Ai Generated Art – is it art or not?

There seems to be a lot of controversy about whether artwork generated by a computer can be considered art. My answer to that is…why not, but I guess it depends on your viewpoint and what you consider to be artistic and how the image is used. As a digital artist and designer, I thought I would write about how I use Ai for some of my creative work.

So, let me ask you this…is a beautiful photograph art? Many photographers sell their images as art prints. So, who created that image, was it the photographer or the camera? Most people would agree it was the photographer, the camera was simply the tool they used to produce it. It was their eye for the subject, the angle of the shot, the final editing and their expertise as a photographer, which made the photograph into a saleable work of art. In fact, the very first image I ever sold was of an artistically edited photograph of my record deck. See below.

Generated Ai is honestly not that different, it is a tool used to produce an end result. The image is created from words given to it as an instruction, it cannot produce an image without being instructed to do so. Just like a camera cannot take a shot without someone pressing the shutter. Can the image produced be used as is? Yes, of course, just like a photograph can, but in my opinion that is not what art is all about and it’s not always that simple.

Firstly, the text prompts used to create the image have to be worded in the right way, and even then, the result may surprise you. It could turn out the way you had hoped it would, or maybe even better than you expected, but you may also be very disappointed. It depends on what you are trying to create and what you are creating it for. Quite frankly some of the results I get make me laugh and, in a few cases, even flinch, because of the extra limbs or odd-looking faces and anomalies it creates. Here’s a couple of simple examples so you can see what I mean.

So, why don’t people by-pass the artist and create their own art? One of the main reasons, I would think, is because they are not technically savvy. Meaning they are not comfortable enough with a computer to use Ai to create an image, and for the reasons shown above, they do not have the skills or software to edit an image, so it is useable. But I am referring more to images that you wish to create into saleable art here. Another really good reason is they just have no interest in doing so. Let’s face it, most people buy art because they see something they really like and would love to see it hanging on their wall. They have absolutely no interest in how it was created, or heaven forbid stop to wonder if they could have created themselves; they simply don’t care. They like it, they buy it…end of story.

Art, in all its forms, speaks to us all. We resonate with it on some level, consciously or unconsciously. It stirs our emotions, visually makes us smile or inspires us in some way; which is usually the reason we buy it. This is where the artist flourishes. We create images of whatever inspires us simply because we love to create and have the skills to do so. A lot of people are not creative, but they do enjoy the end result of what creativity offers. If someone sees one of our creations and falls in love with it enough to buy it, that’s the icing on the cake.

Art is created for many reasons, to grace an empty wall, illustrate a children’s book, or to make a new novel more alluring with an eye-catching cover. This is where Ai comes into its own, it opens up the creative world to everyone, how wonderful is that! You can use it just for fun, for a project you are creating, or for images for your website. I know one person who uses it for her church to create images for their newsletters and bulletins. She created a particularly wonderful image of Jesus so I suggested she should sell prints of it to raise funds for her church, I truly hope she did, I know I would have bought a print.

So where does Ai come into play for me? It simply replaced the good old photograph, drawing or public domain image I used to use as a base image for creating a lot of my artwork. The main difference being, instead of having to find that perfect photo, or create a photo compilation, I can now ask the computer to create a certain type of image for me which exponentially increases my creative options. All you need is an imagination, especially when it comes to things like fantasy images. If you can imagine it, you can probably create it.

Using a variety of different platforms available, my favourite being NightCafe, I create a text prompt (instructions in MY words) to direct Ai to generate an image based on that text. It is not always successful, I will be honest, especially if I am trying to create something very specific. If Ai does produce an image that I resonate with, great, I will then use it as the base to create the final artwork. I edit all my Ai images, NO exceptions! Deleting unwanted/incorrectly produced parts, changing the look of faces, recreating limbs, adding in and taking out elements until I like the result. Once that’s completed, I resize the image, edit the lighting, contrast, and all that good stuff, then digitally paint it for a finished artistic look. That’s it.

Here is one example of a before and after so you can see what I do. The Ai created image is on the right. This is also another good example of how Ai, even with simple prompts is not a perfect outcome, but definitely something you can use as a base for an image, just like a photo.

The finished artwork of ‘The Dancer” on the left is available in my gallery if you would like to see it in more detail. Just click on the image for the link.

Can you use an Ai image as it was originally generated?” Yes, absolutely you can, some images do turn out extremely well, but it would depend on what you are using it for. If you are going to sell them you may wish to professionally upsize them, before offering them for sale. Original AI images are usually small so they will only print well at smaller sizes, which is fine if that’s what you want. NightCafe does allow you to upsize an image for extra credits, but I still prefer to create my artwork at a higher dpi to be able to print at larger sizes without looking ‘soft’. You should also scrutinize the image very closely to make sure no anomalies or oddities were created, as shown in the example images above, they are very easy to miss, trust me. Things like extra whiskers in the wrong place on our furry friends…you would be surprised what you see when you look closely.

Will Ai reduce the potential revenue earnings of wet media artists?” In my mind absolutely not, I believe it will actually increase the value of original art created in the traditional way. People will pay more for an original painting as Ai continues to expand and take over the world!

I hope this helps people get a better feel for Ai. Art is very subjective and is appreciated by the eye of the beholder no matter how it was created, that is the beauty of it. Ai is here to stay, it’s the newest technology used in all kinds of ways, not just for creating images, and is a great tool for anyone to use. Our manual typewriters became computers, our landlines became smartphones, our printers can now print 3D and currency includes bitcoins. Need I say more. Ai is simply the latest way to create, alongside cameras, paintbrushes, charcoal, clay…it’s all about producing something for others and ourselves to enjoy.

This artwork of the Record Deck and The Dancer are for sale in my gallery as:

Wall Art, Home Décor, Puzzle, Beach Items, Tote Bags, Greeting Card/Stationery, Phone Case, Coffee Mug, Face Mask and Apparel.

The images are adjustable, use all of it or just part of it. Every purchase comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Click on the image itself for more information.

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