How freelance illustrators make money with image generation AI

The environment where image generation AI such as 'Stable Diffusion' can be easily used is rapidly being established, but on the Internet there is a debate that 'image generation AI will take away the work of artists.' Meanwhile, artist Vitaly S. Alexius explains, 'How image generation AI can help artists express themselves.'

How to make money as an artist with a personal Stable Diffusion AI - a tutorial from a pro!
https://www.reddit.com/r/StableDiffusion/comments/yhjovv/

Since the public release of the image generation AI ``Stable Diffusion'' in August 2022, volunteers have been establishing ways to easily handle Stable Diffusion. However, some artists who are friends with Mr. Alexius think that 'I might be deprived of my job by image generation AI.' Alexius said, ``No matter how much image generation AI develops, it requires skill to use it. Image generation AI does not replace artists. By doing so, you can reach new areas, ”he argued one by one about the misunderstandings about image generation AI.

Misconception #1:
Image generation AI steals the artist's painting style and surpasses the artist

Rebuttal:
Good work that gets popular is one that makes people feel something, and has a burning idea behind it. Without an 'idea', the work is just an empty shell. For example, there are a huge number of manga works in the world, but the successful ones are the ones that touch the heartstrings of the readers and are not dissimilar to the manga.

Myth #2:
Your (Mr. Alexius) popularity is already established, so you can easily gain popularity (even with works that utilize AI).

Rebuttal:
My work doesn't need fan support. In fact, as a result of posting the work (embedded below) created using image generation AI on Reddit, even though I had only about 10 followers on Reddit, it was viewed more than 60,000 times and 2 It has received over 10,000 high ratings. The reason why I gained such popularity without leveraging the existing fan community is that unlike other artists, I am not afraid of image generation AI, and I use AI's creativity as an extension of my skill as an illustrator. It's about accepting.


Misconception #3:
(When image generation AI becomes popular) Artists will give up drawing and focus only on inputting prompts to AI and editing.

objection
Familiarity with 'drawing', 'skeleton', 'perspective', 'writing', and 'AI-related knowledge' is the path to victory. Stable diffusion works best when guided (to produce the desired image). Entering vague prompts will only generate random images and will not help you tell a continuous story or express your ideas. As a seasoned artist, I find that the process of 'drawing a sketch → inputting a prompt to generate an image → img2img → modifying → img2img' is much faster than generating 1000 random illustrations. image can be generated. As technology changes, so does the optimal path.

Misconception #4:
As image generation AI spreads, it will become difficult for artists to earn income

Rebuttal:
There is a 'knack for earning freelance' that is possible for humans and impossible for image generation AI.

- Build connections with clients
You can draw cover art and cartoons by building relationships with famous authors, musicians, producers, etc. and asking them if they need their work.

- Build connections with fans
You can't sit staring at a screen all day. The world is full of opportunities and amazing people are waiting for you. Activities such as 'drawing an original series', 'drawing illustrations', 'building a fan base', 'selling signed works online', 'communicating with fans', and 'collaborating with fans to carry out projects'. Let's do it.

・Do not limit activities to the Internet
You can sell your work anywhere the owner allows it, such as art galleries, shops, spot sales, manga shops, exhibitions, and solo exhibitions. If your work contains an idea that entertains an audience, it will sell anywhere. I have sold my works in many countries so far. Among them were people who didn't know me at all.

・ Produce works quickly using the latest technology
Time is always an artist's enemy, but technological advances have overcome it. When Photoshop came out 20 years ago, many artists avoided it, but I learned how to use Photoshop and got a lot of jobs. Also, in 2016, few people looked at 3D fractals, but I learned about them and was able to generate apocalyptic landscapes in minutes. And now is the age of AI. Learning image generation AI and using it to create new projects, tell stories, and create animations is the only reasonable choice.

After saying the above, Mr. Alexius said, ``There is no choice but to move forward!'' and encourages artists who are facing changes in the times.