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skedeebs t1_j2dicyr wrote

You get so much extra credit for an original concept. Folks outside of New Jersey may not realize that the New Jersey Devil is not Satan or some demon, but a local mythical creature like Bigfoot. Please describe the narrative that went through your head to get to this scenario.

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mmmcake OP t1_j2dqhf9 wrote

Everyone in the area had a story about seeing it but nobody believed each other’s until one day the creature was spotted in a stream by some children that were as bold as they were fast. By the time the old man became aware of what was happening the whole town had gathered at his barn. If it had been anyone else that mob would have burned down the barn and shot anything that came out but when the old man quietly asked them to sit and listen they complied. “I’d like you to meet my wife” he said, “I’ll let her tell you her own story.”

I got stuck with the design of the Jersey Devil character for a while and kept sketching goat demons or people goats. I used Midjourney AI and prompted it with old descriptions of the Jersey Devil and after a few hundred iterations found a few images that I used as references for this painting that seemed like something less supernatural and more like something nature could (but maybe shouldn’t) make.

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botheredbysmallstuff t1_j2dxpm6 wrote

amazing work and great story behind it! very interesting to use AI as a source of inspiration too

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mmmcake OP t1_j2e1hq7 wrote

Thank you. I would like there to be more discussion and exploration into how Ai can be a tool for artists. History is full of examples of artists using new technology to create better art. I think Ai is more ‘Vermeer using a camera obscura’ and less ‘Marie Curie discovers radiation’.

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ScoobyDeezy t1_j2ed24m wrote

Hit the nail on the head. It’s a fantastic tool to assist creators, and the possibilities and benefits far outweigh its misuse.

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FlacidBarnacle t1_j2e4yvk wrote

Which AI program did you use? I’ve been trying to find a good one that’s available but most are in beta only some are allowed to use for some reason

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mmmcake OP t1_j2e6x2a wrote

Midjourney. Be prepared to spend $30 a month on the subscription because the free time is barely enough to feel what it can do. There is a learning curve to using Discord if you never have before and learning to adjust the settings and prompts takes patience. Even then most of the images will be garbage but It is an amazing tool for getting outside of your own head. Every once and a while it will terrify you with how clever can be.

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FlacidBarnacle t1_j2e7f7s wrote

Oh ya i tried to use it once. The free version but I couldn’t figure out the discord so gave up..

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enialessej t1_j2e8toe wrote

Not as beautiful as midjourney, but Dall-E from Open AI just came out of beta and is a lot of fun to play with - for free!

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bitchazel t1_j2ffstz wrote

Your descriptions are as eloquent as your painting is wonderful.

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BackRowRumour t1_j2e0iul wrote

Agreed. The future belongs to people who bring AI into human endeavour like a shepherd and sheepdog.

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Riverrat423 t1_j2f0u0i wrote

Did you create the story yourself? It is like no other Jersey Devil lore that I have ever heard.

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Fulaw60 t1_j2dmdza wrote

I’m from the town where the jersey devil supposedly originated, Leeds Point. My only issue with the concept is that the jersey devil was a boy child, Ms. Leeds’ 13th. Love the work though.

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hellbabe222 t1_j2f22xv wrote

This is beautiful to me.

He looks so safe with her surrounding him the way she is. She also is exuding a sense of security in her husband that his love for her will win over the locals. And it appears to be working.

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CantInjaThisNinja t1_j2dphol wrote

This is really cool. I know nothing about the myth, but this picture is provocative.

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OldsDiesel t1_j2fk90u wrote

I love how its this American Realist look, ala Edward Hopper, but the subject matter is a bit macabre. Those types of works always hook me.

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Lilthotdawg t1_j2fgv5r wrote

Wow, your backstory in mind, this piece is truly moving. Any particular reason his hands are red? Is it a metaphor for the blood on his hands by keeping her around? Or am I digging too far into the lore? 😂

Edit: her shadow is cool too!

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mmmcake OP t1_j2figop wrote

I’m not sure if it came from the struggle to make it back to the barn or if there was an altercation before the farmer intervened.

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Lilthotdawg t1_j2fik2e wrote

Thank you! Beautiful piece, genuinely inspiring.

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Late_Again68 t1_j2dzhhj wrote

Nice but not the Jersey Devil, who has a horse's head, bat wings and is male.

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davtruss t1_j2duhyt wrote

Baphomet, without the children....

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djkoch66 t1_j2e8emw wrote

I grew up in NJ and my HS team was the devils.

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Peak_Annual t1_j2eq697 wrote

Now for their official wedding in the town square to make it all wholesome

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Dragon_Virus t1_j2f6x6e wrote

“Guys, she was just having a heated Gamer moment!”

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reimancts t1_j2e7ei2 wrote

That's not what the jersey devil looks like.

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[deleted] t1_j2ehrao wrote

[deleted]

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mmmcake OP t1_j2ekvdl wrote

There are many bovid species where horns are not exclusive to male bulls, but I’m not sure the creature depicted is part of any species that we know about.

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