In a realm saturated with A.I.-crafted art, graphic designer Pablo Delcan conceived a groundbreaking notion: the inaugural non-A.I. generative art model.
Inviting the public in a playful Instagram post early in December, Delcan beckoned, “Send me a message with a prompt. I will create a drawing using black ink on paper and send it to you.”
Since then, he has diligently fulfilled this promise. Delcan has crafted drawings based on approximately 250 text prompts of varying tones and lengths. From the simplistic prompt “fog” to the whimsical requests like “A grim reaper frustrated with his computer,” “A T-Rex doing a handstand,” or “A flower giving birth to a pencil,” the range is vast. Some prompts delve into poetic imagery such as “a city made of clouds,” while others convey personal sentiments like, “I’m a little down. Can you draw a cute girl who says, ‘You can do it. Just get up and leave your warm blanket?’”
Delcan’s Non-AI Generative Art Model, known as Prompt-Brush, has captivated audiences with its playful and imaginative creations. The project has garnered such enthusiasm that over 2,700 prompts eagerly await Delcan’s artistic touch in his online queue.
One co-owner of an L.A. creative studio lauded the project on Instagram, exclaiming, “Brilliant! Gave me a good chuckle this morn.”
Originally hailing from Spain and now residing in New York, Delcan is deeply engaged in designing books, book covers, and contributing visuals to The New York Times. Amidst the artistic community’s grappling with the impact of generative AI tools on their craft and creativity, Delcan’s work stands out as a refreshing and human-centered approach.
As the project evolved from a lighthearted social media jest, Delcan recently launched the dedicated Prompt-Brush 1.0 website. Here, visitors can input a text prompt and their email address to receive a complimentary drawing. The site also offers a collection of previously produced drawings and a glimpse into the prompts awaiting Delcan’s artistic interpretation. Additionally, a charming tutorial elucidates the process behind creating ink drawings akin to Delcan’s traditional style.
While Prompt-Brush playfully addresses the trend of prompt-driven creativity, Delcan emphasizes that it is more of a personal experiment than a commentary on the art versus A.I. discourse.
“I’m ultimately more interested in this as an experiment for myself,” Delcan shared in an interview. “All these drawings that I’ve been making for people, emailing each of them out to a single person, putting some thought into them. I think it’s been the most real exchange and connection I’ve ever experienced with my own work.”
Delcan’s workflow involves capturing the drawn images with his phone and enhancing the contrast on his computer to achieve a consistent black-and-white aesthetic.
As the realm of creative work intersecting with artificial intelligence expands, artists exhibit a spectrum of reactions. While some embrace the creative possibilities facilitated by A.I., others harbor concerns about unauthorized usage of their work for training A.I. datasets. Delcan, like many creatives, holds a nuanced perspective, leaning towards optimism.
“The positives are many,” he remarked. “It’s the dream assistant that can help generate sketches and develop ideas. Maybe I’m just naive about it all, but I think that giving anyone really powerful tools to be used creatively is a good thing.”
Despite the efficiency with which Delcan churns out prompt-inspired drawings, prompt submitters should anticipate a delay in responses. Unlike algorithms, Delcan, the human art generator, requires occasional coffee breaks and rest periods.
