The state of the AI vs classic artwork discussion

The introduction of AI technology into the artistic sphere garnered significant attention a few months ago, inciting heated debates, lawsuits, and controversies. However, the novelty of this trend appears to have diminished recently.

I can see some artists still balancing from the old ways and now including AI into their workflow

One artist in particular caught my attention, he seems to be swinging back and forth, posting drawings and then AI artwork 

Here is the link to his blog blogclif.wordpress.com/

Here is a recent sample of his drawing

and here is the AI generated from the drawing

My current view is that he should create numerous drawings and select the best ones to evaluate their appearance in the AI artwork style.

Tsu interview : Anna Lioce (aka MisaLioce)

Q1: Can you introduce yourself (give a short bio) ?

I live in South Italy and I am a geek girl.
I love drawing comics with my husband (he is my favorite writer) and watching SCI-FI and horror series (always with him).
I've been drawing since I was a little child and I hope one day to become a professional comic artist.

Q2: What convinced you to join tsu.co?

I joined tsu because I'm interested in new media (I am a graphic designer and Marketing expert too).

Q3: What are the main tools of your trade?

I use Manga Studio and Photoshop.

Q4: What are the biggest struggles you encounter as an artist?

People!! People thinking that drawing is something easy and/or stupid!

Q5: What are your visions of art for the future?

For me, art will be web-based and shared with the world and other artists, giving people the unique opportunity to know other cultures and way of expression

Q6: Where can we find you on the web?

twitter : https://twitter.com/Misa0027
tsu: http://www.tsu.co/MisaLioce
Ghostbusted comics : http://www.staynerd.com/nerdstuff/stay-nerd-comix-attenti-a-quaynerd-06-ghostbusted-finale/

Thanks for the interview Anna Lioce,

you can join her network at http://www.tsu.co/MisaLioce

Tsu interview : Sara Elena Meloni

Q1: Can you give a short bio?

Hi, my name is Sara, in art SEM. I'm 26 and I'm Italian.
I did art school and academy of fine arts, painting, but i learned much from internet, tutorial, and virtual friends.
Now I make portraits on commissions, I teach courses of portraiture and I participate in art exhibitions in Italy, mainly in my region.

Q2: What convinced you to join tsu.co?

I'm here on tsu (SaraElenaMeloni_SEM) because I like to see and communicate with people that have my same passion: art.
Others socials networks are more dispersive.

Q3: What got you into art?

I know many people related to me, artists and art lovers.
Art is also a cure for depression in this period of economic crisis that is not working.
Art makes us live. And I thank the art every day.

Q4: What are the required qualities of an artist?

Depends, there are many different kinds of art. It starts from the dialogue and technique. A right mix of technical ability combined originality, communication and imagination should be ideal for an artist.

Q5: What are your visions of art for the future?

I do not know. The art is in all parts of the world, art can help entire peoples through communication.
Unfortunately, many people are far from art, art should be more interactive, go to the people who does not know and help them to live better.
The art makes the person feel good.

Q6: Where can we find you on the web?

I try to follow many social networks and blogs, the main ones are:
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sara-Elena-Meloni-SEM/44426639607
instagram: https://instagram.com/saraelenameloni_sem_art/
tsu: http://www.tsu.co/SaraElenaMeloni_SEM
deviantart: http://sarameloni.deviantart.com/
youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9Coq_n7tq2p-N5MyBnkETA
twitter: https://twitter.com/semmy888
and my blog: https://saraelenameloni.wordpress.com/
Thank you =)

Thanks for the interview Sara Elena Meloni,

you can join her network at http://www.tsu.co/SaraElenaMeloni_SEM

Tsu interview : Giuseppe Marinello

 

Q1: Can you give a brief biography? 

 I live and work in Italy, I was born in a small southern town. I drew as a child but my training course was a bit 'slow and tortuous. Mostly because coming from a small urban center did not have people with to appreciate the drawing. Only later, around 27 years old, I decided to attend a school to learn the techniques of film and cartoon storyboard.  

Then I worked many years in the field of video games as a 2D pixel artist and advertising. Meanwhile, I was also the assistant in a study that dealt with comics and this was useful because it taught me to never abandon the classical technique (pencil and ink) to draw. I have done many commercials and storyboards for video games, but the problem is that the storyboard is a just a "task" so no one will ever know that you drew those things. People find about it only when you have them on your own design, where is your signature.  

Q2: What convinced you to join tsu.co? 

 I joined (tsu.co) because I was looking for something different from the usual social media. A place to put my work and admire the work of artists from around the world, with no particular barriers. TSU, from this point of view, is ... perfect!  

