Spring is almost here in northern Michigan and I have been focused on house and yard projects. We had to demolish our bathroom which included tearing out a partially rotted floor due to a leaky shower and have been slowly putting it back together including some new drywall. Mudding, patching and sanding has taken a lot of time (I have great respect for those who do it professionally), and painting, too. I am anxious to get back to the coloring book designs I am working on, though, and it should be a fun book once I get it to where I envision the designs and the layout. And then there is the cover art … no clue what that will be yet.
Aside from time, my biggest hurdle is feeling motivated to finish up the sketches and finalize my lines. Admittedly, it has been a squelched by a dramatic drop in income from my art. Ultimately, this shouldn’t affect my desire to create, but when one makes a living on their art, it can be pretty depressing. I have seen numerous posts on social media by other artists who are experiencing the same problem (a marked drop in sales) and so many voices blame the sudden rise in AI (Artificial Intelligence) art being generated by Midjourney and Dall-E, for example.
Designs made using AI (where entering text basically generates an image) takes a fraction of the time to produce and AI designs have flooded the market on Amazon, Etsy, and other venues where we like to look for coloring books and pages. A lot of colorists stick with their artists and continue to support them (a heartfelt thank you), but there are an equal (if not greater) number of people who don’t realize that the designs they are buying are made by AI and are, of course, tempted by the really cheap prices of the images and books produced.
Those using AI to create coloring books and pages can sell them for very low prices because they don’t have to put much time into them. 10 images can be created in minutes by AI opposed to 10 images that may take a human artist weeks or months to sit down and draw. And the bargain basement prices of AI images for coloring make it harder for some customers to justify spending money on human-made designs, if they are even aware of the difference.
Not too long ago, I ran across a few posts on Facebook that featured photos of plants and flowers that looked like birds. They were oddly beautiful and surreal—almost believable if you didn’t know plants, and that although there are some plants and flowers that resemble birds, they certainly didn’t look like these. Interesting fantasy stuff, but no where in the post did it claim the images were generated by AI. So of course I had to scroll through the comments and easily over 90% of the commenters said things like “amazing,” “nature is amazing,” “God is great,” and “where can I buy these flowers?” “Will they grow in my area?” Seriously.
Many artists who have spent years developing their skills are now feeling that all the time and effort they have put in to their profession is circling the drain. Many feel devalued by something that is entirely out of their control and this devaluation of human art and artists is tragic on so many levels.
To make matters worse, there are a slew of concerns over copyright infringements since these AI generators can produce images based on the style of any given artist. All you have to do is tell the generator to make a picture of a cat in the style of Kerby Rosannes or Johanna Basford, for instance, and within minutes (maybe seconds?) you have the results. Human artists were never asked if these generators could use their art to train their models for reproduction, and they were never asked if those images could be sold for profit. They do not credit or benefit the human artist at all, but here we are. Our art is being hijacked and we are left with outrage, depression, a lack of motivation to create, and empty pockets. It is a real concern.
AI art in and of itself is not a bad thing, necessarily. In fact, some of it is pretty cool. But it is devaluing artists and art made by fellow humans. What bothers me most is the broader implications AI will have on the well-being of artists and the culture, value and importance of art and creativity in general. I am hoping that AI will be a fad and that we wise up soon, but I am afraid we’re are entangled in it deep already … and not just in the world of art. We are being pummeled with deep fakes, junk food and junk “journalism” and it can be hard to filter through all the crap.
Despite it all, I plan to try my best to keep creating for the joy of the creative process and for the community created through art and coloring. It is, afterall, what keeps me ticking. That and knowing that the people who are coloring my lines and using my books are getting something valuable from them—enjoying the process of a wonderful hobby, art form even, that has it’s own rewards. Every so often I receive a kind note from a customer and it always makes my heart happy. And the universe must be listening because yesterday one of my customers emailed me with a question about paper and said, “Your work has brought me tons of joy!” Knowing that people are enjoying the proverbial fruits of my imagination and labor help me keep doing what I do.
