BonFX

Foreward

I wanted to add a little context here to this original tweetstorm story I posted on Twitter earlier this year. To my knowledge, this is one of the first fully AI illustrated stories (however small) created on the revolutionary DALL-E platform. I’m only aware of one other story of mine, “The Great Watermelon Conflagration” that precedes “A Bunnies Tale” by a week or two, as seen here below, that is also fully AI illustrated with no post-processing done to the images after DALL-E generated them. The point in not doing any editing was to test DALL-E’s ability to generate characters and scenery with some consistency from image to image. The results are intriguing, but also not consistent in a way a professionally drawn set of illustrations would normally be. But, we are witnessing something quite staggering here, so the inconsistencies are part of the charm and the mystique of what the amazing model and algorithm deep inside the “mind” of DALL-E has produced. If you like, you can visit the original Twitter Dalle illustration thread. I think a little history was made here but I’m not sure!

A Bunnies Tale

It’s not often you get to witness the birth of a timeless AI illustrated classic. From deep within the realms of our shared creative providence, I present to you:

“A Bunnies Tale”

An epic tweetstory of 23 parts drawn by DALL-E #dalle2 #dalle #aiart, written by the narrator. (curtains)   Two bunnies named Zoof and Floz went into the woods to play. “Let’s run!”, said Zoof. (1/23)   They were enjoying themselves, running with all their heart, to and fro across the forest floor. “Faster, faster!”, Floz said to Zoof. (2/23)   But Floz was faster than Zoof, and he ran so fast that Zoof couldn’t see where he went. (3/23)   Zoof ran and ran but he could not find Floz. He slowed down and began searching for him, thinking perhaps Floz fell in the undergrowth and roots of the forest floor. (4/23)   Zoof looked everywhere he could think of. He looked and looked and looked until… (5/23)   …he couldn’t look anymore. (6/23)   Zoof wandered over root and rock, until he heard a voice: “Who goes there?” Zoof looked up and saw an owl. “It’s me, Zoof”, he said. “I’m looking for my friend Floz. Have you seen him, Mr. Owl”? Mr. Owl said “No, but friend fox in the pine woods might. Ask him.” (7/23)   Zoof pressed on through the pine woods. It was starting to get late. (8/23)   He found friend fox, told him what the old owl said, and asked him where he might find his friend. “I don’t know, but the old tortoise through the mushroom glen can certainly tell you more.” “Thank you friend fox!”, he said. Zoof shook his hind legs and pressed on. (9/23)   The mushroom glen was calm and quiet. The forest floor was very soft, beckoning him to sleep, but this made him unsettled. “I’ve got to find the tortoise soon!”, he thought to himself. “Floz might need help!” (10/23)   Soon, Zoof came to the home of the tortoises and asked the old tortoise if he had seen Floz. “He came through here, down this tunnel. But this goes through the thorny moor. But if you press on, you’ll find the big tree and wise eagle. But hurry — night is here!” (11/23)   So Zoof went into the tunnel, full of apprehension. (12/23)   The tunnel emerged in the thorny moor, just as tortoise said, and the thorns were very close at first. (13/23)   The thorns got closer and closer until they pricked him. Zoof was in full despair not only for Floz’s life but now perhaps even his own. (14/23)   And suddenly, Zoof came into a clearing. He stood up a bit and looked around. At first, he saw nothing, but as his eyes adjusted to the moonlight, he saw a large tree. “That’s it!”, he said. With renewed energy, he pressed on. (15/23) The big tree was twisted and majestic, threatening and comforting, at the same time. “I have to get a rest, but I’d be better off in the tree than out here in the cold”, thought Zoof. (16/23)   Zoof climbed the tree and putting aside any thoughts, instantly fell into a deep but fitful sleep. No sooner had he started having a dream, when he heard a terrible screech and an angry voice that said “Get out of my tree!” (17/23)   Startled, Zoof jumped down and cowered at the foot of the tree. “I’m sorry Mr. Eagle, but the tortoise said you would know where my friend Floz has gotten to!” “Indeed I do! Follow the dark stream that flows from the roots here. Stay by it, and make haste. Leave!” (18/23)   Zoof promptly sped off, following all the bends and curves of the dark stream, not straying an inch to the left or right, as the eagle demanded. “Floz, I hope you are OK after all this!”, thought Zoof. He went on like this for hours and miles. (19/23)   Suddenly, on the bend near an embankment where two trees tapped their roots to drink from the dark stream, Zoof found Floz sleeping. “Floz!”, said Zoof. “Zoof!”, said Floz. And they did the customary rabbit greeting of running in circles. (20/23)   “But what happened to you!”, asked Zoof “That, my friend, I will tell you about on our way home!”, said Floz. “Shall we take the backroads, or this highway!”, said Floz, gesturing to the brick path they stumbled upon. “Definitely this highway!”, said Zoof (21/23)   So Zoof and Floz, reunited, at last, began the long journey home. Floz began to tell his story about the owl, the fox, the tortoise, the terrible eagle, and Floz listened, shaking his head. And then Floz said, “Zoof, you won’t believe my story!” (22/23) Here we leave off until we meet on the rabbit trail with another Bunny Tale again! (23/23)

