These are fantastic, certainly piqued my interest.
I can't remember if I've commented on the subject before, but I've become addicted to AI art. I understand the reservations of artists who see their work and talent being devalued, though I don't believe AI art will ever be able to satisfactorily replace human art, either in the ability to discuss what you want from a commission, or from an emotional investment perspective.
What it does do is allow those of us who are artistically limited, and financially challenged, access to the medium. As a self-published author, I've neither the skill to create my own covers to any decent standard, nor the budget to hire a creative, so AI art has opened a door to me to have my work sold under decent imagery. In that way, it's a gamechanger.
I love this as an intro to the series and would be very interested to see how it does as a lead-in to the novel.
As for AI image generation, I'm torn. I like how you've used it as the foundation but not the end-all (and would be interested to see your process). I don't like that these models have seemingly been trained on other artists' work (if the reporting is accurate).
I find myself reacting to AI artwork in the same way I view a stock photo or illustration; my brain just kind of passes over it as something not inherently special or interesting. That is not to say that stock images/illustrations don't have their uses (I have been using them for my serialized chapter intros until the artist I'm working with finishes the newest batch of illustrations for book 2), but once you know that it is a stock photo, for me that takes away part of the "magic" for lack of a better word. That being said, I did not have that reaction after reading your intro.
I have so many thoughts, but, again, many we've covered in discussion via other platforms, so I'll just say THANK YOU for letting the AI generate line art which you have modified and colored and made the art your own, and not do what was done by those in the varied video links I sent you and just user the AI art as-generated.
What an awesome intro summary to the series. Quick and visual and left me intrigued. Really like the artwork/style, so props for getting this together as a blend of AI + you.
The images are beautiful! I wouldn't have guessed AI, but I'm also only a casual comic reader haha.
I've been playing with AI images a bit too, with promo in mind as well. Since I have scheduled for months of work going out to my free subscribers, I don't want to devote too much of my budget, or any of it at all, to paying artists and I don't have time to develop my basic art skills to create anything worth sharing!
I'm looking forward to seeing where your AI journey takes you
Dude, I couldn't even do half of the things you did in this comic! Mine would be stick figures at best.
I'm equally torn about AI image generation. As a writer, I'm so excited that I can finally put out images of my world and characters. But I have illustrator friends, and I can't imagine them being very happy about this. It will impact their income in some way :/
The comic looks great Simon! Like many replies I’m also torn. I’m not an artist but I can absolutely imagine the threat AI holds over the industry. As a writer the opportunities AI offers is very exciting!
Do writers feel the same way about AI written copy? Or fiction? Will AI ever be able to create what humans can? The soul, the spirit and the energy?
Upon first learning of Midjourney and seeing the fantastic images one can create, my first thought was a sinking feeling of, “what does this mean for real art?” Simultaneously though, I was quite taken with the idea of being able to reproduce a scene in my mind’s eye exactly the way I’d like without spending weeks on a painting.
I’ve since played around a bit on Midjourney and realised that it’s not as easy as it looks - there seems to be some sort of skill in giving the correct commands which I haven’t yet cracked! And so I watch enviously as others dream up fantastical and well executed images, while mine come out somewhat blobby and confused LOL.
I do believe though, that AI art will never be able to recreate what makes art truly special, and that is the artist baring their soul. So while I think it’s a fun tool and very useful for writers, I hope that it doesn’t start to devalue or negatively impact real art and those with true artistic ability.
Love this. I’ve been using AI to create mock up fiction book covers for my novel in progress and to illustrate scenes. Don’t know if I’ll use them in marketing or social media, but it’s very fun! Especially for me who can barely draw a stick figure...
I was also once a frustrated comics creator, and then I decided it wasn't for me, and went full time back to writing, my first love. I use my amateur artistic abilities now to create custom illustrations for each of my stories on Substack, so it still comes in handy.
If you haven't already, search on YouTube for AI graphic novel. Several creators have already used AI to successfully publish using the technology and are talking about their experiences. I think it's a fantastic way to reach new audiences, and there are still lots of ways to differentiate the style you want.
I know all about being a frustrated illustrator :D
Regarding videos to promote prose, I've made a few for TikTok. I don't do trailers per se, they're typically very short clips with a quote from the book (or from a short story) with accompanying images--sometimes stills, sometimes actual videos. Bookflips are popular, but the one I made that got the most views was for my time travel short story "Malarqi and Thyme" where I used a video (found on Pexels) of deserted Greek streets.
As for the AI debate, well, I think you found a perfectly acceptable way of using those images. I've played around a bit with some of those sites, but I can't really afford at the moment to take a subscription. And the only free platform I found takes 1 hour to generate 1 second of film LMAO. Still images aren't quite as time-consuming though. Still need to experiment more with that.
I liked it a lot. I often use other people's art and photos, in addition to my own, to fiddle with, combine, enhance, etc. I'm not sure how different that is to using AI generated art as a starting point. As long as attribution is clear, it seems to me part of the time-tested process of piggy-backing one's creativity on that of others, which can be accessed in many different ways. I think it's accurate to say all artistic creation is collective, even that of individuals singled out as genius creators. Artists avail themselves of all kinds of resources and stand on all kinds of shoulders, which doesn't detract from their own originality and creativity.
These AI images are (selfishly) one of the greatest inventions for writers since the laptop and Substack. Consider the impact of Ralph McQuarry’s drawings on George Lucas’s imagination when writing Star Wars. Now, any writer can feed cues into an engine that produces images containing universes of possibility. In couldn’t be more excited about bringing in this tool of composition and design into my creative process.
These are fantastic, certainly piqued my interest.
