Traditional Artist tries AI ART: A Portrait with a Straw was, "The Final STRAW."
Here’s how I transformed a Generative AI Image and made it my own by using various AI tools and Photoshop.
"This is the last straw," I thought, throwing my hands up in frustration. I had just checked the latest iteration from a prompt that I fed to Midjourney.
The portrait it had created featured a woman with a milkshake, but the straw was so long, it was actually comical. It was clear that the AI had taken my instructions to create a milkshake with a "straw" a little too literally.
I mean, sure, the portrait was technically accurate. The woman did indeed have a straw in her milkshake. But come on, AI. Couldn't you have at least made it a normal straw?
Using Photoshop and other AI tools like Real-ESRGAN and GFPGAN, I set to work refining the face and correcting the details of the hand.
After using GFPGAN to restore the face in this AI generated image, I was struck by the intense gaze of the character, who seemed to be staring intently at the straw in her milkshake. The absurdity of the comically large straw was not lost on her, and I found myself amused by the direction of her eyes and the sense of understanding they conveyed.
This small detail in the AI-generated image really caught my attention and sparked my creativity. It inspired me to continue refining this project, and I became determined to turn this image into something truly fun and memorable.
MidJourney provided another variation of this image with an even larger straw. Intrigued by the opportunity to take the absurdity to the next level, I decided to use Photoshop to swap the original straw for the even larger version.
Although I was enjoying the direction the project was taking as I worked on the AI-generated image of this woman drinking her milkshake, I wasn't entirely happy with the hands. I made the decision to try out Dalle-2's inpainting and outpainting function in an effort to make the image better. This prompted me to enlarge the image and fill in the scene's left and right sides.
I debated adding a hand wrapping around the milkshake at first, but ultimately opted against it. I made the decision to fill the area with some enticing food items instead. This added a new level of detail and interest to the image, and I was pleased.
I was generally satisfied with the result after using Dalle-2 to add the sandwich and fries to the left side of the image. To fully highlight the insanity of the comically large straw, I still felt the need to add a little something extra. I used Photoshop to give the straw more depth and shading to make it stand out even more.
I couldn't help but feel a little guilty for devoting so much effort to a project that was only for fun as I put the finishing touches on this image. I figured that my boyfriend would be the only one to see it, and I began to question whether or not the effort I had invested in making it had been truly worthwhile.
But then I had an idea: I should share the process of creating this artwork with others, giving some meaning to the time I had spent on it. By showing the level of foolishness and ingenuity that went into this project, I hoped to inspire others to embrace their own sense of fun and explore their own creative potential.
My boyfriend had a genius idea: he suggested that I extend the straw even more so that it completely protruded out of the frame. This small adjustment increased the ridiculousness of the image, and I was eager to share it with others.
I eventually shared the final image on social media, along with a description of the creative process. I was delighted to learn that my silly little project had inspired other folks to embrace their own creativity.
To achieve the final result, I used several different AI generators. I used MidJourney, Dalle-2, Real-ESRGAN, and GFPGAN to combine and tweak various elements to produce an entirely unique image. As a portrait artist who typically uses traditional media such as colored pencils and paints, making something with technology and other digital tools was a fun and interesting project for me.
Despite my familiarity with conventional artistic methods, it was exciting to discover how these AI generators could enhance my creative process and enable me to produce something new and original. I hope this inspires others to look into the possibilities of utilizing technology in their own creative projects.
This fun little project served as a wonderful reminder to not take myself too seriously and to always make time for fun and creative expression. It's important to embrace our sense of fun and let our imaginations run wild, whether we express ourselves through writing, art, or any other type of self-expression.
This is the “final straw.”