AI Imagery

One of the cool things about WordPress is the ability create an image. That sounds fun BUT I think it’s going to take some work to get it really figured out. Then it might be the tool itself.

To create an image is easy. You write you blog and then in the right hand pain you select, Generate image.

What it does is this. Let’s say I’ve written the story. I can’t find a suitable image for it that’s free. Worse, I can’t afford to go out and hire an actor or actress to photograph.

I hit the handy dandy “Generate Image” button.

It then goes through your story, selecting key words and tries to build an image from it.

And 99% of the time, it doesn’t look anything like what you have in mind.

You can enter your own variables and generate an image from it. Even that doesn’t work all that well. For example. I tried to do an AI image of Jonesy, Will’s buddy from LAPD. I even specified that he’s clean shaven. Ever image came up with a light beard.

And then it does totally weird stuff. Several times I tried to generate an image, and things really came out odd. What I wanted to do was make an image of the original regulators. Here’s a few examples:

The example to the left is what I call weird. I put into it “Four people. two are white dressed like cowboys. One is a black male and is also a cowboy. One is a black female with dreadlocks. All are wearing different styles of cowboy hats. We’re looking from behind them as they lean on a fence watching a rodeo.”

The above image might almost work except for one tiny problem. Unless one of the Regulators is the Headless Horseman, then it doesn’t fly.

Here’s another. This is Almost what I asked for except I wanted three guys and one girl. The two things I don’t like about it there is no bottom half to one of the cowboys. And that is very weird way for the one cowboy to stand. Try it. it’s kind of painful.

I did well over thirty tries using the same perimeters. We came close a couple of times, and then it would really get weird.

This is the closest I came to what I wanted. There’s still a couple of problems with it.

First, all the guys are obviously white.

The girl has no hat.

And I haven’t a clue what’s around her right arm.

Obviously the built in generator to WordPress wasn’t working the way I wanted.

So I tried a couple of other online AI Image Generators.

This one is from DeepImage AI. It gave me pretty much what I wanted, but it’s clear that at least two of the guys have beards.

A third test shot was done using magic hour: Only once did it give me a black cowboy. It also did some weird stuff.

The last one I test drove was Perchance. It surprised me and followed my request almost to the letter.

The last one I tried was Microsoft’s Designer. It would not for the life of me, generate a black cowboy. I tried different combinations of words and terms, but no dice.

Almost everyone of them gave the guys beards.

So hands down winner would be perchance.

I should mention these are all free.

Now, here’s the reason I’m trying this. Over the next few weeks, I’m going to shift focus onto the Lawman Novels. I’m looking those that already exist, the one that’s coming out, and kind of forecast what’s ahead.

I’m doing it as a series of interviews with Sheriff Will Diaz. Everything from his life, to Jewell, to his friends and enemies will be covered. I wanted to create imagery of what the characters might look like. So, call any attempt an experiment.