ZYNU

ON HIATUSCommission Status: CLOSED

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Terms of Service

✧The artist is allowed to decline a commission if it makes them uncomfortable, it’s not their area of expertise, it doesn’t suit their art style, or it doesn’t fit in their time schedule.✧If the commission is accepted, the client will receive a commission contract with an estimated starting date/deadline. Once the commission contract is signed and sent, the client will receive a Paypal invoice. Payment must be sent within five days of receiving the invoice in order to reserve the commission slot.✧Payment is in full upfront. Paypal and USD only.✧Full refund is only allowed if the commission hasn't been started yet. Otherwise no refunds.✧If the artist cannot complete the commission due to unforeseen circumstances, the client will receive a partial refund depending on how much work is completed. In this situation, the client may also request the commission to be put on hold instead of cancelling it, and get a discount to finish the rest of the commission at a later date.✧The commission will take at least a week to complete, but may take longer depending on the complexity, amount of revisions/details/characters, communication between the artist and the client, the artist’s commission queue, and possible health concerns/emergencies.✧The artist will give the client progress updates.✧The client is allowed a maximum of four revisions during the Sketch or Coloring Stage. Additional revisions after the fourth will incur additional fees.✧The artist will inform the client of how much each revision/detail costs before charging anything. If the artist forgets or misses a detail that was already requested before, the client will not be charged for that revision.✧Commissions are digital files, not physical pieces. The finished artwork will be sent as a PNG or JPG at 300DPI by email (without the watermark).✧Commissions are for personal use only. The client cannot use the commission for commercial purposes (profit, advertising, reproduction, redistribution) or edit/alter the artwork without the artist’s written consent. The client shares ownership of the finished artwork, but not the copyright.✧The client is not allowed to use the artist’s unfinished artwork/sketches/drafts or request another artist to finish/edit the artist’s work.✧Using the commissioned artwork for NFT or AI training purposes is strictly prohibited.✧The client cannot claim the commissioned artwork as their own creation.✧The client may post the commission online or use it as their profile picture/banner/wallpaper as long as they credit the artist.✧The artist retains ownership and copyright of the commission, which means they are allowed to use the commission to promote themselves on their website/social media.✧If the client doesn’t want the artist to post the commission online, they must pay a privacy fee.✧The client must pay all required fees, including fees from additional revisions, complex details, late payment, privacy, etc in order to receive the finished artwork.✧Both the artist and the client must communicate in a professional manner. (No harassment, insults, threats, refusal to pay, requesting a Paypal chargeback, cutting off contact, etc)✧If the client violates the Terms of Service, the artist is allowed to cancel the commission without giving a refund, and the client will lose ownership of the artwork (and will be blacklisted from commissioning the artist in the future).✧The artist may revise the Terms of Service at any time.✓ The client has read and agrees to abide by the Terms of Service.

