#I am not drawing any of the backgrounds for these I am

[alchemiccolored]

I will preface this with the statement that I don't think you can ethically use any of the generative AIs on the market at the moment. They are tools, but they are tools made from the exploitation of artists. GenAI companies scrape artwork off of the internet to inform their software without the creators' consent, and often then make absurd amounts of money while leaving the artists whose work they stole without any way to regain lost income. It's objectively bad. I don't disagree with you there.

What I do disagree with is the loudest argument against AI, which is that it's "Not Art." If it is not art, (i am absolutely open to that idea. probably lean further towards that than it actually being art) then I would like to explore, what *is* art, and where do we draw the line?

I, and many others, have described AI as a tool. If we are using this tool perspective, then I would compare generative AI to a photo camera.

Cameras:

allowed people to access artwork that otherwise would have been too expensive or time consuming (comparing to portraits)

can copy a piece of artwork completely, ex. taking a picture of the Mona Lisa

can create art with very little effort (the press of a button)

can be used to make profit at the expense of others: a cheaper photograph of an artwork can prevent the sale of the "real" art

can be used to obscure the original source: ex. a screenshot of a social media post

And, of course, they can be used to threaten and harass real people.

This is not to say photography is an inherently immoral form of art, obviously. There's nuance. The way you use it is important. The intention you put in is important.

This is also not to say that photography and generative AI are the same. GenAI uses a lot less human input and produces something that, as of today, can be difficult to distinguish from human-created art. GenAI also has absolutely no issues with lying, which is more difficult to analogize, but anyone with skills in photoshop can do that pretty well.

I hope you see where I'm coming from with the "tool" analogy? GenAI can be used by anyone to create something that *looks like* what it's trying to replicate, but has very little of actual substance. It doesn't have meaning behind it.

I'll join you on the collage analogy as well. Let's say, for example, I am looking for a photo for a digital collage.

Searching: I type 3 words into google, pick the first thing I see, and put it in behind my half-demon half-angel OC. yay!

Generating: I type a dozen words into whatever generative AI software, pick the first thing I see, and put it behind my half-demon half-angel OC. yay!

In these examples, I care neither about the substance of the backgrounds, nor who they were originally created by. But, I can take another crack at it:

Searching: I type a dozen words into google. I scroll through a couple pages, go to a different site and scroll there as well, and eventually find the Perfect background.

Generating: I type two dozen words into whatever generative AI software. I don't see anything I like. I type another couple words. I scroll a bit, I delete a few words, generate again, and I find the Perfect background.

In these, I care about the substance. But there's another option:

Searching: I find a website that hosts copyright-free photographs. I search and scroll, and find something that's not perfect, but I know won't harm any artist or photographer.

Generating: Imagine, some far off time in the future, where a generative AI company actually pays all of the artists that they use for reference material. I type a few dozen words into this mythical GenAI software, and find something that will look different, but I know won't harm any artist or photographer.

This is the only scenario in which I believe GenAI could be morally neutral.* But, of course, there is always the far superior option:

Commission an Actual Artist for Artwork.

GenAI is exploitative. It is harmful. It tells lies and it has no intent.

But there are other exploitative aspects of art. Mummy brown? Fascist propaganda? Hell, paper is made from trees and digital art tablets use rare earth elements. Everything is nuanced. GenAI could be art, it could not be. Art is subjective. I'm still figuring out where I draw the line. It's understandable if you draw the line before GenAI. I just want to explore this idea. I don't think its as simple as you portray it.

There are likely a dozen more things I could point to, as well as a dozen incorrect statements I've made here. Apologies in advance for any inaccuracies.

picked up the pencil :)

i literally dont care what your excuse for using AI is. if you didnt put your own effort into making it im not putting my own effort into interacting with it.

[emsprovisions]

Happy Wednesday, all! I'm sharing a bit more from top secret au. And under the cut, I'm taking a page from @everlastingday's book and showing you my other wip project, a placemat I'm in the middle of crocheting! also thanks to @alrightbuckaroo I am like obsessed with these dividers now.

