Digital Patina

A Potter's Dream: From Jingdezhen Clay to Digital Dreamscapes

There's a magic to Jingdezhen, the "Porcelain Capital" of China. Last year, that magic became my reality as I embarked on a nine-day residency, a dream come true for any ceramic enthusiast.

This wasn't just about learning a technique. It was a journey into the heart of ancient artistry. With each touch of clay, I felt a dialogue with history begin. The potter's wheel became a conduit, transporting me through time. Vibrant glazes breathed life into my creations, echoing the dreamlike strokes of Jingdezhen's rich heritage.

But the learning extended beyond the studio walls. Shared stories from the town's residents deepened my connection to the craft. Pottery in Jingdezhen transcended mere skill; it was a fusion of soul and tradition. It was a dream fulfilled amidst the echoes of centuries past.

From Clay to Canvas: Capturing Serenity with the Crackle

Inspired by the captivating crackle patterns found in porcelain glaze, I knew I had to incorporate them into my work. This mesmerizing detail brought a natural, simple, and tranquil aesthetic to my digital paintings. The fine, uniform cracks echoed the beauty of traditional ceramics, creating a visually engaging texture. By seamlessly blending this technique into my digital creations, I aimed to evoke a sense of serenity and simplicity, capturing the essence of the timeless beauty seen in porcelain craftsmanship.

A Landscape Painted in Dreams and Porcelain

My residency in Jingdezhen sparked a series of abstract landscapes. Imagine mountains, serene lakes, houses nestled amidst nature, and birds soaring above - all embellished with the delicate cracks reminiscent of Ru Kiln porcelain glaze. These pieces are a celebration of nature's serene beauty, intertwined with the unparalleled artistry of human craftsmanship. They are a bridge between the essence of the landscape and the intricate patterns found in ancient porcelain art.

This is just the beginning of my artistic journey inspired by Jingdezhen. Stay tuned for more explorations from this land where dreams are molded from clay, and artistry echoes through the ages. I named this style “Digital Patina”. "Patina" is a surface change that adds character, referencing the aged effect of cracks.

AI in Contemporary Art: A Collaborative Approach

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing the world, and art is no exception. AI is now being used to create stunning and innovative works of art, and it is also being used to collaborate with human artists in new and exciting ways.

One such collaboration is the "Childhood Memories" project I am working on. In this project, I use AI to generate reference images of my childhood memories in China in the 1970s and 1980s. I then uses these reference images to create paintings that are both nostalgic and heartwarming.

Here is my process:

"I start by thinking about a specific memory from my childhood. I might remember a particular place, person, or event. Once I have a memory in mind, I start to brainstorm keywords that I can use to generate reference images with AI. I might use keywords like 'locust tree,' 'shuttlecock kicking,' or 'abacus.' Once I have a list of keywords, I use an AI image generator to create a series of reference images. If I’m not happy with the generated image, I could blend it with some of my drawings to create new images. I might also remix new key words with an image to fine-tune it."

Once I have generated some reference images, I begin the process of painting. I use the reference images to capture the essence of the memory, but I also rely on my own artistic skills and judgment to create a unique and original work of art.

I don't want to simply copy the reference images. I want to use them as inspiration to create something new and different. Most importantly, I want it to connect my feelings of the past and capture the essence of my memories.

The "Childhood Memories" project is an example of how AI and human artists can collaborate to create something truly special. My paintings are a testament to the power of AI to help us explore our memories and to the importance of human creativity in the art-making process.

In addition to the "Childhood Memories" project, there are many other examples of AI and human artists collaborating to create art. For example, some artists are using AI to generate new color palettes, to create new textures, or to experiment with new forms. Other artists are using AI to create interactive art installations or to generate new ideas for their work.

The collaboration between AI and human artists is still in its early stages, but it is clear that AI has the potential to revolutionize the art world. AI can help artists to create new and innovative works of art, and it can also help artists to explore their creativity in new and exciting ways.

Shuttercock Kicking

Shuttlecock kicking, or Ti Jianzi, was one of the favorite games for girls when I was a child. After school, girls would always gather in twos and threes to play shuttlecock kicking, taking turns to kick and count. The goal was simple: keep the shuttlecock from touching the ground. You could kick it in any direction, forwards, backwards, or even jump and kick it - all counted as points!

