babe wake up new wizard just dropped (Patreon)

I'm finally up to my special guy.

He's got a gross beard.  He will have a mouth that talks under the moustache, haven't got the lines yet.

I might still add a little head and ear bob to this one.  My intention is that he is a dark elf but it occurred to me after I made these shots that elves, or tolkien elves anyway aren't supposed to be able to grow beards.  But it was pointed out that Bethesda elves can and there are some other explanations suggested to me that I can use (he's from the south, is half dwarf, eats weird mushrooms etc).

I'm hoping that after this cartoon is finished no one accuses me of liking catboys anymore.  Although none of the catboys from Meth Orcs Meth Harder or Prince of Vibes fared very well either.

I don't know if it looks like it but this shot took 1.5 days to do, it was brutal!  Still lots of action to go.  

I've been trying to decide how I feel about AI generated images this month.  Is it art and is it ethical to use?   I even thought about making a video on the topic but I doubt I could do it justice without putting some research time and effort in.  It made me realise that my own definition of what is and isn't art is quite hazy, and I don't think I'm interested in whether something achieves the classification of art or not.  My first conclusion is that I don't consider AI images "art" because there's very distant and remote human intent behind them, but I also don't think it matters all that much.  It might be an important classification to some people but not to me.  Is a nice sunset art?  No.  Is it nice to look at?  Yes.  Is an AI image that composites 15 different sunsets together art?  Kinda, I'm rounding down to no.  It's closer to an accidental real sunset.

I thought about using AI images in paintings in the background of Todd's office in Gooseman Runs for Office, but I ran into some problems: 1) i think i need to pay to generate suitably hi resolution outputs (they need to be quite large) 2) controlling colour palettes is quite hard (this is not insurmountable I can colour correct things) and 3) enough artists are aggrieved at their work being included in AI databses that I don't think it's ethical to use them for a project that isn't personal use.  At least for now.  

NYE is tomorrow at time of writing so I hope you all have a happy new years and a fun evening if you are looking for one!  I will be having a low key evening with a couple of friends who have an apartment from which you can see fireworks and I doubt it will go late.