My first AI Image (Precursor to My Top 10 AI 2023 list)

It's been less than a year since I began exploring AI-generated imagery. My journey started when I joined MidJourney on February 16. For my initial attempt, I asked my wife for an actor and character combo; she suggested Ryan Gosling as Mr. Rochester from "Jane Eyre." The result was my first MidJourney creation.

My first generated image with MidJourney

A half-minute later, several images following the prompt description appeared. Everything I knew about creating and sourcing inspiration was about to change. In the following weeks, Midjourney would upgrade to version 5.0, drastically altering the level of image detail. I absorbed as much information about AI I could find, and started seeing ways to use it as a major tool for my work as a Product Designer. 

Eventually, I added Leonardo.ai and ChatGPT to my roster a month later, along with many other free AI services. and tools. Improvements, methods and tools were popping up every week. 

But enough history, let’s begin the 2023 list . . . head to the next post!

Santa Design 2023 (AKA Is Adobe Fresco good?)

Merry Christmas! . . . and a Happy New Year!

Santa character for 2023

Every year, I draw a Santa (or a few). This is my personal annual challenge: to draw Santa differently each year, never repeating the drawings from any previous year.

This year, I created a Santa for the first time using Fresco, Adobe's competitor to Procreate on the iPad. Like Procreate, Fresco boasts an ideal interface and excellent control over drawing lines with a stylus like Apple's Magic Pencil, or on a Wacom screen. Note: Unlike Procreate, which is currently only available on iPad, most Adobe products, including Fresco, are available on all platforms, including Windows.

I would almost say my line control feels even better with Fresco. Depending on the smoothness settings, Procreate can sometimes alter a line's path, especially near the end of a brush stroke when lifting off the tablet.

The best thing about Fresco, to me, is that you can paint and draw in Vector mode. This means you can freely resize your drawing to any size without losing detail or bitmap blocking; all lines stay smooth. It's well worth a look, especially for any t-shirt designers or poster printers out there. I may find myself weaning off Procreate due to this excellent program... (Check here next year to see which program I use for 2024's Santa!)