We even made our own shuttlecocks using a copper coin, a piece of cloth, and the prettiest rooster feathers we could find. The person with the coolest shuttlecock would get lots of jealous looks!

The Locust Tree

This painting portrays the locust tree that grew outside my parents' third-floor condo when I was a child.

I remember when the locust tree would bloom in the summer. We would take the clusters of flowers and mix them with sugar to make the stuffing for steamed buns. It was a simple pleasure, but it was a sweet one.

To follow my progress in this project, you can visit my Instagram page here.

Ten misunderstandings about AI art

As an artist with a computer science degree, I’m fascinated by the development of AI art. I have played with various generative AI tools, studied white papers on generative AI algorithms, and experimented with AI art using code written with OpenAI APIs. Although I agree that AI art still has many limitations, there are many misunderstandings about what AI art is and what it can do. In this post, I will explore ten common misunderstandings about AI art and why they are incorrect.

1. AI art is completely autonomous Many people believe that AI art is entirely autonomous and does not require human input. While it's true that AI algorithms can generate artwork without direct human input, the artist still plays an essential role in designing and training the algorithm and selecting the output that best aligns with their creative vision. For example, earlier Midjourney versions cannot accurately draw human hands despite being trained on the enormous data set, it took special training to improve it and it is much better in the latest version.

2. AI art is just random output Another misconception is that AI-generated artwork is random and lacks creative intent or direction. While AI algorithms can produce a vast number of output variations, the artist still provides the direction and purpose behind the artwork's creation. In fact, different prompts could result in drastically different results, and fine-tuning an image might take more time and effort to achieve an artist’s vision.

3. AI art is not art Some people argue that AI-generated artwork cannot be considered true art because it lacks the intention and emotion associated with human creativity. However, this view overlooks the fact that AI art can still convey meaning, symbolism, and aesthetic beauty, and it can also challenge traditional notions of authorship and creativity because AI art took input from human beings and is created under human instructions.

4. AI art is a threat to human creativity There is a concern that AI-generated artwork could replace human artists and diminish the value of human creativity. However, AI art should be viewed as a complementary tool to help artists explore new creative possibilities and push the boundaries of traditional art forms.

5. AI art is easy to create There is a perception that AI-generated artwork is easy to create, and anyone can produce it with minimal effort. However, creating high-quality AI art requires a deep understanding of AI algorithms, technical skills, and artistic vision.

6. AI art lacks creativity One of the biggest misunderstandings about AI art is that it lacks creativity. Critics argue that since AI algorithms are programmed to create based on existing data, they can never be creative. However, this overlooks the fact that AI can generate unique and unexpected results that even the programmer may not have foreseen. Additionally, AI art can inspire human artists to explore new creative avenues and techniques.

7. AI art is unethical Some argue that AI-generated artwork is unethical because it exploits the labor of machines and devalues human creativity. However, this argument overlooks the fact that AI art is still created and directed by humans, and it can serve as a tool for exploring new creative possibilities and pushing the boundaries of traditional art forms.

8. AI art is a novelty Some people view AI-generated artwork as a passing novelty that lacks any long-term artistic or cultural significance. However, AI art is a rapidly evolving field with the potential to transform how we create, consume, and understand art.

9. AI art is all the same There is a perception that AI-generated artwork is all the same and lacks the diversity and individuality associated with human creativity. However, AI algorithms can be trained to produce an almost infinite variety of output variations, and artists can use AI as a tool to explore new creative possibilities and push the boundaries of traditional art forms.

10. AI art is a gimmick Finally, some people view AI-generated artwork as a gimmick, designed to generate buzz and media attention rather than to create meaningful art. However, AI art should be viewed as a new and exciting tool for artists to create complex and thought-provoking artwork that challenges traditional notions of creativity and authorship.

In conclusion, AI art is a rapidly evolving field with the potential to transform how we create, consume, and understand art. I believe that we can collaborate with AI to elevate human creativity to the next level.

Can AI Create Good Abstract Art?

AI’s illustrations are threatening the illustrator’s job, and AI’s photo-realistic image fools experts’ eyes, but can AI create good abstract art?

Abstract art is a type of art that does not attempt to represent anything in reality. It is a world of its own, where shapes, colors, and lines flow, and emotions are free to roam.

