Greetings, fellow creative souls! Last summer, I embarked on a musical journey in illustration using Midjourney, as chronicled in my previous article. Today, I’m back with another exciting adventure, this time with ChatGPT and DALLE 3, as I attempt to recreate the magic of James’ song, “Getting Away With it (All Messed Up)”, in the form of a graphic novel.
The Tale of Two Tools
The first thing I noticed when switching from Midjourney to DALLE 3 was the difference in their approach. Midjourney offered the convenience of creating an entire graphic novel page in a single image, making it a seamless experience. On the other hand, DALLE 3 divides the lyrics into individual scenes and provides prompts but doesn’t provide a one-shot panel creation option. This meant I had to take a different approach to bring my graphic novel to life.
ChatGPT: A Collaborative Muse
One of the standout features of ChatGPT was its ability to generate prompts for key scenes in the song. It became my collaborative muse, helping me unlock the potential of each moment in the music. Here are the prompts I got:
Scene 1: The Blade and The Grave
Prompt: “A dark, moody cityscape at night, under a brooding sky. A lone figure stands at the edge of a rooftop, symbolizing the line ‘Are you aching for the blade?’ Nearby, a shadowy grave is visible, representing ‘Are you aching for the grave?’ The scene is tense, filled with the sense of risk and uncertainty.”
Scene 2: Getting Away With It
Prompt: “A chaotic, yet stylish scene showing a group of people, including Daniel, in a state of disarray but looking triumphant. This scene captures ‘We’re getting away with it, all messed up.’ The setting is an urban environment, perhaps an alley or a club, where the celebration is as intense as the despair.”
Scene 3: Daniel and Grace in Deep Water
Prompt: “An underwater scene showing Daniel reaching out to save Grace, who is engulfed in deep, dark waters. This illustrates ‘Daniel’s saving Grace, She’s out in deep water.’ The water is both a literal and metaphorical barrier, with light filtering down to highlight their struggle and connection.”
Scene 4: Daniel’s Inner Strength
Prompt: “An introspective scene inside a dimly lit room, where Daniel is shown in a contemplative pose, evoking ‘Daniel plays his ace, Deep inside his temple.’ The room is filled with symbolic elements like cards and water imagery, suggesting a mix of strategy, introspection, and emotional depth.”
Scene 5: Celebration and Transformation
Prompt: “A vibrant scene showing Daniel in the center, ‘Drinks like Richard Burton, Dance like John Travolta.’ The atmosphere is one of celebration and transformation, with elements around him that morph subtly into dolphin shapes, symbolizing freedom and a new form of living.”
Scene 6: Living Like Dolphins
Prompt: “A surreal, dream-like scene where Daniel and Grace are depicted in a state of euphoria, surrounded by dolphin-like figures in an abstract, watery environment. This represents ‘Now they live like dolphins.’ The mood is one of liberation and otherworldly joy.”
With ChatGPT by my side, I was armed with inspiration and ready to dive into the creative process.
The Visual Symphony
Using ChatGPT’s prompts, I set out to create the visual elements of a graphic novel. Image by image and then I merged these individually crafted images in Photoshop. The result? Here it is:
DALLE 3: A Pleasant Surprise
While DALLE 3 may not offer the same convenience as Midjourney in terms of panel creation, it pleasantly surprised me with its ability to prompt text – most of the time correctly! It looks like AI generators are slowly making progress in that area. Of course, it is not yet 100% perfect, but in most cases it is correct now.
Explore More Creativity
So, fellow artists, crafters, hobbyists and dreamers, don’t be afraid to embrace the future of creativity with open arms. Who knows what masterpiece you’ll create with a little help from AI?
Before I sign off, I have some exciting news to share. I’m currently running a sale on my Etsy shop, FiveCatsGraphics, until the end of the month. If you’re looking for unique and creative artwork, be sure to check it out: Etsy Shop Link.
Have fun creating, my friends! Until next time.
