When I got Serious about AI-Art

The Catalyst

October 2022 marked a pivotal moment when I discovered Midjourney AI's architectural rendering capabilities. The technology delivered impressive results in under 10 minutes—work that previously required days using traditional 1980s methods.

The Inspiration

Two examples of #Paredolia where one sees hidden faces, drove my decision to advance beyond basic AI tools: These were Ömer Nuray's architectural visualizations inspired by architect portraits and Gianpaolo Rosa's "messy clothes" series based on masterpiece paintings. Click on Thumbnails below to see larger view.

These demonstrated the creative potential of advanced AI art technology. I ordered a large framed version of Messy Lisa for inspiration in my study. I learned these images were created by combining technical skills and creative thinking through tools like Stable Diffusion, ControlNet, QRCodeMonster, and ComfyUI.

The Investment Decision

Matt Higgins' "Burn the Boats" book gave me the operational mindset to prioritize passion projects and execute decisively. I quit Facebook, where I had previously spent way too many hours in the iPhone Photography School group. This book inspired me to familiarize myself with Memento Mori.

Recognizing the steep learning curve and technical requirements of advanced AI art tools, I committed to:

• Formal training through Udemy coursework
• Hardware investment of $4,000 in a high-performance computer system with NVidia 4090 Graphics card capable of running complex AI models

I rationalized that my decision satisfied both my right and left brain—the technical complexity of software installation, parameter optimization, and model management combined with the artistic sensibilities required for creative output.