I haven’t posted any artistic work on the internet since 2022 and neither should you. “Exposure” has never been important to regular career seeking artists, it has always been a trick to make artists give away entertainment and inspiration for free. You can simply send a private portfolio to your employer. If you work in the film industry make sure you let your film commissioner know they are not allowed to compress or view your work using AI apps as it has become quite common and they’re part of the problem whether they realize it or not. If your private portfolio is on the internet then make sure to use watermarks and include your name in the SEO, leave descriptive data out to make it harder for AI developers to pick it up in their searches. Using things like dropbox and google drive is safer than having a personal website.
So, I make generative AI trailers, and they reveal my taste, my experience, my knowledge, my values, and so on. Just because AI was used at some point, doesn't mean that I am not genuinely expressing myself in the final product.
I love that this video went to Universal Basic Income...I am all for it! I hate that creativity and commerce gets conflated, and I wish dividends upon all traditional artists!
There is a nuance to this debate that is often missed, which is that AI doesn't make everything for everybody that uses it. Some uses of AI still require a considerable amount of knowledge, skill, creativity, and time. The fact is that if traditional art is superior, then it need not fear us AI bottom-feeders. At the end of the day, all artists and creators have a creative voice, and they want to share it, with the help of AI or not. I would never let AI do all the work for me...there is no pride in that!
AI isn't actually intelligent. What we have right now is some directed automation. While you imagine that power to only be available to elites history has shown us that it will become available to the common user and I doubt it will take long. I have seen this play out several times in my lifetime where it took millions of dollars of special equipment to do what a decade later could be done on a simple home computer. Products of the existing 'AI' will be mainstream and will displace artists or lower salary (already low) in those markets. If, however, you sell your art in a gallery then AI is not likely to replace that or related prints and the like. The work of coming up with an idea and then producing that in some original form and then rendering it in a non-digital manner will continue to have value. It just won't be easy or perhaps possible to compete in commodity markets. The issue with UBI is really who is going to provide the funding for it and then how do you escape diminishing returns. If there is no income to buy products then who do you sell to and if your product has to fund people to buy it then you are chasing the diminishing return. There is no model that supports any significant part of society not making a wage that allows them to earn beyond basic needs. I think of 'AI' more like a glorified calculator. You poke some data into some formula and run some scenarios and get some output. It is not sentient and it cannot come up with ideas all by itself and produce output. Someone has to give it inputs and scenarios. Lastly there have been successful lawsuits in the US where the source of some AI generated thing was original works and the producer of the original work sued, and won, for the lack of compensation.
ah man, brilliant on so many levels! seems a good guess right now that the yt algorithm gods are not going to favor it (or in some sense would rather even actively sink it) - which i hope won’t discourage too much, if so the paintings are wonderful 💚🇵🇸
Thank you - this paper is from etchr, they had a big box of postcard watercolour paper ages ago, I'm not sure if they still have it. My typical paper is from Cass Art, 300gsm, cold pressed.
Hi another artist here. I agree with many of your points but UBI is a terrible idea. All that will happen is more control over our lives. The govt decides how much money you get, then set price controls on groceries, utilities, etc - then there would be shortages and poverty. The politicians and elites will have all the money and power and we will have none. It is the path to communism. But I'm also not afraid of climate change so I guess it's a world view difference. We are in agreement that AI is very depressing and all I can say is that I will not pay to buy a comic book, see a movie or buy a video game made with AI period. I also will not use Adobe products or products of any company promoting AI. The only power I feel I have right now is with my wallet.
Holly you and your husband are truly giving, loving, thoughtful humans. I am so happy to have found your channel over 4 years ago now (for sure). You bring us joy! Thank you!
If there were only more people in this world like you & Craig, maybe our world wouldn’t be so turbulent. Thank you Holly for sharing your generous heart & soul. Big hugs to all. 💜💜💜💜
AI copies human talent. Without human creativity AI wouldn't work. Art is an expression media, without feelings all you get is something's copy. I think this is artists' main advantage
I started to get into digital art 20 years ago but quickly realized over time that digital art could be created by non creative people so I jumped ship and went traditional oil painting for rich clients. Its a nice side hustle.
AI is for people with no talent, so they can jump on the creative bandwagon. What we're witnessing here is the same thing that happened to me. I was a photographer during the 1980s - 90s. I was using film. But as soon as digital cameras became available to the world and its dog, my business started to fail. I lost lots of work to people who would undercut me. I refused to take the digital route, because I'd invested in expensive Hasselblad film cameras and lenses. So I gave up and just accepted it.
