An Illustration is More Than an Image...
“Art is a human activity consisting in this, that one man consciously, by means of certain external signs, hands on to others feelings he has lived through, and that other people are infected by these feelings, and also experience them.”
~ Leo Tolstoy
An illustration is more than an image, it is a story to be told. A silent language reserved only for the creator and viewer. Anyone can look at an illustration and form their own personal connection with it. It’s that kind of magic which drew me to this career in the first place - being able to communicate in a different way; for me, an easier way. There’s a human behind an image. A person who spent hours or days conjuring a visual in their mind, and then, this pursuit of the imagination is created with their own human hands. It doesn’t matter if that artist uses a brush with paint, or a digital pen and screen. Both processes begin with a blank canvas and an idea - a vision; and they are manifested by the hand using lines, strokes and washes of a creative medium; which in turn result in an image. This image embodies the artists emotions and feelings; the personal journey of a human being wishing to connect with another person who wants to experience more than the world that physically surrounds them.
AI ‘art’ is devoid of all of the above. It’s formed by computer code gleaning existing human-made images. It’s not creative, inspiring, or honest. It is not art. It’s sadly growing stronger in this modern world, and unfortunately more people and businesses are relying on it rather than hiring a living, breathing, passionate person. If it gains more strength, in years to come we won’t have a visual culture that has a story behind it. We won’t have artists who we can learn from and be inspired by. No person with a life, a fascinating biography, a portfolio of creativity. Our art history books will become extinct. Is that a world we really want to live in?
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I’ve been working in two creative industries for over a decade - graphic design and illustration. It is incredible to see how quickly AI imaging is evolving and being accepted by both the general public and commissioners. It’s sad to see large and small (global and local) companies, government bodies, magazines, publishers, design/ad agencies etc resorting to the use of AI ‘art’ rather than paying and supporting a real creative person. Times are really tough for creatives right now, and we need support, community, and commissions. As creatives, we have always had to fight our corner for fair fees, copyright protections, and general working rights. How many times have we been told to ‘get a real job’ or to work for free for ‘exposure.’ This new era of AI is probably the most worrying threat to the creative industries in recent history. Not to be dramatic, but there has never been a time in human history where human artists have been completely removed from the process of artistic creation. Art has always been created by people, that’s what makes it so important - it is a fundamental human expression. It may be fun to ask sites likes ChatGPT to create a ‘Beatrix Potter’ illustration of your favourite photos, but this practice only helps to normalise AI imaging, and allow acceptance of the inevitable fate - the downfall of human creativity. Once again, I’m not being dramatic, but realistic. If you don’t work in the creative industries or take part in them, then it can be understandable not to see the bigger picture of this issue. But it is an issue, and we as creatives are already losing commissions due to the use of AI technologies. Our careers are being threatened.
In my illustration ‘An Emerald Autumn,’ I have imbued it with my inspirations and personal tales. I keep a reference library of photos I've taken on my travels. These are photos of objects, places, and buildings that I formed a visual connection with - I wanted to remember them, and to be inspired by them artistically. The illustrations I create are fantasy worlds; a conglomeration of my experiences which create a place or feeling that is evocative and meaningful. The row of trees on the hill references my sisters farm landscape; as does the fairy tree in the middle of a heart-shaped field. My illustrations are not just ‘made-up’ out of nowhere, they are ingrained with memory, whimsy and imagination.
Each building in this illustration pays homage to my female family tree. My great-grandmother’s were a Kelly and a ‘Mrs Mac.’ My grandmother was known as ‘Lily’ and loved to bake, hence why the tearoom cottage is named after her. My other grandmother was an O’Donoghue who grew up in a rural village where her family ran the local pub. Before I begin an illustration I also like to research imagery on Pinterest. Autumn is my favourite season, and the below images help me to conjure little details in my illustrations. It is this thoughtfulness which deeply separates a human-made image with that made by a soulless computer algorithm. Imagine hanging an illustration print on your wall made by AI. It’s flat and it’s fake. There’s no deeper meaning or thought to it, no biographic details or layers of the artist’s memories. You’re not supporting a person’s career or the local economy. It’s akin to buying a photo frame, hanging it up, and leaving the stock photo image in the frame.
AI has many positive uses in this world, but it shouldn’t in my opinion step into the deeply expressive world of human emotion and creativity. We are not a soulful and happy world if we are devoid of culture.
Thanks everyone for reading, and I hope this post helps to highlight an important and already destructive issue. - Rachel x