The harrowing tale of The Great Watermelon Conflagration of Watermelonville. A tragic tale nobody would believe if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes. Welcome to the story of Watermelonville. It seemed so quaint when I first arrived. (1 of 10) So much extra watermelon at the Watermelonville Fair that year… (2 of 10) …we had all kinds of watermelon coming across the channel, just coming up out of the water everywhere… (3 of 10) …we couldn’t have known this strain of watermelon was airborne, and it grew on stucco, cedar shingles, etc. it spread quickly… (4 of 10) …so the baker thought it would be a good idea to scare it off his building with a little fire. he wasn’t thinking straight, driven temporarily mad by the destruction the watermelon were wreaking, and then… (5 of 10) …so the baker thought it would be a good idea to scare it off his building with a little fire. he wasn’t thinking straight, driven temporarily mad by the destruction the watermelon were wreaking, and then… (6 of 10) …everything started to catch fire. Who knew watermelon was so flammable, not to mention the humble homes. And it got worse by the minute… (7 of 10) …it was as if the whole town was going up in watermelon flames, while whole buildings contorted in the heat into unnatural, impossible shapes… (8 of 10) …the whole city was engulfed in the fiery sweet smell of roasted watermelon and cedar shingles roasted to perfection… (9 of 10) …with night approaching there was simply nothing left to do, but make sure the bears no longer had access to matches in the former town of Watermelonville. RIP. (10 of 10)  

Using DALL-E to create a traditional hand-drawn #illustration. A micro-micro-micro-documentary about #dalle and #me. Step 1: Let’s look at the finished illustration for a “caption contest” cartoon. Looks legit. Step 2: Time travel to before the above image was created. Start putting prompts in #dalle to get assets we can composite. As an experienced DALL-E user, I already know I can’t get the composition I want in one pass, nor can I within painting. Instead, I’m looking for elements: Step 3: DALL-E is getting stuck on the concept of a dog with a jar on its head. No worries, I knew it was a tough one. I’m thinking more about reference, and “close” even if mangled. You can also see #dalle doesn’t do well with cartoons. Thin margin of error with thin lines… Step 4: But we’ve got some great shots and some ideas I’m going to grab and composite from these images out of the 20 I generated from the prompt and variations:   Step 5: Composite everything in #Procreate sloppily. The rough #illustration doesn’t have to be perfect. It does have to have the composition, or the gist, of the story: Step 6: Turn everything light blue so I can #draw over the top, but draw my own interpretation of what I see, and bring the necessary elements and changes to what #dalle originally provided: Step 7: #draw draw draw. Tweak, move, edit, redraw. Evaluate the raw new drawing and decide it’s good for the next step of adding #watercolor. At this point you can see the original #dalle elements are gone, replaced by properly rendered #Procreate pencil: Step 8: Add shading in #Procreate with a #watercolor brush, and then pull a few highlights out with an eraser: Step 9: The final step is to push the background further into the background to improve the focus of the #illustration on the dog and cat…and the jar. And there we have it: Therefore: we have a lil. working example of how #dalle was used to “source” reference material and how the output was composited into a rough concept, which was then rendered in #Procreate. If you are an #illustrator…get on the DALL-E waitlist. It will be worth it. BIG TIME.            

