Electra

The Artist Spotlight is your inside look into the influences, collaborations and prompts that drive the NightCafe community.

We catch up with some of our most original creators to find what inspires them, who their favorite creators are, and how they use image generator algorithms as part of their work.

NC: WHAT INFLUENCES YOUR WORK?

Anything and everything!

Being part of the NC community is itself immensely stimulating. I have long had an interest in the mind—especially the Unconscious, consciousness, archetypes, etc.

My work often revolves around heads as a motif, and making visible the worlds within.

Also, real-life mysteries: UFOs, parallel dimensions, the paranormal, esoteric and spiritual philosophies, and mysticism.

Also 60s/70s illustration/graphics. I often use song titles/lyrics as a trigger for imagery, and my own poetry, and find coming up with titles for images is important for shaping the viewers' expectations, and is an important part of the art.

I run the gamut from the sublime to the ridiculous, but much of my work is Neo-Surrealism. I think it's the genre that comes closest to how our Unconscious selves operate, and allows the freest reign to the imagination.

AI is ideal for the Surreal, as it doesn’t yet fully understand human reality, so helps with coming up with unexpected juxtapositions. Surrealism/Depth Psychology/AI are natural bedfellows.

NC: MOST UNDERRATED ARTIST ON NIGHTCAFE?

There are a number of people on here who do amazing work but aren’t getting the attention they deserve. 

It’s frequently the case that those doing the most innovative or deeper stuff unfairly get less attention.

Of those getting less than 1000 followers: Cannonball67 does amazing Surrealist work, as does TeaEarlGrayHot, our friends in our NC Neo-Surrealist Club, including BrainTrust, Wrenchamus, t__k, among others…

NC: PROMPT THAT MOST SURPRISED YOU?

Prompts constantly surprise me. Impossible to just pick one!

NC: ANY TIPS FOR PROMPT WRITING?

BE INDIVIDUAL! The newer algorithms are great for some things—including photorealism/hyperrealism—and are easier to prompt for, but they frequently lead to a homogeneity of styles. Don’t abandon the older ones, as they are still good for more individual looks.

Always aim to find your own unique path with subject matter, and artist/modifier combinations. Presets and open prompts have their place, especially when starting out, but ask yourself: What are YOU really about? What do you gravitate towards most—generally, and right now in your life? Your favorite artists, interests, personal characteristics, life events, etc.

Interesting things come out of obsessions, and when they are combined in artwork. Let this shape your prompting. Collide disparate factors that shouldn’t go together, as well as those that should. Always experiment. Producing distinctive work takes experimentation, trial, and error. There are no substitutes/shortcuts for this. Get out of your comfort zone. Be brave!

NC: WHAT LED YOU TO USING NIGHTCAFE?

My brother was playing with AI, and I asked if it was something that I could do. He suggested NC, and I’ve been totally addicted since. That was 18 months ago. I struggled with my rendering initially (it was harder before Stable Diffusion), but with advice from a fellow NC artist, I started to improve. With perseverance, trial, and error, I evolved.

I come from a Graphics/Illustration background, but have also always been Fine-Arty. I worked as an illustrator, but then developed M.E., and everything stopped. I have a constant battle with overwhelming exhaustion, brain fog, and other symptoms, but AI has allowed me a creative outlet again as it requires much less of my energy, because of the speed of execution.

NC has given me so much. It's been immense fun—so many laughs and chats with interesting and inventive people worldwide. I have learned so much—not just about AI/image-making (it has accelerated my artistic development because you can create/try out images so quickly), but about artists I’ve never heard of, people, culture, and more. It’s been brilliant for my spirits.

The NC community are an incredible bunch of people. I’d like to take the opportunity to thank NC and those of you who have supported me along the way... it’s VERY much appreciated.