• i agree

Terms of Service

✧The artist is allowed to decline a commission if it makes them uncomfortable, it’s not their area of expertise, it doesn’t suit their art style, or it doesn’t fit in their time schedule.✧If the commission is accepted, the client will receive a commission contract with an estimated starting date/deadline. Once the commission contract is signed and sent, the client will receive a Paypal invoice. Payment must be sent within five days of receiving the invoice in order to reserve the commission slot.✧Payment is in full upfront, but installment payments can be discussed. Paypal and USD only.✧Depending on how the commission is going to be used, the artist may require a percentage of the revenue/royalties.✧Transferring the copyright completely to the client will cost at least 3x the final price, or more depending on the client and how large the project is.✧Full refund is only allowed if the commission hasn't been started yet. Otherwise no refunds.✧If the artist cannot complete the commission due to unforeseen circumstances, the client will receive a partial refund depending on how much work is completed. In this situation, the client may also request the commission to be put on hold instead of cancelling it, and get a discount to finish the rest of the commission at a later date.✧The commission may take weeks/months/years depending on the type of project and how much work is needed. For example, a single illustration will take at least a week or more, but a large project like a comic or indie game may take months/years to complete.✧The artist will give the client progress updates.✧The client is allowed a maximum of six revisions during the Sketch or Coloring Stage. Additional revisions after the sixth will incur additional fees.✧The artist will inform the client of how much each revision/detail costs before charging anything. If the artist forgets or misses a detail that was already requested before, the client will not be charged for that revision.✧Commissions are digital files, not physical pieces. The finished artwork will be sent as a PNG or JPG at 300DPI by email (without the watermark).✧The commission is for commercial use, which means that the client is allowed to use the commission for commercial purposes (profit/advertising/reproduction/redistribution); however, the artist still retains ownership and copyright of the commission. Therefore, the client may not edit or alter the artwork without the artist's written consent. Even if the client shares ownership and copyright of the commission, the client cannot claim the commissioned artwork as their own creation.✧The client is not allowed to use the artist’s unfinished artwork/sketches/drafts or request another artist to finish/edit the artist’s work.✧Using the commissioned artwork for NFT or AI training purposes is strictly prohibited.✧The artist is allowed to use the commission to promote themselves on their website/social media.✧If the client doesn’t want the artist to post the commission online, they must pay a privacy fee.✧The client must pay all required fees, including fees from additional revisions, complex details, late payment, privacy, etc in order to receive the finished artwork.✧Both the artist and the client must communicate in a professional manner. (No harassment, insults, threats, refusal to pay, requesting a Paypal chargeback, cutting off contact, etc)✧If the client violates the Terms of Service, the artist is allowed to cancel the commission without giving a refund, and the client will lose ownership and copyright of the artwork (and will be blacklisted from commissioning the artist in the future).✧The artist may revise the Terms of Service at any time.✓ The client has read and agrees to abide by the Terms of Service.

• i agree

About Me

•korean / american
•INFJ personality
•3D animation student
•digital art / fanart hobbyist
•anime and video game geek

More Animes: One Punch Man, Samurai Champloo, Attack on Titan, Bleach, Death Note, Code Geass, Hunter x Hunter, Chainsaw Man, Jujutsu Kaisen, Demon Slayer, Psycho Pass, Gintama, Noragami, Nichijou (there’s more but I can’t fit them all…)

• My Art Journey

• Q&A

My Art Journey

I've been drawing ever since I was a kid but started digital painting in 2011.My art style used to be heavily inspired by Arina Tanemura. I drew other people's OCs for free on Deviantart in 2012-2013.My family did not think of anime or digital art as “art,” however, so I was later forced to give up on both.

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Years later, I decided to try pursuing animation as a career, and went to an art college to study 3D animation.

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Animating/using 3D was fun, but I missed drawing and painting; so I studied/practiced digital painting on my own in my free time.

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After years of studying/practicing, I eventually found my art style. Anime, Ace Attorney, and Final Fantasy are my biggest inspirations.Although it’s much harder to become an artist (on social media) now because of AI and the current social media algorithms, I'm going to keep drawing because it's what I love to do.My ultimate goal/dream is to make my own 3D animated short film in my art style (2D style 3D animation like Arcane or Into the Spiderverse).I hope you’ll continue to watch and support me on my journey.

