Nov 21, 2024 5 min read Generative Art

Behind the Scenes of Art & Script: Celebrating Improbable Friendships

When admiring a finished piece, it’s easy to forget the work and technique behind it—and that’s how it should be. Art should first evoke raw emotion. Leave the technical analysis to the experts! Still, here’s a glimpse into my workflow for creating a recent Art & Script series.

Exploring improbable connections: A series of moments between humans and animals, captured in minimalist and meaningful compositions. Each piece invites you to dive into the beauty of unexpected friendships.

Minimalism Meets Connection

In the world of creators, every artwork tells a unique story, born from a combination of ideas, experiments, and emotions. Today, I invite you behind the scenes of my latest Art & Script series, where minimalism and symbolism intertwine to celebrate the improbable friendships between humans and animals. Throughout this article, I share not only my artistic choices but also the reflections and challenges that mark this creative journey. Come with me into this universe where every detail matters, and where each image becomes an invitation to explore the unexpected connections of life.

During a particularly creative moment, I created several minimalist images featuring animals and/or humans. Some of them inspired a theme around improbable friendships. The idea is to pair images representing interactions between humans and animals, symbols of unexpected friendships and love. For the texts, I envisioned short stories of encounters that trigger deeper reflections on our social relationships.

Image Search with Excire Foto

To trace back the images created weeks earlier, I explored my image library using the Excire Foto software. This tool leverages artificial intelligence to facilitate image searches. Fortunately, I didn't have to visually browse through my 4000+ images(!) to find what I had in mind. I searched for images depicting interactions between different species. Some photos were set aside, especially those with artistic nudes, to focus on visuals for a general audience.

Collage of five minimalist and symbolic artworks depicting nude human figures interacting with animals. The images include individuals entwined with snakes, an elephant gently leaning toward a person, and a woman with flowing hair embracing a serpent. The overall theme conveys intimacy, connection, and the blending of human and animal forms, emphasizing the complex relationships between humans and nature.

Editing Images with Luminar Neo

The next step was to edit the images using Luminar Neo. I cropped them, fixed defects, and adjusted the colors to make them as expressive as possible. For example, one of the first attempts with an elephant and a baby didn't work, as the AI failed to recreate the missing limbs of the child properly.

Collage showing four different versions of an illustration of an elephant and a baby. The first version, labeled 'Original,' shows the elephant gently interacting with the baby in a sweet pose. The following images, labeled 'Nope,' 'Nope,' and 'What ??,' show failed attempts to modify the artwork with humorous and strange results, including awkward poses and an unexpected 'Nabex' label on the elephant. The overall theme highlights the unpredictability of generative AI art.

Another image I worked on featured a bear and a child—a colorful scene that allowed me to test improvements via AI, such as white balance correction and greenery adjustment. To center attention on the bear, I added a subtle vignette and removed a small distracting flaw.

Resolution Enhancement with Aiarty

To enhance the resolution of this image, I used Aiarty and compared different methods to get the best result. I experimented with multiple settings and visual comparisons, each time evaluating how the result aligned with my artistic vision. If possible, I plan to share some of these side-by-side examples, as they demonstrate how much careful decision-making goes into each choice. Using NVIDIA's ICAT tool, I chose the version that best highlighted the details while maintaining visual harmony. The key here is to show that every detail matters in amplifying the emotion conveyed by the work.

Correction and Adjustment of Details

While working on another image of a teenager and a cat, I noticed that the cat had three ears. It's funny how some striking details can go unnoticed at first glance. Using Luminar Neo, I tried to fix this anomaly without much success. I then decided to replace the cat using generative replacement and found a cat that fit perfectly. However, this cat had a tail that disrupted the composition, so I used the generative eraser to remove it. This left a darker background than the original, but I managed to harmonize it using the clone tool.

Collage showing four versions of an illustration of a boy sitting on a bench with a cat beside him. The first version, labeled 'Original,' shows an orange cat sitting comfortably. The next version, labeled 'Not bad,' shows a slightly different pose of the cat. The third version, labeled 'What a tail!,' features a cat with an unusually large, bushy tail. The final version, labeled 'Perfect!,' shows a small, well-integrated cat curled up next to the boy. The sequence highlights the progression of adjustments made to achieve the best visual composition.

To enlarge this image, I used Aiarty once again. The initial method resulted in strokes that were too thick for my taste, almost "cartoonish." After trying another method, I obtained a finer result, although artifacts appeared in the background. To keep the best of both versions, I combined them in Luminar Neo, playing with the transparency of different areas using masks.

