• MIND'S EYE MAKING
  • Posts
  • Artists vs AI, Better Art Through Writing, Art Resources + More

Artists vs AI, Better Art Through Writing, Art Resources + More

(Invest in yourself)

Author

nowayjermaine
February 18, 2024

Hey Past-me,

I’m sitting at my desk wondering what kinda trouble you might be gettin into right now.

Do you wanna make something?

Do you wanna make like 10 somethings?

Don’t know where to start?

Or if you should even bother?

Cause what’s the use?

Yup, I remember that. I’m still feelin that. IT’S GREAT

…

Anyway…here’s this week’s stash of ideas to help you make your own ideas.

In the box:

  1. Spotlight on Artists and Fear of AI

  2. Tips for Mark-Making

  3. A-ha! Quote on Clear Thinking

  4. Solution for Fuzzy Ideas

  5. Hits of the Week: Drawing, Free Art Resources, Applying Learnings

Spotlight: Don’t fear the AI Reaper

The most common reaction to AI I see, especially from younger artists, is fear.

I’ll say this at the top:

Don’t be afraid. Be cautious and not stupid 👍

I came across this conversation between Kevin Lau and Chris Do, coming to the conclusion that pros seem much less fearful than amateurs.

Why? Because experience matters and instant gratification ain’t always great.

Technology will always come to shake things up and it’s up to us as artists to adapt. When we encounter a problem, we have to learn something new to solve it. Either something about the world, the work, ourselves, whatever—we learn and it helps take us from idea to reality.

But we can’t be cocky. That’s the money.

If they take that away, that’s one less way to eat tomorrow.

So, we have to stay vigilant.

@NateDhernandez shared this conversation on the topic:

“…but people still love home cooked meals.” I like that.

This is about shortcuts.

We all take them. But there’s a catch, and it’s as simple as cold fast food vs warm home-cooked meals.

It just doesn’t taste as good.

It doesn’t mean we should just ignore it, hoping it goes away.

Knowledge is power.

I promise you that.

You’ll learn the weight of how important that is when you fail something all because you do not have the information that could have saved you from trouble.

So here’s a piece of knowledge:

Human art has a warmth that AI can never achieve.

Something an AI will never understand, because it’s not human.

They don’t have the guts.

As you get further into your artist’s journey, you’ll see what I mean.

Work smarter, not harder.

The journey is a grind, but it’s not as bad as you think…

The more we understand about our world, the more we can represent it honestly in our work. We learn rules so we can get back to breaking them as soon as possible, because we know that’s where the magic is now.

Be informed.

Learn what these fools won’t bother to.

Learn how to cook so you don’t get burned.

Learn how to handle a knife so you don’t get cut.

That’s how we win.

They don’t even know how much their “art” is on fire and that you don’t throw water on this grease fire.

When you see all the bullshit out there…and you go off into your training arc…with all the knowledge you’ve obtained… the skills you’ve honed, and all the life you’ve experienced that you inject into your work…you—as a human—will create anything 9999999001x better than AI could ever make.

Right right right…but what if I suck tho?

Tips for Mark-Making

Save yourself the headaches and take a calligraphic approach to mark-making. There’s so much we can learn from writing about art, let’s start with the actual marks we put on the page:

Simple rules to keep in mind when making marks.

 “The more conscious about how you write, the more conscious you will become about how you draw.”

“Straights against curves, complex against simple.”

A-ha! I need to write more…

Writing, just like all else, is a muscle that can be flexed and built up into a habitual process that eventually flows. Because at its core, writing is simple: it’s a method of sharing your thoughts.

What most people don’t realize is that it’s often not actually the writing that is difficult. It’s the thinking behind the writing.

Writing is another chance to practice art.

The more you do, the clearer you see your own ideas represented in your work and every decision you make when creating it.

Solution for Fuzzy Ideas

I will never not recommend this video and I probably already have, but I feel like it fits too well in this newsletter.

Learn how to use a whiteboard.

Give yourself the power of clarity.

Hits of the Week:

@ahi_ahmdyn shared a Free Art Resources List with some useful tools, bookmark these links ASAP!

@amberbladejones did the same but with their own personal tutorials. Another treasure trove to keep in your library.

@cosmicdivsion shared a before/after of one of their pieces after taking Kat Tsai’s Color Class. Look at the difference! An excellent example of applying what you’ve learned to older work.

An awesome timelapse of @michal_sawtyruk city sketch, peek into their process!

Some tasty sketches from @artwodguy (love the hatching)

That’s it for the stash this week. Hope you found something useful here.

Talk to you soon,

—Future-you

Say hi on TwitterX/IG/LinkedIn

Reply

or to participate.