I think a lot of artists are overly fearful of A.I. and a lot of that comes from them not using the technology themselves to see what it can and more importantly, can't do. I've been using it for game design recently, and while it's decent at concept work that's pretty much all it's good for and it really falls flat when you try and use it for more detailed production work. I mean the idea it's going to replace 2d Artists any time soon seems laughable and will only be pursued by companies that have no artistic standards at all IMO. Now I know what you're going to say "A.I. will get better..." yes, that's true, however if you look at the current data it's looking more and more like A.I. is currently being starved for information and more data/training is going have prohibitively worse and worse returns on investment now. Open AI is burning something like ~$5 Billion a year for probably a ~5% gain in performance right now, which will decrease to ~2.5% next year and they still haven't figured out how to work A.I. into a production environment because even will all these billions spent, It still can't even make seamless textures.
What do you think about co-creating with AI, I've been experimenting with AI music and AI fiction writing. With the writing it can be much more collaborative as I have total control over editing and changing the AI work and it could be 50/50 or even more my work than AI's. With music, I can participate by writing lyrics and giving some direction but have a lot less control. With art, I suppose you could go in and edit the AI product with photoshop but I think it has the least ability for co-creating for now. How does co-creating seem ethically? I'm not trying to make money off anything AI generated, just doing it for fun. But many people do plan to make money off using AI this way. Is it more ethical than something that has no human input? Or is it still stealing off the backs of human writers, musicians, artists, etc?
I love this video so much ❤! Thank you! May we see a free Palestine! I know it will be! Thank you so much for all you do and your lovely vlogs and art! As always I will give as much as I can thank you for providing this for others. I will post my bid!❤☺️ Also I have a question what watercolors do you use on your palette?
Holly a great example of how art can be a force for good,to raise awareness,and have real life outcomes for those it is being created for. All the paintings look amazing and am sure they will raise a lot to help Amir and his family,kudos to you and Craig for reaching out Amir and actually doing something brilliantly pro active through your brilliant artwork(Matt)
Gorgeous paintings! Being from the southern US, watermelon is a big part of our culture and a path forward for my ancestors to provide for themselves after emancipation. What a wonderful way to fundraise for Amir!
If you enjoy making art, keep making it. If you’re looking to get into art as a career or to make a living executing other peoples’ ideas, don’t bother-that ship is sailing away.
I'm noticing that AI art gets less creative the more it gets the motives anatomically right. So, a lot of the newer AI Art lacks any soul. Maybe because the input from new art is missing? As for now, human-made art is still some notches better.
*Technology is amazing* & _anyone_ with a *creative mind* and *a smartphone* can *now make a wonderful story and share with the whole world* *Before* internet - _Only a few limited people could distribute their artwork_ . & Now - everyone can share to a huge audience.
Weirdly, the growth of a.i. art has made me want to dive into real paper and pencil even more. also, there are a.i. - poison programs you can apply to new art to thwart a.i. scraping. Look for Nightshade.
I'm an indie writer and I use AI art and I hire human artists. One problem AI has is that it's style will always vary depending on the content. So if for example you prompted "batman" you'll get a picture in a mix of styles maybe Jim Lee and Frank Miller. You can prompt it for "batman in the style of Piccaso" but it will always mix in a bit of Jim Lee and Frank Miller. So if someone wants 50 images in the same style, it's impossible to get the exact same style on everything. That, and once people get used to seeing AI, they learn to detect it sub-consciously and it starts looking "not special" (it's happening to me). AI has learned to draw in a very particular way, it's like looking at the clouds and seeing faces, it's not deliberate, and with the current method it never will be.
Wow! The first "Halpuss! Aiart!" person who knows it's the industry and knows UBI is a good option since Ai taking ART means NO ONE is safe anymore. Indeed UBI - Universal Basic Income is a good idea. At its most brutal "Welfare is cheaper than jail" - but frankly the industries exploiting us are under super big corporate welfare that would pay for this easily. Dropping the severe shortages they created would make wages skyrocket per supply/demand. Artists would mostly live frugally but have time to devote to art vs a 3rd job. So spend your 'activism' time there not harassing non rich elites who use it because it's too difficult and expensive to hire an artist. THIS is my next point - they scream they need $ but seem to want to not get employed by anyone but a big corporation so they can then complain how boring and uncreative. Be professional IF you are going to accept $ for it: 1 - be willing to do SPOOGE - most commercial AI engines block it. That's an edge. 2 - Scruples <> money. Do anything art wise for $ no list of "Won't" save letter of the law. The "Woke" whine you say "Are you paying my F*cking wages? Don't you have a gofundme since they are going to throw the book at you for those windows you broke in a protest?" 3 - serious -some "open for commissions" artists have lists that are like the "no Brown M&M" for a rock concert group. I won't name names but "No amputees" in 12 ish pages? What if someone hires you for a RPG then has a pirate adventure? 