I have been a subscriber of Google’s Gemini AI since 2022. I have used it extensively in my personal projects over the years. I use it mostly to write software and create images for my blog and music releases. I have to admit that using AI to generate my artwork is a low-effort task and creates stale imagery that is devoid of a soul. However, my reasoning for using AI to create the artwork for my creations is that I don’t take the time to create my own artwork. I’m usually creatively exhausted when I finish making a new music track. The last thing I want to do is pull out the art supplies and create a custom image. I could hire an artist from the web, but I don’t have the funds to commission a (good) artist.
Well, today I got tired of trading my humanity to a machine to generate my artwork. I decided that it was time to reclaim my spot at the top. So, I broke out the Derwent Inktense Pencils and my sketch book and got busy making some art, some real art.
The Inktense pencils are a dream to work with. I bought the big set back in 2024 with the idea that I would use them to create the artwork for my website and my music. Unfortunately, I never used any of the artwork that I created for that purpose. I’m hoping now that I can create enough artwork that I have pieces in reserve for those moments when I finish a piece of music and need cover art for it.
I like using the ink pencils because I don’t have to worry about making a mess (I traditionally preferred watercolors before I discovered the Inktense pencils). Watercolors were too messy and I didn’t enjoy the setting up and breaking down of the brushes, paint, and paper when I wanted to start an art session.
After spending many hours creating my own artwork by hand, I feel creatively refreshed and surprisingly energized from the task. In the end, I feel that I will continue to try to create original art to accompany my other artistic endeavors.