Speaking of … my last completed design for a coloring page was “Galaxy Horse” and I made two versions for my shop and Etsy. One version is a simple design of the horse (with a plain body) and the other has the same horse, but decorated with a floral pattern. If you are interested in creating your own patterns, or if you are into coloring fur and want a more realistic look, the plain version is probably best.
Galaxy Horse is actually a 4-page PDF because in addition to the decorated and non-decorated horses, there is a lighter, grey line version of each design.
My work in progress on the red horse (below on the right) shows the pre-decorated version with flowers and leaves, and the horse on the left shows the plain version which I am in the progress of adding my own patterns to.
When I have a chance, I’ll put together a post about the technique and pencils I am using for this coloring. It’s been a really nice creative break to work on this when I have the time, and I hope to get back to it soon.
Keep your eyes open for another new design headed to my shops soon (this one is a customer request which is always fun!) and a new book sometime this summer. The sketches are coming along, but all I can say about the theme of this book right now is that it’s new territory for me. 😉
Big love from my little studio, and as always, happy coloring and stay creative!
I think the joy you put into every sketch that you do is transmitted to all of us who love your work. That’s something AI will never be able to do. Thank you for sharing your creativity with us all!
Thank you, Lisa – that means a lot to me!
Hi Susan,
I was just realizing that I had bought what I thought was a beautiful artistic adult coloring book, but now looking at it I person it is SO OBVIOUSLY AI-generated and then ended up going down the rabbit hole on the issue of AI-generated. Personally, I feel if you’re using this as a a form of “making,” as I cannot make myself say created or artistic, an adult coloring book (you’re being dishonest at best) and stealing at worst) because people have the right to know what they are buying! Plus the out and out ripping off of artists who actually created the art you stole. I will ONLY purchase coloring art from true, real and trusted artists. Mixing that gorgeous horse with the stunning red coloring (two of my absolute real life favorite things), let’s just say that I LOVE them! I will ALWAYS buy your Art before any AI-Generated crap so please don’t ever lose hope 🙂 I’m going to try to get my money back from first the publisher and then Amazon and put it towards buying your next book. To me NOT indicating anywhere that the books are AI-Generated is telling a lie when advertising.
“Stay genuine” (I borrowed this from a fun podcaster Jesse Dollermore because he deserves the credit, and I like to be honest)
Hi Sus, thanks for sharing your experience and I agree – art created using AI really ought to be labeled, especially if it is being sold to the consumer. Knowledge is power and we can make better choices if we have all the information we need. As an artist, it is hard to compete with AI and my sales have taken a drastic plunge. Part of that is my fault due to a number of life events that have been making it difficult for me to focus on my art (and marketing it) but it’s also pretty clear that AI generated coloring books and designs have been flooding and undercutting the market on top of it all. Trying to stay hopeful and honestly, the big reason I do what I do is because I enjoy it. And I enjoy the community around it! I might not be able to make a living at it any longer, but drawing, working with pencils and painting makes my world go round so I’ll keep doing it for the happiness it brings. Great quote by the way – we need more genuine in all walks of life! 🙂
I truly think AI will not supplant human artists because a computer program cannot create something original for it lacks imagination. AI can only produce the same old images in different formats or cloned or copied work from human artists. The lack of creativity and originality will be its doom. Don’t worry artists, musicians and authors have the one thing a computer lacks originality and freedom of expression.
Creative souls and their works will last for many centuries more as long as humanity itself retains its and soul and longing for creative works that touch our collective soul.
Well said, Lisa, and humans DO have a real connection to art (either creating art or appreciating artwork). AI is making a mess right now, but I do feel we will hang on to (and continue to foster) human artwork. It keeps us going!
I sure hope you are right, Lisa, and I agree – AI cannot replace the human soul and creativity. As long as artists, musicians, and authors don’t get discouraged and give up, I think we will be fine. 🥰