4 - RPGs - during lockdown there was massive refusal to work for RPG makers. They were afraid the big dogs would blacklist them if they helped competition. Now the big dogs have laid off 90% of their artists and are going Aiart and 3rd world scabs who use it and just kinda fix stuff. 5 - Send it back Sam - the artist who takes sketches, example images, client wants HIS work style already - but sends it back again and again and again until the TIME to describe it is 20,000+ words and the client could literally have done it himself in that much time. 6 - backstabbing Jenny - not real name - boasts on social media two 'tiers' where for people on her political side she does good work and those not on the side she'll do bad work and take longer and charge more... There could be an anti-AI backlash by consumer demand. Make yourself someone you won't regret doing business with. I'd suggest: 1 - spooge if you can ONLY do characters 2 - LLLuuurrrn to do backgrounds... Check out Joony art and Aham art here on RU-vid - cheap paints and canvas they do GOOD backgrounds. Most "I am a Professional illustrator!" people charge a fortune for a background and use a stock one then to insult the client. 2a - IF you can't do backgrounds but just "Pretty elf chicks" admit it and let them blend AIart since your Jurrb isn't being turken... 3 - Characters for TTRPGs - drill yourself to do different characters, styles, groups. How long can you do --- in ---time...? Make a LOT of different characters inspired by TTRPGs and put a price you'll be comfortable with. 4 - Drop the Painter/Photoshop and use INKS... I myself plan to CRUSH in court someday one of these "yur a faker!" whine butts since I CAN do art RL media and they'd be dead without advanced digital tools that if released today would be called "AI"... They only complained about them when they got released to everyone. If "Generated Art" was only something a top photoshop professional had and knew about most of you would LOVE it...and CHARGE as much as if you did more than fix fingers.
This is so lovely, Holly! Will you make more copies of this zine, and if so, do you even ship from EU? I'm in Portugal and with the UK status everything gets caught up in customs where they extort large sums from you for even magazines and zines!
I don't understand why you - you plural, artists in general - keep using the word "steal" or "theft". There is no such thing going on. I or anybody can look at any of your work and analyse it any way I wish. I can study the composition, colour combinations, shapes or whatever and I don't need anyone's consent. How are you going to stop anybody from studying your work so they can improve, especially as that's exactly how you learn yourselves? AI companies like Midjourney simply study your work and they have a program that can do it better, faster and in a more comprehensive way to improve, that's all.
Bhahaha now they recruiting the bots to try and make their argument stronger, go learn about how the tech work without the data it doesn’t do anything and no, it is stealing because these companies aren’t “studying” anything they aren’t even shy about it and charge you 20$ a month to resell you your data with statistics. It’s not magic, just algorithm.
Same process is happening now to illustrators that happened to potters. They used to be highly skilled artisans until technology created mass produced ceramics. Now there are only few potters that can live on their art. Mostly it has become a hobby.
I find this video amusing, as I do all such videos made by artists who are seemingly so insecure that they’re willing to blame a machine for their predicaments. This morning, I tried an experiment. I turned on my computer, loaded up my favorite art software and I waited. And waited. And I waited. Nothing happened. Maybe my computer is shy and too self conscious in front of me, so I left the room, prepared my meal and went out for a walk with my dog. I returned several hours later and still nothing. A whole day had passed and my computer had failed to steal a single piece of art! Yet this woman claims that AI is stealing everyone’s artwork. Do I have a PC with a particular set of moral values? Is my computer stealing on the down-low and hiding the evidence? Of course I’m being facetious, but you can clearly see my point. Inanimate things lack the capacity to steal. Blaming AI is silly and weak. As always, it’s the operator of technology who is responsible for what it produces and there are well established criminal laws for copyright infringement. The game hasn’t changed, just the players and the details. You’ve already admitted (rightfully) that there are proper and improper uses for technology. Then be brave enough to hold the infringers accountable and stop playing this silly blame-the-AI game. AI isn’t the boogie man. Humans are. That being said, if humans are really creatively superior than algorithms, our art will not be devalued. Human art direction, storytelling, and so on will always be superior, even if much of the artwork isn’t directly generated by our own hands. And in such cases that machines are incapable of reaching the creative goals of their patrons, this problem will sort itself out organically in the free market. On the other hand, if you feel a machine has the ability to out-create you, maybe you need to be replaced.
Yes it's just awful AI is obviously a parasite on human culture a parasite on the human being. It's invisible and consumes every aspect of our existence. It's also true RU-vid isn't a democratic forum either. Every idea, comment and opinion on here is being used as data to inform Google and AI. In fact no digital area is exempt no digital method, platform or process. When you use these forums as a place to flog or more politely said promote your services then you make a Faustian pact with the devil. Nothing is free on social media or any platform. You've already sold your soul.
I can see a future where there may be a term for human made art such as 'Biological Art', sounds terrible when I put it down. But I CAN see a premium for human made art in the future, especially if it becomes more scarce due to AI prolifcation