Q3: What got you into art? 

 This is the most difficult question: I think it all starts from a desire to emulate. As a child, I admired the designs of Romano Scarpa of Mickey Mouse or John Romita Spider Man. Then you think ... "I want to draw too!". But then life is much more complicated and paths can be quite tortuous.  

Growing up, then I change the references. So then was born the love for the classics like Alex Raymond or Stan Drake with the synthesis of Alex Toth and charm for women designed by Leone Frollo. It means that everything is mixed, you look up to so many influences. Today my design is the sum of many things that I have looked and I have assimilated.  

Q4: What are the qualities required of an artist?  

First of all, I think that today it is very easy to be an "artist". Anyone can open a page on a social network and defined himself as such. So the first quality you need is humility. The design is a challenge every day against their limits.  

I've seen guys with great talent completely lost and unseen and people with no particular talent being perceived or sometime becoming great artists. Especially in the comic industry, talent serves relatively : if your starting skill is good, you're lucky but must be fed with the technique and continuous study. So in a nutshell the qualities are : humility, patience, tenacity, desire to improve without ever thinking of having arrived. 
  

 Q5: What are your visions for the future of art?  

Today the art, with the web, is available to everyone. Every day I can discover new talent. I recently fell in love with a Russian painter contemporary Serge Marshennikov.  
Does the wonder of touching the oil paintings on canvas be more Realistic. Without the web, possibly I would not have known this painter : then my hope is that it is easier to educate the new generations to the art, to ensure that its value is not lost and will always remain a heritage to protect. All art! From drawing, sculpture, painting, music ... without distinction!

In my specific future, however, we will be publishing on the number 3 of "Black Death" comic published in Italy by Edizioni Inkiostro. 
I'm running out of inking tables and can not wait to see it printed. 
Thanks for the questions and ... greetings from Italy!

Thanks for the interview Giuseppe, please excuse in advance if there are some error in the translation (my Italian is a bit "rusty" to say the least).

you can join his network at http://www.tsu.co/marin_x

Tsu interview : Melissa Falconi

Q1: Let’s start with the common question, if you can introduce yourself.

Hi, my name is Melissa, I'm 22, I come from Italy, and I'm an office worker but I don't really like my work so I decided to frequent a master's degree in graphic and web design.
I love everything related to art and design, I love drawing and this has been my passion since I was a child.
I wish my passion will help me to find a work regarding art.

Q2: How did you get into tsu.co

I joined Tsu thanks to a friend and I find this social very helpful for artist like me because I saw many of them that I never knew, thanks to the large sharing of artworks.
I also found pages that help artists to promote their art without asking money and I think it's a nice idea.

Q3: What got you into art?

I always had a big passion, I love watching people and the world around me to find every single detail.

Q4: What are the required qualities of an artist?

I don't know, but I think that an artist has to be inquiring, he has to be interested to discover and being persevering in order to improve his skills.
Heart, passion and fantasy mixed together will be the perfect formula for creating perfect artworks.

Q5: What are your visions of art for the future ?

I can't see what will happen but I really hope that art will help people to be more creative and to open their mind to the world.
I hope that art will be considered more important, especially in my country (Italy), where it's so hard to find a work related to it.
I think art is the essence of the human being and it would be perfect if everyone could express it and share colors with others.

Thanks for the interview Melissa,

you can join her network at http://www.tsu.co/Menny_F

Tsu interview : Andrea Giovagnoli

Q1: Let’s start with the common question, if you can introduce yourself.

My name is Andrea , I'm a graphic designer and video maker who has a deep love for everything related to art and graphics in general.
I have two cats and a dog, they are my passion and i also love the world of anime and manga.

Q2: How did you get into tsu.co

I joined Tsu.co because a friend of mine, an artist, showed it to me and i thought it could be fun.
Well i'm not an artist but i live thanks to my "artworks", but this is another story.
I love art especially Japanese art and i admire many of my artists friends.

Q3: What are the required qualities of an artist?

Heart and passion, nothing else.

Q4: What are your visions of art for the future ?

I really don't know what can happen, i'm an expert of viral marketing and i can say that augmented reality and social media marketing will be the future of advertising,
but nobody can say how art will change in the future and i think that this the reason of art being wonderful

Thanks for the interview Andrea

you can join her network at http://www.tsu.co/gara1978

Interview with Peileppe

On the last post I was featuring Katybear and was interested to know about her motivation to do cosplay and I mentioned that cosplayer usually receive no income but starts to get attention from other artists in the form of Fan-art.

