Our Crew, Brave and True

Pretty good, but not perfect. I'd like Moq closer to the rest. Varnik (Varnyk?) should be noticeably taller than Ketta. This picture is better in appreciable ways than other efforts, though the composition was better in others. At least Moq does not look like some sort of demented leprechaun.

My Name is Moq; Thanks a Lot

I finally charmed AI into making an acceptable version of Moq, Roth's son. Come to that, finagled a better picture of Roth, though he should be more of a tan brown. Moq is 5 feet tall; Roth is 5 1/2 feet tall, which is a little taller than most Morgs.

I finally have acceptable version of all five members of the Crew, and can make an action line-up. Coming soon, I hope!

Koppa Drops In

Under Da Sea: Prom Theme

Thursday Night Animations

Some Sketchy Characters

Last night I stumbled across a new prompt that is proving very useful for certain pictures that seemed difficult for AI to grasp. Instead of going directly from drawing to painting, I say "Turn this into a more professional sketch." The result is easier for the AI to get the idea. I spent some time noodling around last night, and here are a few of the results. Finally got an acceptable Professor Odd. The enhanced sketches have their own particular charm. 

Edna Yorke, Secretary of the Department of Extranatural Affairs, c. 1951

 

The Challenge: A Grave on Deacon's Peak

 

Witless Wight! A Wart Thou Wert!

I woke up last night at about 12:30 AM, clean and sober, as it were, and realized I was done with AI work for a while. It has been an intense experience; looking at all my old files in a fresh light, I revisited my past anew, after tucking it away for a good bit and not wishing to disturb it. It rushed upon me in an overwhelming wave; much of my regular life was swept aside, only just barely able to keep up with cooking meals and taking medicine. Only about a third of what I did is here on the Niche, and you can see what a lot that is. So today I've buckled down to try to take care of business in a timely manner. As I parting shot I tried to do one last enhancement, of an illustration from The Nip and Tuck War, of King Boldo confronting a fake dragon (you can see the human legs under the costume). ChatGPT baulked; it couldn't get its mechanical mind around the concept, explain as I might. Sometimes I feel that it is all too true: Artifial Intelligence is Genuine Stupidity. Anyway, it's as good a sign as any to take a break. I might tinker a bit with what I already have; in the meantime, to coin a phrase, "it does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live." Time to try to get some work done.

Special Guest Artist: Mom!

I was going through my folders and was surprised (and pleased) to run across an old brown spiral notebook. I could have sworn it was in the Family Archives. It contained work by Mom. She was in high school, and they were studying Julius Caesar when she made these drawings, drawings she was proud enough to sign her name to. Anice, Melba, and - could the unknown be an attempt at a self portrait? The notebook had been preserved in the garage at Loop Drive for decades. We were always impressed when we were kids when she would very occasionally knock out a drawing or two; it seemed a magical process and memory wants to make them better than they surely were, though I think better than these early efforts. For a hoot, I ran one through ChatGPT. If Mom were alive and could correct for hair and eye color, I wonder just how much this would look like the real Anice?

Heed the Call!

Wandering Through Middle Earth

Fingolfin and Morgoth were originally a single picture in two panels (pages of typewriting paper). And that's Utumno, Morgoth's hellish fortress in the north.

Alien Zoo

Denizens of strange alien worlds, including members of the Alien Crew, Adam and Suwissie. A couple of supernatural beings, too.