Is it genius? Is it you? Or is it an AI?
Context
Learning to use AI tools and collaborate with them. A short encounter with the image generation capabilities of OpenAI that took the internet by storm inspired me to ask it to review my artwork and generate my portrait in my drawing style.
The discussions afterwards with my art mentors were truly intriguing.
What do you think?
Upload sketch
(Check Step 2.2)
I still need to finish my painting by improving its background and adjusting the part of the face that has blurred with the blue background.
Looking for the right time and moment to complete it without AI.
I uploaded my artwork (Step 1.2) to ChatGPT and asked OpenAI how I could improve it.
I was unsure about my color choices, especially with the background. And was my painting complete?
ChatGPT appreciated the work I did and offered to add depth and contrast through color correction.
I asked it to generate imporved version of my painting.
In our dialogue, I asked if I could replace the background color with green.
It said it was a great idea and generated an improved version.
Lastly, I asked to merge my selfie with my portrait, and now we have a collaborative artwork with ChatGPT. I found this experience exciting and same time strange.
Although we now have an above-average assistant or teacher, or maybe a consultant, it does not replace the decision-making and authenticity of human craftsmanship. At least as of 2026.
I still trust the directions of my human mentor and my own eye, who clearly pointed out areas of improvement and validated my color choices.
Afterall, which one would resonate with the viewer? My painting that is hard to understand, or the aesthetics that gradually becomes a new normal?
Ah, yes, I look ugly in this collaborative selfie. What do you think?
©2026, Vardine Sargsyan, All Rights Reserved.