Intro to AI
My first real experience with generative AI images came last year when I took a four-week course that focused on different creative workflows. We started learning how to prompt across various LLMs at a high level using specific language to guide the systems before any images were even generated. That part alone shifted how I think about intent and direction with how much clarity upfront can shape the final result. It felt less like “typing commands” and more like learning a new creative language.
"A modernist chair and ottoman sitting in the living room of a mid-century Eichler style home, mid-day with rays of natural lighting coming through the windows. Potted cactus's on floor indoors near the chair with contemporary inspired art on the walls."
I spent a lot of time experimenting in Midjourney, especially with character and style references. The header image and prompt quoted above is a good example of that workflow: I generated a mid-century modern living room in a desert setting, using an Eames chair as the character reference for the AI to integrate into the scene. The second image in this entry below shows a different approach—taking a simple sketch or line drawing and bringing it to life through SDXL ControlNet. Watching a drawing I made turn into a fully realized image with the right prompt and a single click was honestly wild to witness.
