Posts

AI - Is Artificial Intelligence everywhere?

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AI - Is Artificial Intelligence everywhere?  What exactly is AI?   Is Ai a help or a hinderance?   Can you opt out of AI? You might have noticed that Ai is in the news a lot recently. It is creeping into our lives often without us realising. Even if we wish to avoid AI, it’s there whether we want it or not. When you read an article or description or look for information on a product or item, the chances are it could have been written by AI. Books, newspapers articles, scientific journals, instructions, blogs, social media posts, advertisements, the list goes on & on, you name it and it can be written at least in part if not totally by AI Artists & designers are using it for ideas, models, layouts, posters, pictures & paintings. It’s used in the film & video industry. You’ve all seen fake reels of well known politicians. Students are using it to write their essays & homework. Which apparently is making their brains lazy. Doctors are using it t...

What Type of AI Art Sells Best Online?

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What types of AI-generated art sell best online. From abstract and surreal to fantasy, landscapes and patterns. Do your research to find out what buyers like. AI-generated art is rapidly becoming a popular category in online marketplaces, from Etsy to print-on-demand shops. But not all AI art sells equally well. If you’re creating with AI tools and want to build an income stream, it helps to know what buyers are actually looking for. Bold colours, dreamlike textures and surreal compositions always stand out. These kinds of images make great posters and digital downloads because they spark curiosity and work in many décor styles. Upload your work to sell as decor art. Imaginative forests, sunsets, mountains, or celestial skies are popular. Buyers like calming art that adds atmosphere to a room, especially when printed on canvas or as wall décor. Futuristic cityscapes to mythical creatures, fantasy and science fiction art is in demand. It appeals to collectors and fans who want imaginati...

Using AI to Create Art to Sell Online

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Use AI tools to create and sell your own art online. Learn on platforms to build a brand around your digital creations. x AI has transformed the way we think about creativity, opening doors for anyone with a laptop and curiosity to become an artist. You don’t need years of training in painting or design to create something visually striking AI tools can help you generate unique works of art that reflect your vision. But how do you turn those digital pieces into something you can sell online? Platforms like MidJourney , DALL·E , and Stable Diffusion let you experiment with prompts and styles . Your input the words you use shapes the final image, so the creativity is still very much yours. Take time to refine your prompts until you achieve art that feels authentic and marketable AI can generate thousands of images, but your job is to curate. Choose the best, edit them if needed, and build a consistent style. This makes your portfolio more professional and appealing to buyers. AI art ...

AI and Art: Creative Revolution or Cultural Risk?

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Explore the pros and cons of AI-generated art.  Is it a creative revolution or a threat to human talent and culture? The rise of AI-generated art has sparked passionate debate in the creative world. On one hand, AI offers exciting opportunities. It can help artists experiment with new styles, generate inspiration, and make art more accessible to people who may not have traditional training. AI tools can speed up the creative process and open the door for collaboration between human imagination and machine learning. For some, it’s a revolution—breaking down barriers and expanding what art can be. On the other hand, critics argue that AI art poses real risks. It can devalue the years of practice and skill that human artists put into their work. Many AI systems are trained on existing art without permission, raising ethical and copyright concerns. There’s also the danger that AI could flood the market with cheap, mass-produced images, overshadowing human-made pieces and threatening t...

Why Supporting Local Artists Matters

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Support your local artists to fight poverty, nurture talent, and keep culture alive. Discover why small acts of support make a big difference.  Supporting local artists is more than just buying a painting, attending a small concert, or visiting a craft fair—it’s about recognising the role creativity plays in the life of a community. Too often, artists face poverty despite their extraordinary talent. Many juggle multiple jobs to make ends meet, while still creating work that enriches our culture and gives meaning to everyday life. When we support local artists, we’re not only helping individuals but also investing in culture itself. Every drawing, sculpture, poem, or performance adds depth to the stories we share as a society. Without support, many voices risk being silenced and culture becomes dominated by mass-produced trends instead of authentic, local expression. Practical support doesn’t always mean spending large sums of money. Buying small pieces, commissioning work, sharin...

Magazine Transfers on a Gel Plate

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Discover the magic of magazine transfers on a gel plate—easy, fun, and full of surprises. Magazines. A transfer using shiny magazine paper works really well. It’s best if there are   good contrasting shapes or spaces on the page. The magazine pages need to be high quality shiny paper. Matt pages won’t work. Your paint layer should be fairly thin but not too thin. Trial and error will teach you how much paint you need. Place the page immediately you’ve rolled out the paint. Don’t rub too hard, just enough to stick the image to the paint. Try magazines like Vogue, Elle, Interiors, Home & Garden. Ask your friends if they have any old magazines they don’t want. Don’t throw the rest of the magazine away, it’s   great for cleaning your brayer between colours.   The pages you don’t use are great for cleaning the brayer.   The first time I tried a magazine transfer on my gel plate, I honestly didn’t expect anything to happen. I pressed down a glossy page, peeled it back,...

Paper for Gel Printing

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  Which Paper for Gel Printing? How to chose the Right Paper for Printing? A4 copy paper is fine for starting off with or as cheap paper for tryouts and taking ghost prints. But if you want to pull several layers of paint in one go then, you’ll need a tough paper which won’t tear. You can sometimes get mixed pads of paper but go for 160 grams to 190 grams or more if you want to make cards. I have bought synthetic paper also called Yupo paper. It’s   made for alcohol inks watercolour, acrylic, oil, felt tips, etc. it’s   also UV lightfast and can be recycled. It’s tough and very resistant to tearing.  Paper is all around you. You can print on old books, old maps, sheet music. Newspaper too, but it has limited keeping qualities. And is prone to tearing when you pull the print. Magazine paper is stronger. If you want to invest in high quality paper, you can get beautiful hand made paper made with 100% rags or cotton or linen. Silk can also be used to make paper, althoug...