For the image "Girl and Bear on the Ice," there was what seemed to be an artist's signature. Some might see it as proof of plagiarism by AI, but I see it differently. I explain why in this blog post: Why AI Art Shows 'Signatures': A Misunderstood Phenomenon

Another image required a particular decision regarding framing. The original framing showed a large empty space in the upper half, and I considered modifying it to a horizontal format. After comparing both versions, I realized that the vertical framing amplified the bear's immensity, which perfectly matched the effect I wanted to convey. This was a learning experience for me, as I began to understand how different framing techniques affect not just composition but also the emotional impact of the work. I started a discussion with ChatGPT, who helped me understand the impact of framing on the emotion of the work.

Collage showcasing the impact of framing on visual storytelling. The image contains a comparison between a horizontal and vertical framing of a drawing depicting a young girl and a large bear facing each other. The horizontal frame is labeled as balanced, focusing on both subjects equally, while the vertical frame emphasizes the bear's towering presence. The accompanying text explains how the different framing affects the narrative, enhancing the bear's grandeur and creating a sense of wonder.

The image "A Child and the Beast" resulted from an unexpected transformation by AI, producing an imaginary but aesthetically captivating animal. Originally, it was a cat with an unusual head, and after several unsuccessful attempts, the AI gave it a calf's head. Despite this strange glitch, I found the result interesting and kept it for its dreamlike quality. This kind of unexpected result enriches the story behind the image and takes it to another level.

Collage comparing two versions of a drawing featuring a person holding a string for two cats. In the first version, both cats appear relatively normal. In the second version, the larger cat has a strangely transformed head that resembles another animal, adding a surreal and humorous effect. The transformation highlights the unpredictable outcomes often seen in generative art.

Composition of the Texts

For the composition of the texts, the main theme is improbable and surprising friendships. Each text is unique but remains centered on this idea of celebrating unexpected relationships.

To develop these stories, I asked for the help of ChatGPT. It helped me find the right approach and assisted in the final composition of the text while providing valuable suggestions, including:

Varying the tones between each text (humor, emotion, contemplation).
Adding a subtle yet powerful message to conclude, focusing on tolerance, acceptance, or wonder in the face of unexpected encounters.
Using poetic and simple writing, with short but emotionally resonant sentences.
Exploiting the symbolism of the animals depicted, such as the bear's tranquility or the cat's curiosity.

Examples of Art & Script Creations

The Teen and the Cat

This image inspires me to think of a teenager feeling a bit uncomfortable in his own skin, as we often are at that age. He "plays a character" in front of his friends but has a genuine relationship with this cat. He feels free to be himself around the animal, sharing his true emotions without fear of judgment.

Art & Script piece showing a young boy sitting on a bench with a small cat beside him, both looking away, evoking a sense of calm solitude. The right side of the image features a narrative text. It describes how the boy finds comfort in the presence of the cat, a silent companion that listens without judgment, offering him a safe space to express his true emotions. The text concludes with a reflection on the importance of finding someone—or something—that allows us to reveal our authentic selves without fear. The layout has a textured blue and cork background, with a small icon of a person holding a heart to signify emotional connection.

The Bear and the Child - Colorful Image

For this image, I had no immediate inspiration. The image seems to depict a bear protecting the child, in a calm and reassuring posture. I thought of several interpretative angles, and one of them particularly struck me: the friendship between two tranquil souls. The bear and the child share a peaceful moment, without needing words or exaggerated gestures—just shared silence.

Art & Script piece depicting a young girl sitting in a forest next to a large, gentle bear. The girl looks upward with a calm expression, while the bear sits quietly beside her, conveying a sense of peaceful coexistence. On the right side of the image, a narrative text describes their encounter, emphasizing the quiet curiosity and openness between two beings from different worlds. The text reflects on themes of understanding, fearlessness, and the beauty of unexpected friendships. The background features a textured cork and blue paper design, and a small icon of a person holding a heart symbolizes emotional connection.

Closing Thoughts

Creating an Art & Script is much more than assembling an image and a text. It is an exploration of universal themes, a quest for emotion and simplicity, and above all, a search for authenticity. Through this series, I hope to awaken in you a new curiosity, a desire to celebrate the encounters that defy our expectations and enrich our lives. I would love to hear your stories about unexpected relationships that have marked your journey, and perhaps find new inspiration for my next creations.