Today I have the privilege to interview Phillip Koops (aka Peileppe) a cartoonist that made a fan-art for Katybear

Can you give a short bio ?
Okay, I'm a Freelance designer, comic artist, developer and father of two kids
I studied Finance and Accountancy and moved from France to Ireland, and then Czech Republic where I live now.
After 8 years in the call-centre environment (I worked as tech support for Apple, and then presale support for Hewlett-Packard) I started freelancing and doing my own comics (called call-centre Grinder).

Did you study in any art school?
I’m mostly a self-taught person. I learned through trial and errors.
But I learned oil painting, and how to use charcoal and graphite in extra school activities during my teenage years.

Can you tell us someting about your typical working method,  the tools of your trade?
I use open-source software : Gimp mostly, Krita, and myPaint for digital work
But the fan-art was done with Manga Studio - I did a series of portraits.
Otherwise I draw by hand and then scan the result - and finish the work with my wacom bamboo.

An offer you couldn't refuse

Interviews are welcome

I feel like it would be beneficial to open my blog to other people and allow them to have a place to post about their services or hobbies.

If you are an artist, freelance, cosplayer, linux developer, aspirant designer, comics writer, reiki master, spiritual healer, clairvoyant etc ... and be interested to post an interview on my blog. Here are the questions template I would use - send the completed interview to my email address

Questions

These would be the questions (feel free to modify them, as you like)

1. Can you give a short bio ?
2. What got you into "your field of expertise" ?
3. What are the required qualities of a "person in your field of expertise" ?
4. What are your visions of "your field of expertise" for the next years ?
5. What do you wish "your field of expertise" would be in the future ?

Please then add any of your links you'd like to share

Example of an interview with Katybear - found here.

P.S : As the editor I keep the right to decline posting or review part of the interview - or to discontinue this service anytime.

The service is free but donation are welcome.
See static page for more details http://alashazam.blogspot.com/p/open-for-interview.html

Cosplay interview with Katybear

Is it just an impression or does cosplaying is getting more and more professional and competitive ?
This type of performance art  is now more and more in the direction of having a fan-base itself (fan-art portrait are given to cosplayer, they are featured on many media platform, giving interview on TV, etc ...) 

Does this mean cosplayers are in the process of becoming star themselves ? 


In short who are these individuals behind the mask, who are those passionate people spending their free time to create outfit, and makes the visitors smiling with glee during conventions.


To answer this questions, I had the honor of interviewing Kate McCullough (aka Katybear) :

Can you give a short bio of yourself ?

My name is Kate (or Katy) McCullough. I am from Albuquerque, New Mexico but I recently moved to Phoenix, Arizona. I make all my own cosplays. I am a big video game and anime nut, but I am also starting to get into comics as well. I also enjoy reading, snowboarding, and horseback riding.








What got you into the cosplay world ?

I am born on Halloween and have always loved dressing up. My husband actually told me about cosplay ( I had no idea it even existed) and I was on it in no time. Dressing up as my favorite character, YES!





What are the required qualities of a cosplayer nowadays ?

I would say knowing how to sew is a big plus. If you buy all you stuff you can't really take all the credit, you have to say it was the seamstress's skill as well. I am much more fulfilled when I can make my own. I started out not knowing how to sew at all and I just bought a sewing machine one day and read the manual. I am learning how to make armor as well. You also need to be friendly, if you never respond to anyone they aren't going to like you very much. It's also important to be friendly to other cosplayers, bad rep travels fast.









What are your visions of the cosplay world for the next years ?

I think it's going to get much bigger. When I started there were barely any well known cosplayers and just in the two years I've been doing this it's blown up.



1. What do you wish the cosplay world would be in the future ?

I think it would be awesome if they became celebrities and video game companies, anime companies, and comic artists started hiring them. Maybe even movies. How epic would that be?!

And I guess, it would make a lot of sense for the videogame and comics industry during convention to support the enthusiastic cosplayer, since they are putting so much resources, energy and work in serving their passion and they are also attracting a lot of visitors.

In some aspect, similarly to people involved in opensource, or non-profit organisation, or independant (indie) company, cosplay is restoring my faith in humanity because it's all about having fun and living their passion ; breaking the usual materialistic way of thinking, that says : "to do work, you absolutely need to get paid".


Thanks Kate McCullough for that nice interview!


Here are links where readers will find more about Katybear :

https://www.facebook.com/katybear1031

https://twitter.com/katybearcosplay

http://itskatybearbitches.tumblr.com/

http://www.youtube.com/user/katybear25