re: #74 Targetpractice

“A stroke of the brush does not guarantee art from the bristles.”

It’s funny that he mentions Photoshop, because that was also once hailed as “the future” because even a basic rookie fresh out of college was going to magically make “art” out of basic images and photos for a fraction of the cost of a pro with an easel and a paintbrush.

Instead, it’s become a useful tool in the industry, but much like “AI” today, it failed to replace the professional artist. Sure, there are people with years of training and experience using the program who can match or rival those artists, but it is no more forgiving to the rookie who has no clue what he’s doing today than when it was first introduced to the industry.

Yeah, since we’re all gas no brakes on AI anyway one key question is when does a tool become a crutch and how / when do crutches become shackles. Photoshop was always intended to just be a tool that worked identically to a metaphorical darkroom enlarger in terms of how layers and dodging / burning operated. But Photoshop is proprietary so we have open source alternatives. The musical version of that movement of art production into digital space is the MIDI setup, old skills translated into tools for a digital workspace.

The problem, particularly in art, is when the tech starts reinforcing behaviors totally unrelated to understanding the underlying theory. It’s the difference between using Auto-Tune for intended effect vs being good at Guitar Hero while thinking you’re the next Stevie Ray Vaughan. One reinforces understanding and the other just, doesn’t.