AI has the potential to create abstract art because it can generate images that are not based on anything in the real world. AI systems can be trained on a dataset of abstract paintings and then used to generate new paintings in the same style.

However, there are some challenges to creating abstract art with AI. One challenge is that AI systems do not have the same level of creativity as human artists. AI systems can only generate images that are based on the data they are trained on. This means that AI-generated abstract art is often limited in its originality and creativity.

Another challenge is that AI systems do not have the same level of understanding of human emotions as human artists. This means that AI-generated abstract art is often less likely to evoke an emotional response from the viewer.

A third challenge is that many AI systems rely on human prompts to generate art. This can be problematic because it can be difficult to put abstract ideas and emotions into words. As a result, AI systems may not be able to generate art that accurately reflects the artist's intent. Additionally, human prompts can limit the creativity of AI systems. If an AI system is only given a limited number of prompts, it will only be able to generate art that is similar to the prompts it was given. This can stifle creativity and prevent AI systems from producing truly original work.

Despite these challenges, AI has the potential to create abstract art that is beautiful and thought-provoking. As AI technology continues to advance, it will be interesting to see how AI and human artists can work together to create even more innovative and exciting works of art.

One way to address the challenge of AI systems not having the same level of creativity as human artists is to train AI systems on a wider variety of data. This would allow AI systems to learn about different styles of abstract art and to generate art that is more original and creative.

Another way to address the challenge of AI systems not having the same level of understanding of human emotions as human artists is to train AI systems on data that includes information about human emotions. This would allow AI systems to learn how to generate art that is more likely to evoke an emotional response from the viewer.

Here are some examples of AI-generated abstract art:

The images above were created by an AI system called Craiyon. Craiyon is a generative AI tool that can create images based on a user's prompt. the user provided the prompt  “Create an abstract art with fluid shapes with a color palette of white, pink, purple, cream, blue, red, burgundy and navy.” Craiyon then generated nine images based on the color palette and fluid shapes.

The images above were created by an AI system called Dall-e. Dall-e is OpenAI’s image tool that creates images based on a user's prompt. The user provided the prompt “The painting should be in the style of a nebula, with swirling colors and shapes. The colors should be vibrant and saturated, and the shapes should be organic and flowing. The painting should evoke a sense of awe and wonder at the vastness of the universe." Dall-e then generated four images based on the user's prompt, but with a more abstract style.

Ultimately, I think that AI and human artists can work together to create abstract art more collaboratively. This is the area I’m currently working on. Stay tuned for more exciting findings!

Story Behind My Art - The Narrows

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The Narrows

I first heard about Connie’s story from my friend Chen. Since Chen is the best female runner in my friend circle, I had no doubt that Connie was one of them - those who were born athletic and good at outdoor sports.

However, I was wrong.

Connie was born and raised in Shanghai, China. When she was young, she preferred opera, photography, and literature. She was a city girl who “couldn’t even pass her fitness test in gym class”, according to Connie.

It was changed after her son, Enchee, was born.

Enchee was diagnosed with autism at age three. Motivated to get Enchee involved in recreational activities, Connie began taking him on hikes when he was around age 10. They went on various trips of increasing intensity and duration, from Mount Madison in New Hampshire to a 10-day European hiking tour of Mont Blanc, Enchee grew up to be a well-mannered young man, good at math and physics, in addition to hiking and running.

I was honored to create an artwork for their trip to the Narrows at Zion National Park.

Although in her mind, the Narrows upstream should be calm with round rocks glistening under the clear water, it was filled with mud and sand that ate their water shoes numerous times.

I kept true with the scene, made the sky the same color as the water, which painted a cohesive background so Connie and Enchee stood out more. I also highlighted their determination and perseverance by slightly altering their postures from the reference picture.

The painting was well received, and I felt accomplished. :)

Increase Digital Art Value With NFT

For a long time, digital artworks were inferior to traditional artworks. One of the reasons was that they could be duplicated easily, the copies held the same quality as the originals so it was hard to differentiate prints from originals.

That has changed since the argumentation of NFT.

NFT (Non-Fungible-Token) acts as a certificate of authentication for digital artworks. Digital artworks “signed” by NFTs are originality guaranteed. So it’s a must-have if you are a digital art collector.

