What role does AI play in your creative process?

At Purple Inkwell Studios, AI plays a significant role in enhancing and streamlining my creative process. I primarily use two AI mediums: ChatGPT and MidJourney.

ChatGPT: My Virtual Assistant I use ChatGPT much like I would a human assistant. It serves as a sounding board for my ideas, simulating business meetings and brainstorming sessions. Rather than generating ideas from scratch, I bring my concepts to the table and use ChatGPT to expand, refine, and research these ideas. This approach helps me access a wealth of information quickly, which I may or may not fact-check depending on the project. For fantasy stories, for example, I prioritize imagination over factual accuracy, allowing ChatGPT's suggestions to spark my creativity.

ChatGPT is invaluable to me as a singular artist. It speeds up my workflow by handling research and mundane writing tasks, such as drafting grant applications or other administrative documents. This delegation of routine tasks frees up more of my time for creative pursuits, enabling me to focus on the artistic aspects of my projects. Additionally, ChatGPT helps me learn and improve essential skills such as formatting letters, structuring contracts, and gaining knowledge in various fields. It acts as an educational tool, enhancing my ability to be more proficient and knowledgeable in the areas I want to explore.

Importantly, I adhere to a strict moral code when it comes to using AI. While I leverage ChatGPT to assist with editing and refining my work, the core ideas and creative direction are entirely mine. It's akin to collaborating with a human assistant who helps polish the final product. The AI may have its fingers in the process, but the vision and execution remain my own.

One of the pivotal moments in my journey was when I struggled to understand the structure and layout of a comic book script. Despite reading numerous books and articles, the process just wasn’t clicking for me. Frustrated and determined, I uploaded my story to ChatGPT and asked it to transcribe it into a comic book script. The result was enlightening. It provided me with a clear layout, storyboard panel details, and a professional format that I could follow. This was a game-changer. It not only taught me the technical aspects of scriptwriting but also helped me create my own creative process in this field.

ChatGPT helps me with formatting letters, structuring contracts, and learning the nuances of professional communication. It’s like having a knowledgeable mentor who guides me through the intricacies of the business side of art. I have a moral code when it comes to using AI; while I do use ChatGPT to edit my work or correct my language, the ideas are always mine. It’s no different than having a human editor polish my work.

The Role of AI in My Artwork: MidJourney

MidJourney has revolutionized the way I approach image research and concept development. This powerful AI tool allows me to streamline the visual creation process, significantly reducing the time and effort required to search for and composite reference images.

MidJourney: Enhancing Visual Creativity

MidJourney is perfect for taking over the laborious task of searching for images and conducting image research. Instead of spending countless hours scouring the internet for reference images, I can now take my sketches, storyboards, and concept art—all of which are my original creations—and bring them into MidJourney. By doing this, I can quickly generate scenes and visual elements that align with my creative vision.

Using MidJourney, I can set up and finalize scenes that are unique to the comic or illustration I'm working on. This tool helps me visualize how characters might look in various environments and situations, such as running through the rain on a stormy night. It allows me to see the nuances of light, shadow, and movement that are crucial for creating compelling artwork.

Once I have finalized a scene in MidJourney, I bring it back to my traditional art methods. As someone who is skilled in drawing and other artistic techniques, MidJourney serves as a tool to enhance and expedite my creative process, not replace it. It sets up the environment and provides visual references that I can then translate into my hand-drawn or painted works.

Moral Code and Creative Integrity

Similar to my use of ChatGPT, I adhere to a strict moral code when using MidJourney. The core ideas, sketches, and artistic direction are entirely mine. MidJourney assists in visualizing and refining these concepts, but the final artwork remains a product of my creativity and skill. This approach ensures that my work retains its originality and authenticity.

Educational Value and Perspective

What MidJourney has taught me is the drawing skill of perspective. By recreating the scenes generated through my hand, I gain a deeper understanding of perspective and composition. Each exercise in recreating these scenes enhances my advanced learning skills, offering a continuous learning experience that I thoroughly enjoy.

I've always worked in a hybrid form that combines traditional and digital techniques. I start my process with hand sketches, setting up scenes traditionally using pencils, watercolor, or colored pencils. My work often transitions to digital form, where I refine and enhance the artwork in Photoshop.

MidJourney has seamlessly integrated into this process, acting as a pre-game tool that enriches my creative journey. I begin with sketches and ideas, upload them to MidJourney for further visualization, and then bring the results back into my traditional workflow. This back-and-forth between traditional and digital methods allows me to learn from the AI-generated images, enhancing my skills and understanding of artistic techniques.

Workflow Integration

Here's a glimpse into my workflow:

1. Initial Sketches: I start with hand-drawn sketches, setting up scenes and characters traditionally.

2. MidJourney Visualization: I upload these sketches to MidJourney to generate refined scenes and concepts.

3. Traditional Refinement: I bring the AI-enhanced visuals back to my drawing table, using them as references to further develop my artwork traditionally.

4. Digital Enhancement: Finally, I transition the artwork to Photoshop, applying various actions, filters, and brushes to achieve the desired look.

MidJourney has become an invaluable part of this process, enriching my creative journey and helping me produce visually compelling and original artwork.

Looking Forward

While I understand the concerns regarding the use of AI in the creative industry, I am hopeful for a future where ethical guidelines and laws are established to protect artists and their work. AI is here to stay, and we must learn to work with it, understand it, and respect its potential.

It is essential to take an educated and proactive stance on the ethical use of AI. We should engage in conversations about its implications, join groups that discuss best practices, and educate the younger generation on how to use AI responsibly. By fostering a collaborative and informed community, we can ensure that AI enhances creativity without compromising the integrity and rights of artists.

Addressing these issues now will help shape a future where AI is used ethically and responsibly, benefiting both creators and the broader artistic community. Together, we can find solutions that respect the contributions of human creativity while leveraging the advantages that AI offers.