• Back > About Me

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Q&A

Q1. What program do you use for drawing?
A: Adobe Photoshop, sometimes Procreate and Clip Studio Paint.
OBS for recording drawing process in Photoshop.
Premiere for editing/speeding up videos.Q2. What tablet do you use to draw?
A: Wacom Cintiq 24' and iPad Pro. (I used to use Wacom Intuos Pro before the Cintiq. When I first started digital art, my first tablet was the Bamboo Capture Pen and Touch Tablet)Q3. What brushes do you use?
A: Brushes from Jaime Jones, Aaron Griffin, EVANLEE, and Kyle Webster’s brushsets. The old default brushes from Photoshop CS6 (called Legacy Brushes) are good too.
My brushes always have Pen Pressure setting on in Brush Settings - Transfer (either opacity or flow, sometimes both).
Mixer/Smudge brushes are also a must! (Great for rendering, smoothing out hard edges or brush strokes)
Airbrush + Lasso Tool is best for making hard edges.
(My brushset + tutorial video coming soon)Q4. How long does it take for you to draw?
A: Depends on how complex the drawing is, but usually takes me a few days to a week. I don’t have a lot of free time to draw, so it takes a while.Q5. How did you study digital art on your own?
A: Lots of photo studies, movie screenshot studies, and master copies of my favorite artists’ work.Also watched several different artists’ drawing process videos to see how they work/think/use shortcuts.There are a lot of free and paid art resources/tutorials online.Free: Proko’s / Marco Bucci’s / Marc Brunet's / FZDSCHOOL’s YouTube
Paid: Schoolism, CGMA, CGSpectrum, Underpaint Academy
Some artists even offer tutorials on their Patreon or Gumroad (such as Yanjun Cheng, Krenz Cushart).
For more beginner-friendly tutorials: Skillshare, Domestika, Udemy, Class101, Wingfox, ColosoFree Resources: filmgrab, PureRef, quickposes, Line of Action, William Nguyen’s Light Reference Tool on Artstation, referenceangles, thesartorialist, gamesfashionarchive, Some Pinterest/Tumblr accounts (like Character Design References), Blender or Daz3D (if you know how to 3D model)
Paid Resources: MagicPoser, Perspective Tools, Lazy Nezumi Pro, CoolorusQ6. Why do you have watermarks on your drawings?
A: To deter people from stealing my art/pretending it's theirs. I don’t like using watermarks, but I don’t really have a choice.Please do not use, edit, trace, repost, or sell my art. Using my art for AI training/editing or NFTs is strictly prohibited.Just because my art is publicly shared online, doesn't mean it’s okay to use it however you want.If you want to use my art for commercial purposes, please fill out the Commercial Commission Inquiry Form for more information.Q7. Can I use your art as my profile picture or wallpaper?
A: Sure, with credit.Q8. Do you take requests or art trades?
A: No, but you are free to suggest characters though and I might draw them if I feel like it.Q9. Do you sell high-res versions, prints, etc of your art?
A: Unfortunately, I do not as of right now. If you see my art being sold somewhere, it’s NOT me and I did not give them permission.Q10. Someone is reposting/stealing/selling your art, or impersonating you!
A: Please let me know by DM or help me report them.The only accounts I have are:
-Instagram: @zynushi
-Twitter(X): @zynushi
-Tumblr: @zynushi
-YouTube: @zynushi
-Pixiv: @zynushi
-Cara: @zynushi
-TikTok: @zynu.shi
-Twitch: @zynushi
-Discord: @zynushi
-Pinterest: @zynushi
-Kofi: @zynushiTikTok is the only account that is @zynu.shi
Any other usernames or accounts are NOT me. I do not have Artstation or Deviantart because of AI.Q11. How do I know you're the actual artist/not using AI?
A: I have some timelapses/process videos/process steps on my Instagram. I also occasionally post WIPs on my Instagram Story.
As a Photoshop user, it isn't easy recording the drawing process on Photoshop. It takes a lot of work and time to edit the real-time videos together and speed them up, plus the recordings take a huge amount of space on my computer, so I don't like to record for every single drawing. It's not worth it for me, especially since I'm just drawing fanart for fun.
If you reverse-search my drawings and check the dates they were posted, you'll see that mine are the originals.
I've been drawing realism/semi-realism/anime before AI image generation was even a thing. (Check the About Me - My Art Journey section or the Gallery - Old Art page)
AI has become super advanced, so I get why people have a hard time telling if an artwork is human-made or not. That's why I'm planning to livestream my drawing process on Twitch soon (TBD).Q12. What is your opinion on AI?
