From Keystrokes to Brushstrokes

Pedro Ordonez Acosta '24 began using artificial intelligence (AI) as a tool in his art when he faced a creative block.

"Last year, we had to do an oil painting with flowers, and I had a hard time trying to find compositions or photos to reference," says the art and finance double major from Reynosa, Mexico. "So, I did some brainstorming on DALL-E and decided that I wanted to paint a Georgia O'Keeffe-type style of flower."

DALL-E is a program that generates text-to-image models of artwork. "I type in prompts like 'oil painting, flower, color, abstract,' and then it generates art," Acosta explains. "It seems to be sorting paintings that have the corresponding tags and trying to connect them, blend them to something in the middle." After he generates an image, Acosta starts with a blank canvas, often completely changing the subject, colors, and shapes to create a new composition.

As a Baker Duncan Scholar, Acosta has always done things a bit differently. "I have a dual mentality on campus," he says. "Trinity helps with balancing art and finance and allows me to take the classes I want."

Acosta's art professors have noticed his use of AI and applauded him for trying something new. However, anything new brings controversy. "I think there is hesitancy every time new technology comes along," Acosta reflects. When asked about what makes a piece of art truly original, he replied, "If you go back in time, there were probably painters that said, 'Well, if you're not making your own paint and pigments, are you less of an artist?'" Ultimately, he feels that AI provides a net benefit for artists, as it's another source of inspiration.

Acosta continues to explore new ways to implement AI beyond reference images. "I'm now messing around with DALL-E trying to find out how it processes emotions and understand how it thinks about themes like anxiety and sadness," he says. "Once you start asking it for 'abstract' and 'oil painting', you get some cool color combinations and moody paintings that show emotion. I find it interesting how we can use this tool to study how society perceives these emotions through art."

Seeking inspiration is a uniquely human phenomenon and something Acosta feels is harmonious with the use of AI. In his view, AI is referencing human artwork and generating new iterations. "I think there's something about the human touch that we all appreciate. I believe combining the human experience with the use of AI has immense creative potential."