I can't remember if I've commented on the subject before, but I've become addicted to AI art. I understand the reservations of artists who see their work and talent being devalued, though I don't believe AI art will ever be able to satisfactorily replace human art, either in the ability to discuss what you want from a commission, or from an emotional investment perspective.
What it does do is allow those of us who are artistically limited, and financially challenged, access to the medium. As a self-published author, I've neither the skill to create my own covers to any decent standard, nor the budget to hire a creative, so AI art has opened a door to me to have my work sold under decent imagery. In that way, it's a gamechanger.
I love this as an intro to the series and would be very interested to see how it does as a lead-in to the novel.
As for AI image generation, I'm torn. I like how you've used it as the foundation but not the end-all (and would be interested to see your process). I don't like that these models have seemingly been trained on other artists' work (if the reporting is accurate).
I find myself reacting to AI artwork in the same way I view a stock photo or illustration; my brain just kind of passes over it as something not inherently special or interesting. That is not to say that stock images/illustrations don't have their uses (I have been using them for my serialized chapter intros until the artist I'm working with finishes the newest batch of illustrations for book 2), but once you know that it is a stock photo, for me that takes away part of the "magic" for lack of a better word. That being said, I did not have that reaction after reading your intro.
I have so many thoughts, but, again, many we've covered in discussion via other platforms, so I'll just say THANK YOU for letting the AI generate line art which you have modified and colored and made the art your own, and not do what was done by those in the varied video links I sent you and just user the AI art as-generated.
Really nice intro, and now I'm interested. I think the visuals with the pithy statements is very effective at getting the idea across. Nicely done.
What an awesome intro summary to the series. Quick and visual and left me intrigued. Really like the artwork/style, so props for getting this together as a blend of AI + you.
The images are beautiful! I wouldn't have guessed AI, but I'm also only a casual comic reader haha.
I've been playing with AI images a bit too, with promo in mind as well. Since I have scheduled for months of work going out to my free subscribers, I don't want to devote too much of my budget, or any of it at all, to paying artists and I don't have time to develop my basic art skills to create anything worth sharing!
I'm looking forward to seeing where your AI journey takes you
Dude, I couldn't even do half of the things you did in this comic! Mine would be stick figures at best.
I'm equally torn about AI image generation. As a writer, I'm so excited that I can finally put out images of my world and characters. But I have illustrator friends, and I can't imagine them being very happy about this. It will impact their income in some way :/
The comic looks great Simon! Like many replies I’m also torn. I’m not an artist but I can absolutely imagine the threat AI holds over the industry. As a writer the opportunities AI offers is very exciting!
Do writers feel the same way about AI written copy? Or fiction? Will AI ever be able to create what humans can? The soul, the spirit and the energy?
I don’t believe so.
Upon first learning of Midjourney and seeing the fantastic images one can create, my first thought was a sinking feeling of, “what does this mean for real art?” Simultaneously though, I was quite taken with the idea of being able to reproduce a scene in my mind’s eye exactly the way I’d like without spending weeks on a painting.
I’ve since played around a bit on Midjourney and realised that it’s not as easy as it looks - there seems to be some sort of skill in giving the correct commands which I haven’t yet cracked! And so I watch enviously as others dream up fantastical and well executed images, while mine come out somewhat blobby and confused LOL.
I do believe though, that AI art will never be able to recreate what makes art truly special, and that is the artist baring their soul. So while I think it’s a fun tool and very useful for writers, I hope that it doesn’t start to devalue or negatively impact real art and those with true artistic ability.
Love this. I’ve been using AI to create mock up fiction book covers for my novel in progress and to illustrate scenes. Don’t know if I’ll use them in marketing or social media, but it’s very fun! Especially for me who can barely draw a stick figure...
I was also once a frustrated comics creator, and then I decided it wasn't for me, and went full time back to writing, my first love. I use my amateur artistic abilities now to create custom illustrations for each of my stories on Substack, so it still comes in handy.
If you haven't already, search on YouTube for AI graphic novel. Several creators have already used AI to successfully publish using the technology and are talking about their experiences. I think it's a fantastic way to reach new audiences, and there are still lots of ways to differentiate the style you want.
This was brilliant, Simon! Great job.
These look amazing. This should def be a graphic novel.
I know all about being a frustrated illustrator :D
Regarding videos to promote prose, I've made a few for TikTok. I don't do trailers per se, they're typically very short clips with a quote from the book (or from a short story) with accompanying images--sometimes stills, sometimes actual videos. Bookflips are popular, but the one I made that got the most views was for my time travel short story "Malarqi and Thyme" where I used a video (found on Pexels) of deserted Greek streets.
As for the AI debate, well, I think you found a perfectly acceptable way of using those images. I've played around a bit with some of those sites, but I can't really afford at the moment to take a subscription. And the only free platform I found takes 1 hour to generate 1 second of film LMAO. Still images aren't quite as time-consuming though. Still need to experiment more with that.
I liked it a lot. I often use other people's art and photos, in addition to my own, to fiddle with, combine, enhance, etc. I'm not sure how different that is to using AI generated art as a starting point. As long as attribution is clear, it seems to me part of the time-tested process of piggy-backing one's creativity on that of others, which can be accessed in many different ways. I think it's accurate to say all artistic creation is collective, even that of individuals singled out as genius creators. Artists avail themselves of all kinds of resources and stand on all kinds of shoulders, which doesn't detract from their own originality and creativity.
These AI images are (selfishly) one of the greatest inventions for writers since the laptop and Substack. Consider the impact of Ralph McQuarry’s drawings on George Lucas’s imagination when writing Star Wars. Now, any writer can feed cues into an engine that produces images containing universes of possibility. In couldn’t be more excited about bringing in this tool of composition and design into my creative process.