A: It's unethical in its current state. The main issue is using people's work without permission or compensation. It wouldn’t be a big problem if AI companies and users actually got permission to use other people’s content to train AI, but most currently do not (especially not art generators).
Another concern is that AI users can easily create sexual content of anyone they want (including minors), and create false news/evidence which can harm a person’s reputation, or cause people to doubt anyone/anything they see online.
More and more people are having a hard time differentiating human art from AI art, and therefore are falsely accusing human artists of using AI instead of acknowledging their hard work and dedication. Human artists are now guilty until proven innocent, forced to share their process with every creation.
Some AI users are even editing artists’ work with AI (with img2img), or pretending to have drawn the AI-generated image by faking process videos/steps, which is causing even more confusion amongst the people.
Now when someone sees any kind of art online, they immediately assume it’s AI-generated. It’s no more “Wow, it must’ve took years of practice to get that good at [insert here].” Now it’s all “It’s AI,” “It looks AI,” “AI can do better,” “I can make that in two minutes,” “What prompts did you use?” Art has begun to lose its value, and people are starting to lose respect and appreciation for human artists (which is ironic because generative AI cannot create art without using human artists’ work, like how cars cannot run without fuel). This applies to all artists—musicians, singers, actors, writers, etc, and anyone with a skill or talent. People won’t appreciate or acknowledge others anymore because everyone will be able to “do/make it in two minutes.” It’s a sad reality.
If generative AI is supposed to be a “tool” that can benefit artists, why is it doing the opposite? It’s doing more harm than good. Artists constantly have to deal with getting their work stolen and used to train AI, being accused of using or copying AI, being forced to show proof that they made it by hand, having to compete with AI users to sell their art or win art contests (not a fair competition since AI can generate hundreds of images in minutes, compared to human artists who can only draw one artwork in several hours/days/weeks/months), being laid off and replaced by AI at work, etc.
More hereQ13. Why haven't you responded to my DM/comment?
A: Sorry, I have Advanced Filtering on in Settings, and sometimes the app mistakenly hides DMs/comments even though they don’t have any of the words I’ve filtered out (I have words related to AI filtered out).
I'm also trying to limit my time on social media to 20 min a day, so that also may be why I haven't responded yet. I'm not ignoring you on purpose, I promise!Q14. Your English is really good?
A: Thank you! I moved to the US when I was young and have been living here for 10+ years. I can’t say that I’m completely fluent in English though; my writing is OK, but my speaking/vocabulary needs work…I’m also starting to forget Korean so I can’t say I’m fluent in that either…Q15. What does your name/username mean?
A: ZYNU is my Korean name 지뉴. (pronounced as ji-nyu in Korean. ZYNU is an alternate spelling I chose).
My username @zynushi is just my name with shi “씨”, which means something like “miss/mrs/mr” in Korean. If you’re an anime fan, it’s the same as putting “-san” at the end of someone’s name. For example, I would be called “Zynu-san” in Japan but “Zynu-shi” in Korea.
…I couldn’t think of a good username.Q16. When will you release your Stardew Valley portrait mod?
A: It's finally done and posted on NexusMods! Here's the link: LinkQ17. Do you have plans to do portraits for SVE?
A: Yes, after I’m done with my short film. I’m also interested in drawing portraits for Ridgeside too.Q18. Why are you making an animated short film?
A: It’s supposed to be my senior thesis for school.Q19. When do you expect to finish your short film?
A: Since I’m doing everything by myself—the story idea, designing, storyboarding, 3D modeling, rigging, texturing, lighting, animating, and compositing—I expect to finish some time in 2025.
I can’t tell you what it’s about because it’ll ruin the surprise, but I’ll just say that it puts a twist on a well-known childhood myth…I hope you look forward to it!Q20. Why are you doing digital art if you're studying 3D animation?
A: I've actually always wanted to be an illustrator or digital artist, but my family wanted me to do something else. They were ok with 3D animation though because they thought "3D is the future." (and they're big fans of Pixar)
My actual passion is digital art. Always was, and always will be. It’s what makes me happy, so I always try to make time to draw.

