Last week, I posted the text that I'd written for my Van Gogh children's book. This was an idea that I've had for a while, but I struggled with the difficulties in how to produce a book that I wanted to contain Van Gogh-style work. I can't paint like Van Gogh and I certainly cannot afford to pay someone to create 20ish Van Gogh illustrations for the book so the idea was sort of in a holding pattern.
A couple of months back, I fell into the huge dizzying spiral that is Midjourney's AI art. I realized that this was a tool that I could use to create the illustrations that I needed and wanted for this book idea.
I've started tinkering but Midjourney is still very much a work in progress. I am struggling to get the images that I want for the layout. I've created the cover and a couple of other pieces but it is proving a little more time-consuming than I anticipated so I am taking the proverbial deep breaths and slowing down my drive to finish this book as soon as I wanted. I've had to do a little Photoshop work on all the images I've created thus far, but I am liking what we've crafted.
I may not make my end-of-summer self-imposed deadline and that is perfectly alright.
I am learning to work with AI art as a very promising tool for digital artists. I am learning how I can weave these images into my art practice, just as Midjourney is learning how many fingers humans should really have.
I struggled a little at the beginning, fearing the potential in AI art, but then I realized that we have been afraid of the new and the challenging always. Digital photography frightened and intimidated traditional photographers, but photography is flourishing.
Digital art like Photoshop intimidated a lot of traditional artists, but over the past decade or so, both traditional artists and digital artists have continued to find their paths in the art world.
Traditional artists and fine artists will always have a place. People want the story and the human connection that comes along with the handmade creation of an artwork. There is something truly special about an artist working with their hands and their hearts.
Illustrators and graphic designers are also safe for now, but the long-term effect of AI art on the industry is a big unknown. As a digital artist, I know that AI could become very problematic for me so I am choosing to embrace the possibilities instead of hiding from them. For now, AI art is just a resource for me like the historical images and photographs that I've always used.
I am working through my anxiety and my fear and choosing to work with the opportunities that Midjourney brings to me and my art. Vincent can find the lost chicken and hopefully get a rare smile of approval from his mother.
Also, if you're listening, I for one welcome our future AI overlords.
