One of my best digital art students of 2025
I still remember the day AI was introduced to the public - waves of rejection flooded in from artists and designers. It was painted as the ultimate threat to creativity, the biggest enemy of the art and design industry. My social media was overwhelmed with posts warning of an impending era where human artists would be replaced, where originality would be lost to machines. Yet, while many feared AI’s rise, my mind wandered in a different direction. Instead of resisting, I asked myself: How does AI work? How can it influence my workflow and imagination? A voice in my head whispered, Adapt. Learn. Use it to enhance your process, to save time, to bring your ideas to life without sacrificing hours upon hours. Because no matter how advanced AI becomes, I firmly believe that human imagination will always be the core of true originality.
As a designer, I believe creativity shouldn't be confined by rules or industry norms. While many follow established guidelines, I choose to explore beyond them. For years, design schools and seasoned professionals have dismissed anime and certain art styles as "unprofessional" or unfit for the industry. But why should creativity be boxed in? I decided to take a step into the unknown, embracing the unconventional, and that’s how this project came to life. It’s a testament to the idea that true design isn’t about fitting in - it’s about carving your own path and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.
Over the past month, I’ve dedicated time to educating AI on my unique design style, creative logic, and preferred illustration aesthetics. I’ve learned how to craft precise prompts, guiding AI to adapt to my thinking while preserving the originality of my imagination. Beyond just generating visuals, I’ve even instructed it to safeguard my creative privacy - ensuring my work remains uniquely mine and inaccessible to others. As this process unfolds, I can see the magic taking shape, almost as if I’m creating a doppelgänger of myself - an extension of my artistic vision that can handle foundational illustration tasks, freeing me to focus on pushing my creativity even further.
At first, the magic behind the scenes was challenging to control. The learning curve was steep, as the AI struggled to fully grasp my guidelines and design style. It required patience, experimentation, and a constant refining of inputs. But as I fed more information and direction into the system, something incredible happened—my first creation was born, alive with the essence of my artistic vision. The AI had finally evolved into a true extension of myself, a doppelgänger capable of handling illustration tasks for my projects, allowing me to focus on the bigger creative picture.
I decided to put the AI to the test with a real project. Recalling a recommendation from one of my former students, I visited DeviantArt, a platform where artists share their work and take commissions. I searched for an illustration request that didn’t have a tight deadline—this way, if the AI wasn’t able to complete the project to my standards, I could still step in and illustrate it myself as a backup plan. Even though finishing the piece manually would be time-consuming, I felt it was a worthwhile experiment to see if AI could truly handle a creative request with precision and quality.
One commission I picked was centered around the theme of "Night Parade of One Hundred Demons"—a legendary procession of yokai, spirits, and supernatural beings from Japanese folklore. The request was to illustrate them in a tarot card style, blending mysticism with traditional Japanese aesthetics. I wasn’t entirely sure how the commissioner intended to use the artwork, but based on the style and format, I assumed it was likely for a card game or some kind of gaming-related project. It felt like the perfect challenge to see how well AI could interpret such an intricate and culturally rich concept.
I ran a test with the AI, applying everything I had taught - my design logic, artistic preferences, and illustration style. With each iteration, the AI refined its understanding, following my guidance more accurately. When the final result emerged, I was genuinely impressed. The composition, details, and stylistic elements all aligned with my vision. It wasn’t just an AI-generated piece; it felt like an extension of my creativity. Seeing the final output reassured me that this tool could truly complement my workflow, handling intricate tasks while preserving my artistic identity at 90%.
I carefully input a few key lines of information—emotion, style, size, color theme, and other logical elements I had uncovered through experimentation. I also embedded multiple hidden meanings within the piece, ensuring that it carried the same depth and intentionality as my personal work. As the AI processed my guidance, the final result unfolded before me. To my surprise, it aligned closely with my vision, capturing the essence of what I had imagined. It was fascinating to see how the AI adapted to my creative direction, transforming abstract ideas into a tangible piece that felt uniquely mine.
The outcomes were impressive—each illustration was hyper-realistic, detailed, and aligned with my creative vision. Below are the raw formats before any post-editing in Photoshop. The AI-generated results not only saved me a significant amount of time but also managed to capture the essence of my originality. The illustrations were executed in a way that matched my expectations, reflecting the design logic and artistic nuances I had trained it to follow. It was fascinating to see how my doppelgänger could streamline the process while still preserving the authenticity of my work.
If anyone asks whether I will use AI in my design process, my answer is probably not—at least not yet. AI is still far from being able to handle the complexity of design thinking. There are countless factors that text alone cannot capture, and designing a solution requires a deep understanding of context, human psychology, and problem-solving that AI simply cannot replicate. However, when it comes to illustration work, I’m more than happy to let my AI doppelgänger assist with certain parts of the process. Unlike those who fear AI will replace them, I believe that without a solid foundation in art, technique, and creative knowledge, no one can truly replicate original work using AI alone. If your work is genuinely unique, only you will fully understand its purpose, narrative, and intricacies. True artistry goes beyond just generating images—it involves technical expertise, mixed media experimentation, and a signature style that only the artist can produce.
Ultimately, the decision to embrace AI is a personal one. It’s not about right or wrong, but about choosing the right tools to enhance creativity. AI, like any other medium, serves as an extension of human imagination, helping bring ideas to life in new and unexpected ways.