The Issues with AIAI users/companies are profiting off of AI generated content even though none of the artists (whose work were used to train AI) were compensated, or gave them permission to use their work.
Why is this a big deal? Well, without the artists' work, it is impossible to create AI generated images, especially of good quality; so how come artists are not being compensated? Human artists have always paid to use other people's images/music/etc in their work (example: Concept artists using images from Adobe Stock to speed up their workflow; The used images are not always obvious, or they could be barely used in the concept art, but the artist still has to pay Adobe Stock to use their images).Let's look at this a different way. For example, if someone stole ingredients from the grocery store and made pasta with the stolen ingredients, are they not thieves because the pasta doesn't look like it was made with the ingredients? Someone else worked hard to make those ingredients. Just because the ingredients aren't locked behind doors, doesn't mean it's ok to steal them. You couldn't have made the pasta without those ingredients, without someone else's hard work. The only right way is to pay for what you're going to use, if you didn't make it yourself. It also isn’t right to sell the pasta you made with stolen ingredients. This is the same with selling AI content or using it to make profit.In addition, generative AI is able to create hundreds of "finished" artworks in just a few minutes/hours, compared to human artists who can only draw one artwork in a day/weeks/months. This is unfair competition. To compare, it's like allowing cars to compete in a bicycle race.There are also some AI users who "fix" an artist's artwork with AI (img2img) without the artist’s consent, and claim it as their own creation/sell them.
There was an incident where an AI user screenshotted an artist’s drawing livestream and “finished” the artist’s artwork with AI. The AI user then tried to accuse that artist of copying them.AI can also replicate an art style to the T, which can end an artist's career. Because if everyone can make art look exactly the same as the artist (and hundreds of them in a short amount of time), no one will want to buy from the actual artist or commission them anymore. And no one will be able to tell which image was actually drawn by the real artist.Also, some artists who have art styles similar to the typical AI art style are criticized or accused of copying AI when that was how they always drew/preferred to draw. AI is copying artists’ art styles, not the other way around.More and more people have become distrustful of human artists, accusing them of using AI even though they didn't, and completely disregarding their years of hard work. Artists are forced to show their process as "proof" = guilty until proven innocent. Many have been and are being falsely accused.
AI supporters won’t support human artists, and neither will some human art supporters because people have a hard time telling what’s AI and what’s not.
To add fuel to the flame, some AI users are also pretending to have drawn the AI generated image in order to attract customers who like human art. This creates even more confusion.
Unfortunately, some human artists are even using AI as reference or copying an AI-generated image and passing it off as their own original artwork these days, which also adds to the confusion…AI has also made it possible for people to easily generate sexual content of someone without their consent (including children or teens), and create false news/evidence which can harm a person's reputation.People are now being laid off by companies to be replaced by AI. Years of hard work/studying/experience, and money spent on education = down the drain. Recent graduates will also have a harder time finding an entry-level job (because AI will be able to do it).People don't know what they should pursue as a career now because AI will eventually replace all jobs if it is left alone as is. What are people supposed to do for a living now? How are they going to pay rent, bills, food, etc if their skills/abilities are not needed anymore?Working hard to become good at something, completing a project from start to finish, using your own skills that you developed to contribute to society, and working together with other people who have different skills/abilities, are what make life rewarding/enjoyable.Almost everything we use/consume was made by multiple people working together, using their different skills/abilities and sharing their unique ideas/thoughts/beliefs. A movie or a house made by multiple people produce better results than if it was made by only one person. Making fun 3D video games is possible because so many people who are masters of their craft work together. AI making it possible for one person to do everything isn't exactly a good thing. When you work with others, you share ideas, and they may have even better ideas that you could never think of on your own.I personally don't want AI to live my life for me. Will life really be more enjoyable if we’re not doing anything ourselves? If no one has their own skills/abilities/talents, will we truly be able to appreciate anyone or anything anymore? If we always doubt each other and everything we see, what will become of the world? I do not see a bright future. The world would be full of hate and distrust.In order to create a better world, AI should be replacing jobs that no one wants to do, so that people can pursue their dreams and have time for their hobbies. However, generative AI is doing the complete opposite. It is replacing jobs that people want to do instead of the labor-intensive jobs, while encouraging mass theft and laziness.Answering some AI users’ arguments"But it brings my imagination to life! I can finally make art!" You don't need AI to be able to make art, write books, produce music, etc. Most people are not born with talent, or born to be an "artist". Hard work, passion, perseverance, and sacrifices can make anyone a professional in any field (although the time spent getting there and access to resources will be different for everyone).
