some for sure but Canva and Adobe are just tools wielded by professionals, and it will be the ones who push the limits of their design work that stand out because, over time, the public will likely suffer from AI burnout and be looking for originality.
I believe the same will be true for art, with the exception of most digital work. If you’re an artist or illustrator that works primarily on a computer or tablet, you are even more at risk of being commoditized than designers, in my opinion.
However, if you can take your art and put it on canvas, paper, wood panel, or any other physical substrate, you will make something AI literally cannot touch. Sure, AI can generate art that can be printed on canvas, but there’s no soul there.
A hand-painted canvas has texture, flaws, personality, and a physical aesthetic that cannot be generated by software (yet), and with time, the public will grow tired of the flatness in most digital art and crave art that makes them feel something.
I have no idea when this will happen, but if we remain vigilant in our pursuit of sharing our souls through our physical work, the rest of the world will learn to appreciate the energy we have worked into every square inch of those paintings, drawings, pottery, and sculpture.
So go buy a canvas or block of watercolor paper and lay some paint. At the very least, you’ll feel better because you made a thing.
That’s going to do it for this one. I’ll be talking about Mag Bash throughout April, but once I hit 100 copies sold, it’s gone, so don’t miss out.
See you next time.
I watched that ai hands thing and I definitely didn’t get that it will never know hands from that. In fact it looks like in about a year mid journey will be able to get hands looking right for most cases