Art and graphic design for us non-artists
Posted: Thu Aug 25, 2022 11:58 am20 years ago, when I first set up Godzone, I wanted to make myself a business card. At the time, my job title was 'graphic designer', which only goes to show how vague these titles can be. I ran a print centre, and did all the graphic design, but really had no experience or talent.
I wanted the artwork on the card to be a photo of a control tower, blending to a stylized wireframe render, and finally a model rendered in the sim, as one continuous tower image. I can't remember how it turned out, and in the end I simplified it a lot, but I did use it as a card for a long time. I do remember, though, that it took a long time to make, going back and forth between the sim at home and the software at work, but I did enjoy the process.
Lately Youtube has been recommending videos of AI art tools, and how this will mean the end of artists. I ignored these recommendations for a while, but I was a bit intrigued by the idea of having an AI do all the work for me. Today I gave it a go, about 10 minutes on it so far, as you only get a limited time for free on the tool I'm using, the open beta of Midjourney. This is all done in Discord. Basically, you start with an '/imagine' prompt, then type what you imagine you want:) Midjourney gives you 4 small imagines to choose from, you can ask for more variations, and choose one or more to upscale.
My first prompt, based on the idea of a da Vinci sketch of a control tower, gave me this:
I upscaled one:
....then had some variations done...
...and here's the final full-sized image.
Something for my model railway workshop wall:)
I won't go any further at the moment, people warn that it is addictive, and I don't want another monthly subscriptions if I can help it. But yeah, it is addictive, and you do get an original image you can use however you like.
I wanted the artwork on the card to be a photo of a control tower, blending to a stylized wireframe render, and finally a model rendered in the sim, as one continuous tower image. I can't remember how it turned out, and in the end I simplified it a lot, but I did use it as a card for a long time. I do remember, though, that it took a long time to make, going back and forth between the sim at home and the software at work, but I did enjoy the process.
Lately Youtube has been recommending videos of AI art tools, and how this will mean the end of artists. I ignored these recommendations for a while, but I was a bit intrigued by the idea of having an AI do all the work for me. Today I gave it a go, about 10 minutes on it so far, as you only get a limited time for free on the tool I'm using, the open beta of Midjourney. This is all done in Discord. Basically, you start with an '/imagine' prompt, then type what you imagine you want:) Midjourney gives you 4 small imagines to choose from, you can ask for more variations, and choose one or more to upscale.
My first prompt, based on the idea of a da Vinci sketch of a control tower, gave me this:
I upscaled one:
....then had some variations done...
...and here's the final full-sized image.
Something for my model railway workshop wall:)
I won't go any further at the moment, people warn that it is addictive, and I don't want another monthly subscriptions if I can help it. But yeah, it is addictive, and you do get an original image you can use however you like.
but clever