“I couldn’t become an artist because I didn’t have the money, tools, or time for it.” = “I couldn’t become a singer because I couldn’t afford a vocal coach or make time to practice singing.” “I couldn’t become a cook because I couldn’t afford cooking lessons/classes or make time to practice cooking.” These are all excuses. There are tons of tutorials and resources available online that you don’t even need to go to school. If you were really passionate enough, you’d save up money or make sacrifices in order to be able to afford classes/tutorials/education/tools, and make time to practice whenever you can. Also, studying/learning is important, but practicing is even more so. Even if you practice on your own every day, you will improve a lot. There are so many self-taught artists who are now professionals/famous artists.Also, if someone commands AI to make something, is that really their creation? If so, then that means commissioners drew the art that the artist made. That means customers ordering custom burgers at a fast food restaurant made the burgers...Artists draw, sculptors sculpt, singers sing, actors act, etc but what do AI users do? They command AI. AI users and AI do not "draw" or "write” or anything except "create” using other people's work. AI users commanding AI are basically the same as commissioners telling artists what to draw. (except AI users don't pay the artists or give credit where it's due, and AI doesn’t make art from scratch).“AI is just a tool, just like your brushes, or your digital pen!” There is no tool that can make most of the work for you. AI, however, can literally create a finished artwork in seconds (which would take a human artist days). That’s not a tool. Tools help you with the process. Artists use custom brushes or shortcuts to speed up their workflow, but they still have to do most of the work. AI takes away the process and makes it unnecessary. For example, mixers/whisks/measuring spoons/pans are tools for bakers. But if someone invented a machine that can bake anything without the need for mixers/whisks/etc, would you call that machine a “tool”?
AI users command AI to generate an image. Artists don't (can’t) order their pen/brush/tablet to draw for them. They start on a blank canvas, and draw each individual stroke to eventually create form. There is a difference between artists making artistic decisions on the pose/anatomy/color/lighting/composition/etc and AI users giving prompts. AI will generate a random image based on the given prompts, which means it won't create exactly how the AI user imagined it. AI users don’t actually know what the final result will look like. They click “Generate” over and over to get a different image every time and choose the one they like the best. They don’t choose what to put for every single part of the image; not how many strands of hair there are, not where the light hits the subject/object or where shadows go, etc. When they want accurately drawn anatomy or hands, they type “bad hands, bad anatomy, warped hands, six fingers” in the negative prompt section instead of actually having any knowledge of anatomy (what makes “bad hands” or how to fix bad hands). Artists, on the other hand, have to know the human body (including the skeleton, muscles) in order to draw correct anatomy, how colors interact and look under different lighting conditions, how to choose the right colors so it doesn’t look muddy/chaotic, how to accurately portray objects and people in perspective, how different types of clothing fold, how to simplify values and shapes, how to lead the viewer's eye with effective composition, how to portray depth and distance between the foreground and background, where to put emphasis/detail in the drawing, where to put textures to create visual interest, how to make the character design or environment visually appealing/practical/unique/tell a story about the character/environment, and so, so much more. Artists have to make a decision on every single part of the drawing, every single pixel (or thread of a canvas). And they have to know how to draw it all from the very beginning. Starting from the sketch, to the lineart, to the local colors, to the lighting, to the textures, to the final render. The process of generating an image and drawing is completely different. Try drawing a real person’s face, for example, and you’ll see how hard it is. AI users can easily generate a face by typing something like, “beautiful brunette girl with a button nose, big eyes, plump red lips, clear fair skin, highly detailed,” but artists have to figure out how to make the eyes/nose/lips/skin believable or realistic by understanding face anatomy, how to shade correctly so the face doesn’t look flat, where the light and shadows go on the face, how to portray skin pore texture, how the veins/blood vessels in the face will make some areas greener/redder than other areas, etc.
(I’ve been mostly talking about digital artists/traditional artists here because AI users argue that they’re the same as them, but this also applies to any artist: sculptors, 3D artists, photographers, etc there are too many to name).“You can’t copyright an art style. Artists copy other artist’s styles too.” Being inspired or drawing in a style similar to someone else is completely different from taking bits and pieces of other people's work in order to generate content or replicating someone's art style exactly (to the point that it's hard to tell between the artist's artwork and AI). Human artists can’t copy someone’s art style exactly. It’s incredibly hard to, because everyone has a different amount of knowledge, experience, etc or they don’t have access to the same tools as the artist. Therefore, artists can make their art look very similar to another artist, but not identically. It’s easy for a trained artist to see which artwork was done by the real artist or a fan. However, with AI, because the artists’ work are literally being used, the art style can be copied identically. It will be hard to tell which artwork was done by the real artist or AI now."Get a real job/a job that contributes to society." Question: Who do you think makes entertainment (movies, animations, shows, cartoons, video games, songs, books, etc), designs clothes/furniture/decorations/homes/products/vehicles, or helps promote businesses with visually appealing logos/advertisements/etc? Artists.