Edward Gorey was a very popular illustrator known for his distinctive pen and ink work and quirky dark topics, all with a sense of humor. Perhaps you remember the animated pen and ink style animated opening to PBS’s “Mystery” back in the day? He was also known for having a bunch of cats, and for drawing lots of them in his artwork and books. Gorey passed in 1999. We visited the Edward Gorey museum last week out on the Cape in Port Yarmouth. The museum is basically his old house without much modification from how he left it. His famous fur coat is on display. Even the kitchen is as he left it when he died. But this post is about a cat. The upstairs where his studio was located, which I really wanted to see, was not open to the public. But as we passed the stairwell to the upstairs, this is what we saw (see below). Which, of course, is exactly what one would expect to see in Edward Gorey’s house. It is the house caretaker’s cat obviously. But this cat knows the roll he’s playing. I added a little Gorey drawing of a cat looking through a window that was very oddly similar to the photo I took…of a cat looking through a window. I can’t imagine Gorey would have had it any other way! Visit Edward Gorey House  website to see his work and find out museum hours/exhibition schedule. It’s absolutely worth a trip if you are in the western area of Cape Code. And if you can’t make it to the Cape, check out Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot, which Gorey illustrated, to get your pen and ink cat fix.

Grids; the foundation for a cohesive design

What’s the purpose of grid use in graphic design? In order to develop a striking and organized design piece, it’s crucial to build a good foundation. One who builds a house would never consider skipping the foundation. Nor would they “wing it” in order to get to the next step. A good builder simply wouldn’t proceed without a detailed plan of the overall project. The foundation of a good design is its grid. There are many layout possibilities that allow artists to create balanced designs in any amount of space. By using grid systems as a framework, a composition can be designed that directs the eye with ease along an appealing hierarchal order. The importance of using a grid as the basis of your graphic design can not be overstated. And learning to work with one is worth the effort for any serious graphic designer. They provide organization, consistency, and balance to your design. Surprisingly, a grid will often make way for more creativity rather than fence you in as some might assume. Before using a grid for your graphic design, there are several factors you should consider:

• Purpose or focus of design piece Intention is important. You need a clear purpose or message before laying down a grid. Without it, design elements may be constrained by thoughtless or forced decisions. The grid should serve the designer, not the other way around.
• Priority of content Consider all of your content and prioritize your text and elements in terms of hierarchy. This allows designers to guide the viewer’s eye through the design, drawing attention to key elements and creating a sense of visual flow. Without hierarchy, a design can become cluttered and confusing, making it difficult for the viewer to understand the message or purpose of the design.
• Size of your design Determine the size of your design and various elements, and how the grid will fit within the space.  If you’re designing a magazine layout, you might need a more complex grid to accommodate your content. While a smaller design might only need a simple grid.
• Flexibility for use Consider how flexible the grid needs to be to accommodate different types of content in a layout. A more flexible grid might be necessary if you’re designing a website or an app that will have multiple pages.
• Branding enhancement Be mindful of your brand identity and how a grid can help reinforce your brand’s visual style. Using a consistent grid across different designs can help create a cohesive look and feel for your brand.