TK wakes, disoriented and confused at first as to why he feels so warm in his usually cold room, and why he’s so tangled up in his sheets, and when did he turn on bear ambience to sleep to before remembering that the warm and solid weight against his back is Carlos and he’s just had the best night of sleep he’s had in probably years.

Carlos snores lightly next to his ear, a large, warm arm draped over TK’s waist and TK is obsessed and also feels silly that he feels so giddy about waking up beside anyone.

It’s been a long time, and while he’s aware it probably won’t happen again, it feels nice, and it makes him feel happy. Happier than he’s been in a long time, if he were to be honest with himself.

Carlos suddenly draws a sharp intake of breath and make a few groaning noises as he begins to stir. TK rolls over to face him, running a hand over his bare shoulder and down his arm.

“Good morning,” he whispers.

“Good morning,” Carlos rasps, voice thick with sleep as his eyes focus on TK.

Last night, TK had discovered what Carlos looks like in glasses too. He knew from the background check he’d conducted that Carlos’s drivers license states that he wears corrective lenses, but it was another thing to watch him borrow a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie to go back out to his car after dark to fish out his spares. 

He’s handsome in them, and TK feels beyond lucky to have witnessed it. He thinks Carlos is cute now too, keeping his face extra close to TK’s so he has any chance of seeing TK clearly.

“Can I make you breakfast?” he asks softly, studying TK’s face like he’s trying to commit it to memory.

“You can cook too, Officer Reyes?” TK grins and Carlos rolls his eyes. “I can’t promise there’s very much in the fridge, but sure, you can make me breakfast.”

Thank you for the tags @whatsintheboxmh @heartstringsduet @henrygrass @thisbuildinghasfeelings @nisbanisba @paperstorm @everlastingday @bonheur-cafe @strandnreyes @carlos-in-glasses @carlossreaders @alrightbuckaroo @eclectic-sassycoweyes @lemonlyman-dotcom

No pressure tags @ironheartwriter @butchreyes @reyesstrand @tellmegoodbye @lightningboltreader @rangersoup @chicgeekgirl89 @decafdino @captain-gillian @nancys-braids @welcometololaland @futures-tense

And here's the link to the pattern I'm using to create this placemat :)

[emceescha]

MIMI'S SELFSHIP SKETCH COMMISSIONS - OPEN!

hi guys! i'm going to be opening my first batch of selfship commissions over on my ko-fi!

they will be $20-$30 depending on number of characters, color, etc. with details over on ko-fi.

i am going to do limited slots as of right now (3), just because i've never opened commissions on a wide scale before -- please bear with me. if you are interested, please check them out!

any rbs would be appreciated as well! i am trying very hard so save, as i plan on moving out of state soon, so any support would be very much appreciated. thank you!

terms, etc. under cut!

turnaround is usually 1-2 weeks, given my full-time work schedule. commissions are black/white lightly colored (example 5 in the image above) by default. flat color may be added for a small fee.

you may contact me at any time regarding the progress of your commission. i will contact you through tumblr or discord when i am ready to begin your commission.

IF YOUR CHARACTERS ARE HEAVILY STYLIZED, I WILL DRAW THEM IN MY OWN STYLE, which tends to be semi-realism. i will likely take creative liberties in translating them, please keep this in mind when you are commissioning me!

WILL DO:

oc/canon & selfship

human/humanoid (animal ears, tail, horns, etc. OK!)

light gore

simple backgrounds

revisions

WON'T DO

anthro/feral

mecha

toony or heavily stylized

guro

NSFW

proship/comship/darkship, etc.

certain fandoms (Vivzie, Harry Potter, AOT, Southpark, The Boys, etc.)

standard DNI applies.

thank you for reading!

[storytellingbadger]

My messy process for drawing that zero people asked to see XD ...

Sketch #1: just shapes, zero definition. The scruffier, the better - it adds movement and flow, and I neaten it up later. All about composition, character proportions, checking sizes/heights, who's going where, etc. If I'm happy with a character's shape but not their placing or pose, I just select and drag around.