“Artists are being egotistical and selfish for trying to gatekeep art.” How are artists being selfish for not wanting people to use their work without their permission? There is no one in the world who would be ok with people taking their stuff without asking. Who doesn’t want credit for their work or be compensated if their hard work is being used by someone else? Not even AI users like it if someone takes credit for their AI generated image/sells it, or uses the same prompts as them. Artists don’t post work online for people to use it however they want, but for self-promotion to find customers/clients (or just to find art mutuals, friends with same interests, or to get feedback from peers). Just because it’s available on the internet, doesn’t mean you’re allowed to use it.
There are also numerous tutorials and resources online that artists provide (both free and paid) so anyone can become an artist too. Not wanting to put in the effort to learn something difficult is what’s preventing you from becoming an artist.
If you really want to be an artist, then work hard, study as much as you can, and practice every day. That’s what all artists did/are doing. No one is an art god on day one. Every single artist worked blood, sweat, and tears to get to the level they are at today. Although it may have been easier for some than others, the process is still very much the same.
No one is stopping you from holding a pencil/stylus/etc and learning/practicing art but yourself. Artists are not telling AI users to stop making art. We are saying to stop making art with our art, with other people’s work unless you have their permission. How is that being selfish? It’s a reasonable request/concern. “Artists are being selfish” is like saying, “Adele is selfish for not wanting to sing my song for me for free. Everyone should be able to use her voice since not everyone can sing as well as her.”
Imagine these scenarios and answer truthfully:
1. You made a custom table all by yourself, which you worked on for hours in order to gift it to a loved one. But then someone comes and steals it during the night and sells it on eBay or Craigslist after repainting it/making minor changes to it. How would you feel?
2. You wrote a heartfelt song about your significant other, but your friend steals it, changes some of the lyrics and the beats, and starts making money off of your song without paying you a cent or giving you any credit. How would you feel?
AI would be fine if it didn’t steal people’s work, but most currently do, and that’s the main problem.“AI artists are more of an ‘artist’ than beginner human artists.” Just because their work doesn’t look as ‘good’ as a professional human artist’s or an AI's, that doesn’t mean they aren’t an artist. They are in the process of learning/improving, and will eventually become a great artist. Being a beginner artist is what every single artist has to go through before becoming ‘good’.
AI users cannot be compared to any human artist. The knowledge, skills, and experience a human artist needs and the process of them making art are completely different from AI users commanding AI to generate something.
What AI users are similar to:
-commissioners/clients telling artists what to draw/make
-customers ordering at restaurants/bakeries/etc with custom orders“Digital artists are the same as us. Digital art isn’t ‘art’ compared to traditional art.” Digital artists still need art knowledge, skills, and experience like traditional artists. The only difference between them and traditional artists is the tools they use. Digital artists are basically traditional artists who draw with a digital pen instead of paints/pencils/charcoal/pastel/clay/etc. It’s just that instead of knowing how to use paints/pencils/etc, they need to know how to use the program (Photoshop, CSP, Procreate, etc). Think of it this way: oil painters specialize in oil, watercolor artists specialize in watercolor, digital artists specialize in digital programs. There are shortcuts and “cheat” brushes (like fur-shaped or cloud-shaped brushes) in the programs that can make the process easier/faster than traditional art, but you still need to draw most of the art and know the art fundamentals. It’s also very hard to make digital art look “natural.” The digital brushes may look like oil or watercolor strokes, but it’s still very obvious that these strokes were made digitally. Digital art has a “digital” feel to it. Even if you try to replicate a pencil texture, it won’t look like it was drawn with actual pencils.
As an artist who has done both traditional and digital art, both are very hard in their own way. You need to the know the same art fundamentals (values, colors, shapes, anatomy, perspective, etc) and draw stroke by stroke until you get a complete painting/drawing. You need to make the same artistic decisions, you need to practice a lot to get good at it, etc. Digital art is just easier to fix, and can take less time (depending on how skilled the artist is). All the drawing reels you see on social media make digital art look easy, but in reality, they're only showing part of the process that's satisfying to look at/can grab the viewers' attention. They rarely show the failures, mistakes, or struggles during the process. If you watch a digital artist draw from start to finish, you'll think differently. Try drawing on a digital tablet and you’ll see how hard it actually is. For example, draw Zendaya digitally and see if you can get the same quality as an AI-generated image of Zendaya. Even if you know how to use all of the tools and settings in the digital drawing program like Photoshop, you can’t. Why? Because you need art knowledge to be able to draw digitally/traditionally. Typing prompts and drawing lines with a digital pen are not the same.