Single-Column Grid

When presenting large quantities of text, the single-column grid is a classic approach for providing a simple framework. Typically the interior margin is half the size of the outer, and the given space of a page is defined by the width of the margins. Be sure to think about your design elements and typeface size for readability and adjust the margins for ease. Most often, the pages in the spread mirror one another. For a more contemporary feel, repeat the column position on the following page to create an asymmetrical layout.

Multiple Columns and Modular Grids

You can arrange endless compositions when you increase the number of columns on your page spread. Consider your visual elements as well as the length of copy to determine your arrangement. Multiple columns are typical in newspapers, magazines, or any layout where you need lengthy text and or multiple graphics.  Playing around with a several-column grid allows for the creation of rhythm, movement, interaction, and tension of elements. When designing with a grid framework, color fields that run off the page and images that span multiple columns become effortless.   Divide vertically as well as horizontally creating “bite-sized” spacial units allowing more component variation. The flexibility gained by the designer increases as the units or modules do. Again, assess the length of text, image, and element sizes to determine the scope of the grid. Oftentimes, multiple unit modules are used for complex, several-page publications where lots of designers are involved. The grid gives a solid, easy-to-visualize base that makes it easy to incorporate various needs and complex designs.  

Symmetry and Asymmetry

You can make a design symmetrical by using grids with an equal division of space creating a natural balance of parts. Two common types of symmetry in graphic design are Bilateral and Radial. You can produce Bilateral Symmetry (a butterfly’s wings for example) by placing a mirror reflection on a central axis.  An arrangement of uniform elements which rotates around a central point creates Radial Symmetry. The outcome is a proportional 1:1 ratio, comparing one surface area to another. Asymmetry, on the other hand, is a complete lack of symmetry. A design is asymmetrical when you disperse elements roughly around the axis point. While balance and beauty can be found in asymmetrical designs, it takes a good eye and practice. You can balance your design by highlighting the focal point with size, and color, or adjusting text and images according to size and weight proportionally on opposite sides of the page. Always be sure to keep in mind the hierarchy of information, of course!

Breaking “Rules”

None of the grids that you develop are absolute, but simply guidelines for providing options for design. “Breaking the grid” can take place thoughtfully to create contrast with its proportional elements. Breaking the grid is not the same as disregarding the uniform divisions of the layout altogether. The underlying structure should remain virtually intact. Be careful, however, if you take too many liberties, the design will become cluttered, sloppy, and imbalanced. So, the key is understanding the logical structure of the grid and proportional systems, then learning how to modify them with confidence and freedom. On the flip side, if a designer rigidly binds themselves to the grid, the piece will surely reflect it. When used properly, the framework will effectively drive the informational hierarchy and create a flowing integration of type, color, and graphic components.

Intro to The Golden Section and Golden Rectangle

The Golden Section, also known as the Golden Ratio or the Divine Proportion, is a mathematical concept that describes a ratio that has been observed in many natural phenomena, such as the spiral patterns of shells and the branching patterns of trees. The ratio is approximately 1.618 to 1 and is often denoted by the Greek letter phi (?). It is a rectangle whose sides are in the Golden Ratio. This means that if the length of one side of the rectangle is a, then the length of the other side will be approximately 1.618 times a. Viewers consider the proportions of the Golden Rectangle to be aesthetically pleasing as artists and architects have been using it in their work for centuries Take a look at the following tutorial by Adobe Illustrator on How to Design a Logo With Golden Ratio: To incorporate the Golden Ratio into grid design, divide your grid into sections using the ratio of approximately 1.618:1. Then, place your content within these sections, size elements using the ratio, and experiment with different layouts to find a pleasing balance. Remember that the Golden Ratio is a guideline and not a strict rule, so don’t be afraid to adjust things to fit your needs. Although grids and proven frameworks are powerful tools for creating a harmonious design, they are not a goof-proof guarantee for total success. Whether your design is minimal or complex, you not only need an understanding of layout and proportions but a firm grasp of typography and hierarchy as well.