There are many marketplaces online for NFTs, such as Opensea, Rarible, etc. You can buy and sell digital artworks on these platforms. However, I’d like to introduce a different way of using NFT to increase your digital artwork value.

Say you want to sell original digital artworks by printing them out on canvas, and sell them through art fairs or galleries, you can create an NFT using a digital platform and transfer it to the buyer as a certificate of authentication, or a “signature” of your artwork.

The buyer not only owns the physical artwork, but also owns the artwork in digital format, which they can share on social media, print out more copies, or trade it later. These additional benefits greatly increase the value of the artworks, even more than their traditional peers.

You might ask why the artists would give away so much right of their artworks, one great feature of NFT is that the creator can decide a royalty up front (up to 10% on Opensea), so whenever an NFT is traded in the future, the creator can be rewarded fairly online.

Check out my original digital artworks on Saatchi Art, all come with NFT signatures upon request.

Why Did I Choose Digital Art?

After some basic training, every artist needs to choose their direction to further their art pursue.

I started in urban sketching with ink and watercolor and thought it was my destiny. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still one of my favorites, I appreciate the combination of sleek lines of ink and soft shades of watermarks, actually, they were reflected in many of my Spiritrait Abstract paintings.

However, after back and forth debates, I settled on digital art. Here are my reasons:

1. Low cost. Instead of a roomful of paints, paper, brushes, and canvas, I only need an iPad and an Apple pencil to start painting. If I don’t like a piece, just hit the “Delete” button. Especially for beginners, your first hundreds to thousands of paintings are most likely to be ended up in a trash can. I have heard enough stories from anxious artists who cannot sell their artworks and are forced to stop painting and start selling.

2. Environmentally friendly. Not only it is budget-friendly, but it is also environmentally friendly. A digital artwork can be printed out after it is sold, so no paper, ink, or canvas is wasted.

3. More versatile. With more and more galleries going online, digital arts can be displayed not only in person but also on various digital platforms.

4. NFT secured. With NFT, digital art can be protected and secured, so much fewer worries about forgery or stolen art.

5. High-quality prints. Even though traditional artworks can be turned into prints, the color and texture can be lost due to low-quality photo shots. Digital artworks can guarantee the print quality because it captures color’s hue, value, and chroma accurately with high resolution.

6. Future forward. The digital revolution is already here, we need to keep up with it, or even be a part of the leading force.

Are you also into digital art? If so, what is your reason?

How to Start a Painting (Part II)

For abstract art, colors and composition are the two most important elements, in my opinion. Without realistic shapes, artists have to rely on colors and composition to express themselves.

What Colors to Choose?

There are many ways to pick colors for a painting. I have developed a simple way for my digital art painting that is easy to use, and the finished painting has a cohesive color scheme.

I start with a digital reference photo, described in my last post, I then load the picture into a blank Procreate canvas using the “Input a Photo” method.

Next, I create a blank color palette in Procreate. Using the color picker, I build a palette of the colors in the picture. Usually, I pick two colors in dark tones, two colors in middle tones, and one color in a light tone. I always include white as well. I start the painting using colors from this palette. 

During the painting, I would use the color picker to pick colors from the canvas. It gives me colors that are mixtures of colors in the palette, and they are compatible with the other colors in the painting.

If I need contrast I would use black or white. However I rarely use black directly, instead, I pick the darkest dark in the canvas and use that as my black color.

How do you decide what colors to use? Please let me know in the comment section below.

How to Start a Painting (Part I)

To be honest, it’s much less scary to start a digital painting than a traditional one. You can always delete the file and start over without worrying about the cost.

However, it doesn’t mean it’s easier to start a digital painting. You still face the same questions: what to paint, what colors to use, and what the composition looks like.

I have developed a way to make it easier. In the “How to Start a Painting“ series I will share how I start my digital abstract painting.

What to Paint 

Abstract art is hard to understand for many viewers because it lacks recognizable objects. Does that mean we as an artist can scribble anything and call it a piece of artwork? Some people may do that but I would get bored quickly and won’t be able to paint anymore.

Painting to me is a way of releasing emotion and obtaining peace. I need to start from something that moves me: anger, stress, joy, or happiness; the latest technology, the oldest philosophy, the world events, or the local news. Anything that embodies energy could be my inspiration. 