Also, for me personally, when I transitioned to digital art, I struggled a lot with making my digital art look nice. Although it was much harder to erase or fix something on paper, it was easier to make my drawing look visually appealing with pastels/charcoals/etc. I think it’s because digital brush strokes can either look super rough or super blurry, so you have to figure out how to do a mix of both. Traditional artists who try digital art for the first time actually struggle a bit because they have to get used to the program and the tools; but once they get the hang of it, they can draw in the same quality as usual. Because it’s not the tools that matter, but how well you know the art fundamentals. It’s like oil painters trying watercolor for the first time will struggle at first because oil and watercolor behave differently. Digital art is basically like a different drawing medium/style that requires some different skills.
If digital artists aren't artists, then pianists who play on a digital piano aren't pianists. Digital pianos are easier to play because they're smaller/less complex than actual pianos. However, you still need to know how to play, read sheet music, etc. Pianists are pianists no matter what kind of piano they use. You can think of digital artists the same way.
Also, did you know Studio Ghibli uses a mix of traditional, digital, and 3D to make their films now? They used to only make traditional animation films in the past, but now it’s a mix (just like recent animes and cartoon shows). Does that mean their films aren’t ‘art’ because they aren’t 100% hand-drawn?
Traditional, digital, and 3D are all art. And they’re all very hard in their own way.
AI-generated images cannot be considered the same as human art. If someone took bits and pieces of multiple different artists’ artworks and made a collage out of them, or mixed different artworks together by lowering each artwork’s opacity, would you call that art? If someone cut out parts of the Mona Lisa, Starry Night, and other famous artworks and mashed them together to create a “new” piece, would you call that art? If someone commissions an artist to draw something for them, would you call that someone an artist?“You can still do art as a hobby.”
Why should artists be forced to give up their careers/passion to let AI users/companies make money using their stolen work?
Nobody wants to have their work stolen and used for profit without consent/compensation, and nobody wants to be replaced by thieves/cheaters.
It’s only natural.
If someone keeps stealing crops from your farm and uses them for their restaurant, are you just gonna let it slide? Would you be willing to give up being a farmer, and be happy growing vegetables in your garden just for fun while that restaurant continues to steal and starts to steal from other farms?
No one would say yes to this.
And imagine, even if you tell everyone that the restaurant is stealing your crops, no one agrees with you. Everyone supports the restaurant, instead of siding with you ‘because the food is good’. Isn’t that incredibly frustrating? That’s why artists are upset with AI.
It’s a very difficult time for artists. If they keep making and sharing their art anyway, that’ll be helping AI because they’ll be providing them with more stuff to use. But if they stop sharing their work online, they won’t be able to connect with customers/clients/supporters/art mutuals. Even hobbyists like to share their work online, in order to get feedback/reactions from their peers. But of course, they can’t escape the art thieves either. Art theft was already a thing before AI, but AI has made it worse/easier to steal. When every piece artists make ends up being scraped and fed to AI, who will want to keep making/sharing art?
The only ones who benefit from generative AI are AI companies, companies that want to reduce production/labor costs, and thieves who want to make easy money. Why should we let them unfairly use our work in order to help them?
We never asked for technology to draw/sing/act/write/etc for us. We enjoy the process, even if it takes a lot of work and time. It is rewarding to be able to make/do something from scratch, after working long hours on it.“Adapt or fall behind.” If AI didn’t have so many ethical issues, it would be a great technology. Unfortunately, that is not the case right now.
Just because we have the technology to clone humans, is it right to use that technology? If it’s cheaper to use child labor and force them to work 24/7, is it right to use it? If nuclear weapons can end wars, is it still right to use them? If technology is dangerous or unethical, it must be regulated. You can’t compare AI to something like calculators, or cellphones that replaced pay phones. AI uses people’s work without permission/compensation, can create false news/evidence/sexual content of anyone which will cause confusion/distrust/ruin, and can literally make everyone jobless. Did calculators or pay phones do any of that? No. They're not even close to being the same.