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Robert Matheson

Derivative Ai Art from IRL Paintings


An example of using DALL-E to generate derivative works from paintings created in the real world. By Robert Matheson. Newberry, SC.

Curious how Ai can compliment your own art practice?

I was recently given access, DALL-E (open Ai's image generator) and I'm very impressed. Many of you have seen the photorealistic digital images created using natural language prompts, but what about using your own IRL (in-real-life) paintings and drawings?

Using DALL-E is as easy as using google. Simply tell it what you want and the Ai returns four outputs for you to choose from. But in this article, I'll show you what it can do when you provide it with a reference photo from your own work. Below is a cropped section of a plein air painting I created of a street scene in Prague, Czech Repubic (2017).

Reference Image Uploaded to DALL-E:

Prague, Czech Republic. Acrylic and graphite on panel by Robert Matheson. 2017.

The Four Outputs created by DALL-E:

Imagined street scene of Prague based on a plein air painting by Robert Matheson

My ego wants to nit-pick the outputs, to find all the ways Ai failed:

  • "It can't reproduce the shadows and highlight from the paint texture."
  • "The pencil sketch marks are missing, where's the gritty quality of graphite?!"
  • "These look they were painted on a tablet."

The last nit-pick is the most telling. They really do look painted. Without seeing the original reference photo, it would be very hard to distinguish whether or not these were painted by a human.

Ai may not be able to reproduce the exact texture of an IRL painting but neither can my camera. Ai may never be able to reproduce it exactly, but I've realized that mimicry is not the most valuable aspect of Ai. For me, it's greatest benefit is inspiration and ideation. I'm simply blown away by these images and my mind is racing, exploring all the use cases.

We're just getting started...

Ai will unlock creativity that is bound in the minds of millions. Everyone now has the ability to express themselves through creative imagery regardless of their skill-level or access to arts education. And be forewarned, Ai is coming for all artistic mediums including literature, poetry, film, 3D rendering & Animation. Nothing is off limits and everything will be impacted.

We are living through an artistic renaissance. How will you tell your story?



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Robert Matheson
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