I have a habit of taking pictures wherever I go or taking a screenshot when I see a picture I like. I keep a reference album on my phone and put pictures in it if I think it could be something I would paint later.

When I am ready to paint, I go through my album and pick a picture that speaks to me at that moment. This becomes the starting point of what I paint.

How do you start a painting? Please leave a comment below.

Procreate Pros and Cons

Procreate is an iPad app built for artists and designers. Combined with the Apple Pencil, it’s one of the best apps on the market for artists amateurs, and professionals.

I received my iPad Pro and the Apple Pencil as Mother’s Day gifts in 2010. At that time, there were not many apps that could be used with the Apple Pencil, Procreate was one of them so I bought it without much hesitation. Today it costs $9.99 in the Apple store and is still considered one of the best.

There are many reviews about Procreate on the internet, I just wanted to share my personal opinion, you may not agree with me but they are what I think based on my experience, so here we go.

Pros:

1. Save money. It is a lot cheaper than Photoshop.

2. It has many essential features that Photoshop provides and artists love, such as masks, layers, etc.

3. Combined with the Apple Pencil, it simulates real-life painting experiences that many artists love.

4. Other than the built-in brushes, you can create your brush or customize the existing ones. In addition, there are many third-party brushes online for purchase.

5. Stimulating creativities. Digital art is comparatively new and there are fewer established techniques than traditional mediums like oil painting, etc.

6. Easy to share online. You don’t need to figure out how to take a good picture of your painting because the exported image is always clear.

7. The end product can be printed onto various sized paper or canvas, with limit though, see the cons below.

Cons:

1. My biggest complaint about Procreate is that it can not create high-resolution (300+ dpi) images in large print (20+ inches). When you increase the pixel numbers the available layers reduce. I'm pleased to say that Procreate has since made significant improvements in this area. It now supports image creation up to 36 inches with a resolution of 300 dpi, making it an excellent tool for creating large, high-quality prints (updated on March 18, 2023).

2. It gets slower when you have created more paintings in the app. It simply stops working at some point. I have also found some workarounds. Let me know if you are interested to learn more.

3. The simulated brushes for watercolor, oil painting, or acrylic painting do not work like the real thing, even though they are reasonably close. However, they have their charms in my opinion.

Overall I love using Procreate and I will keep playing with it and share my experience with you. Check out the paintings I created using Procreate and Apple pencil on my website or my Instagram account.

Update 1 (2022/07/07): I have got very good results by using Procreate for my artwork. Several were selected for exhibitions and awards in the US and internationally. Check them out on my Instagram account to find out more!

Update 2 (2023/10/1): I have been exploring AI along with Procreate to create exciting artworks. Check out my latest project in this blog post: “AI in Contemporary Art: A Collaborative Approach”.

Update 3 (2024/3/3): Last year, I took a nine-day residency trip in Jingdezhen, China. It inspired me to create a new set of digital artwork, using the latest version of Procreate and Midjourney. Check them out in this blog post.

My Digital Art Tools

By definition, digital artworks are made using digital technology. I have seen some cool dynamic image installations that I could spend forever watching and admire.

For me, I use my trusty iPad and Apple Pencil, as well as the beloved app, Procreate.

I used to be an enthusiastic photographer who loved post-processing in Photoshop, which made learning Procreate a lot easier.

I have taken a few online classes for Procreate and watched a ton of YouTube videos on it. 😃 Don’t you love the internet? It makes it so easy to learn anything!

There are pros and cons of using Procreate though, I will write a blog about it later so stay tuned.

Are you a digital artist? What tools do you use? Please leave a comment below and I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Digital Abstract Art

Digital art has been the new kid on the block for a while. It is gradually accepted by the art world, however, I feel that it is still not treated as seriously as the traditional media like oil painting or acrylic painting.

True, the end product doesn’t have the 3-d brushstrokes as an oil painting, and you don’t have the chance to pile layers of actual objects on the canvas to create a collage. However, the endless brushes and tools available in an app like Procreate or Photoshop give artists way more freedom and options than the traditional media and once you understand how to use them, it can take you to a whole new place and allow your creativity to soar to a new height.

My name is June Ni, the owner of Nickelight.com. I specialize in digital abstract art, and I will teach you how to create digital abstract art in Procreate and share my art journey with you.