Sketch #2: go over the bare bones with an equally scruffy but more detailed sketch. I've got references on hand for hands, my greatest nemesis - I still screwed up Solar's hand here, but oh well, every day's a school day. Experiment with expressions, wrinkles, hand poses, double-check character references to add in details I'd otherwise forget later (individual eye shape, markings, etc.)

Depending on the complexity, I may do a third sketch, but not needed here. I don't want to have to make changes at the lineart stage when clean-up takes twice as long, so this scruffy stage takes a while.

Lineart: weirdly, I love sketchy styles, but am completely incapable of doing them myself. I prefer sharp lines and crisp edges, so I use a small, pressure sensitive brush in deepest black, and annihilate it with the eraser tool to taper edges and add sharp detailing. I also play with sharpening filters to get the resolution I want.

Colour: I add a fill layer beneath the lineart in a colour that's not going to feature on the characters at all. This means I can a) get into the nooks and crannies and erase any overlap from the select tool, and b) any missed spots when I colour in will stick out like sore thumbs, so I don't leave gaps for background to shine through in teeth or sclera etc. I then colour on top of that. I keep it simple, only adding variety and shading to the eyes and odd detailing - bells, buttons, etc.

This will sound bloody obvious, but adding colour can change the whole look and feel of the picture. For example on this piece, once colour had finished, I realised the lack of neck ruffles made Solar look weirdly exposed compared to the equally shirtless Eclipse, like he'd been interrupted getting ready for a shower or something. So a rescue shirt was added! (You can see shirtless Solar on the original post here.)

Background: I'm allergic to drawing backgrounds so I speed-run with shapes and textures, mucking about until it looks good enough. I have no idea why but I'm adding borders to all my drawings at the moment, so that goes in too. Normally I also add a white border around the characters, but not for these refs.

And ta da. Nothing special, but works for me! Moment of silence for Solar's haunted hand.

[dogicrimsonofficial]

Tansui's Adventures - #1, Arrival

The scorching heat of the sun, welcoming committee of overly hostile guards, and a not-so-friendly Beastkins. What a welcome for a young Au Ra that had been!

At least the imposing walls would offer some protection - and who knows, maybe he could hide within them long enough to recover, and get a better grasp at the-

Hey, was someone watching them?

Cameo: Va'ea Locla by Noid Brightclaw

Sooo... I might have started a new game on new character and wanted to record their story as it happens via arts. Meet Tansui Ginsuke, very short Au Ra with some skeletons in their closet!

Also I am cameoing folks on these - first my patreon members that wanted a spot, then friends, then acquaintances.

Posts once a week as long as I have some backlog on me.

[splankie]

is blowing up a volcano after ur first kiss couple goals

[voidshrub]

"Follow me!"

[aru-art]

two-headed calf by laura gilpin

[sobselpop]

Puppeteered by somebody else

Lowkey maybe totally inspired by this masterpiece by the amazing @joycew-art

[sesamenom]

they insisted on playing their own wedding music

and a gold haired version, because of the love songs

[unriding]

a … a gift from the talented @kruinka 🥹 thank you so much!! ദ്ദി ༎ຶ‿༎ຶ)

[fatedroses]

Finally I can post the comic for Adventurer!Zenos that has taken hold of my brain for the past week.

AKA a man who is currently running off the fumes of the literal souls of the damned being very desperate to be out of the void he was stuck in (and for the first time actually being able to just enjoy something mundane), only to get absolutely overwhelmed but all the stimuli he had just... ignored until now.

[dreamsy990]

some of the less nice thoughts about being aroace

extras below the cut

sketch

closeups on my favorite panels

bonus: adios

[coern-art-very-cool-and-nice]

im proud of the lighting on this one reference on the right 👉 (btw, if anybody knows the image source pls lmk!! I'd like to give credit if necessary)

[ganondoodle]

"to even give people the mere chance of starting to understand how you feel about this character and this story you made up around them you have to actually draw that comic, you are at chapter 2, even just the rough draft for it took you a year despite your best efforts on being faster"

[pngheavy]

Thank you so much for drawing 777. I owe you my life 🥺❤️

Thank youuu, I drew another one for you!! <3 <3<3