Dec. 11, 2024
Seattle, WA, USA
Introduction
Death.Milk.Designs is a Seattle-based creative force whose work spans art, music, and design. Known for blending dark surrealism with pop macabre and baroque dystopian themes, this artist creates captivating visuals that challenge and inspire. Beyond visual art, music is another avenue of creative exploration, further demonstrating the multifaceted nature of this talent.
Through explorations in AI art, Death.Milk.Designs pushes the boundaries of imagination, crafting work that resonates deeply with fans of intricate, dark themes. These creations stand as a testament to how technology can elevate artistic expression.
Prepare to delve deeper into the inspirations, techniques, and community-driven journey that define Death.Milk.Designs. Enter a world where horror meets hyperrealism, powered by the cutting-edge potential of AI.
Interview
How did you first discover Midjourney, and what drew you to AI-generated art?
I first encountered genAI art back in spring of 2022, when I began seeing these images in my Instagram feed that had a uniquely different look and feel to them, unlike much of what I'd seen before. As more started popping up, my interest was piqued and, after a bit of investigation, I found myself with a basic sub to Midjourney. I blew through my fast hours in less than a day and I haven't looked back since, haha.
Who or what are your biggest artistic influences, both in traditional and AI art?
Where to start and where to stop? I've been obsessed with and immersed in art since I was a child, so my list of traditional influences is long and varied. To name a generous, but incomplete, selection of names:
H. Bosch, Dali, Rubens, Albrecht Durer, Gustave Dore, Escher, The Hildebrandt Brothers, Ralph Steadman...
More contemporary traditional (and active) influences would be many from the Pop Surrealist movement, such as Alex Pardee, Joe Coleman, and Todd Schorr, and some incredible comic book artists like Sam Kieth, Geof Darrow, and Jonathan Wayshak
In the realm of GenAI artists and creators, there are many who's work keeps pushing what's possible with the tools/tech/medium. Some that have really stood/stand out to me are:
AI AI Captain, Chris Perna, Pxl Psher, Obscure, AI Directress, Jason Scarecrow, Gold n Gravity, Arttacksyou, Nice Aunties, Midjourney Man, Bennett Waisbren, Pancakepie360, Anthroponeural, ModSCI, Deaddreamer...to name a few. Apologies to the many I did not mention! You know who you are and are sick AF, for real.
Can you walk us through your typical workflow when creating a piece with Midjourney?
Sure, I'd be happy to.
Though it varies, most of the time I'll start just with a few test prompts to shape an initial idea/concept. This usually consists of prompts that are short (no more than 3 or 4 elements) and run with subtle shifts to parameters/terms until it feels appropriate to start adding a bit more.
When I'm finding some thematic and aesthetic elements that are hitting for me, I'll start to feed the prompt images, both as image prompts, and as style references. Typically, the images I use will be ones I've created in Midjourney as well as Dall-e, but I also use my own illustrations and the occasional photograph.
That's typically where I end up really starting to see results that are closer to what I'm looking for and that fit my style, and I'll stick with the prompt at that point, tinkering and tweaking in hopes of further refining the outputs. I also will continue to add and swap out images in the prompt, adjust weights (with sref images as well), and do bold parameter shifts...just to see.
I often do a TON of variations, both strong and subtle, will always try a zoom or two, and love using vary region for spot clean-up on "final" images.
What's the most challenging aspect of working with Midjourney, and how do you overcome it?
I think the most difficult and challenging aspect of working with most genAI creative tools in general is the unpredictability of output paired with how the model communicates. I'd ascribe that same challenge to MJ, though it becomes less of an issue the more familiar one becomes with it.
Aside from learning how to better communicate with MJ, the best way to overcome the unpredictability is to embrace it!
How would you describe your unique artistic style when using Midjourney?
Dark Surrealist, Baroque Dystopian, Pop-Macabre. A hint of Bio-Mech and Maximalism here an there.
Those terms sum it up well for me, but so much of where my style comes from can be traced back to my influences and own illustrations, which does make it feel much more personal (and I like that).
How do you balance your artistic vision with the unpredictability of AI-generated results?
Most of the time it's a boon more than a burden, tbh. Unpredictable and unexpected results more often than not can shift/improve artistic vision for me, introducing new directions/concepts/aesthetics that excite and inspire. It's dope. I learn a lot from those moments, too.
I will say that the challenge is much more real when working with genAI video models...especially if credits are spent to achieve results that are undesirable. The process can be a bit more taxing for sure.
What are your favorite Midjourney features or commands, and why?
What I dig the most about MJ frankly has to be the workflow/amount of intuitive control that it offers on the Discord platform. You can have multiple different projects working in several different channels, all while making adjustments to each of them as you go. It's actually got a "flow" to it, and I really enjoy that.
As far as commands and features, I've always been a lover of the spice that is --chaos, and the Style Reference feature has been an absolute game changer for me.
Can you share any tips or tricks you've discovered for achieving specific effects or styles?
I highly recommend learning your art terminology. Don't be afraid to combine terms that should have no business being anywhere near each other. Use bold conceptual terms that inspire looks and feels within the prompt, rather than subjects. Flavoring prompts with particle and/or pattern images can do wonders for additional FX/style bumps.
How do you approach post-processing or editing of your Midjourney-generated images?
Typically, images that make the cut get a pass or two through Magnific AI (which I absolutely love) before getting posted or used elsewhere.
If I need to make any edits to the image before, I'll usually try the vary region function in MJ, and if that doesn't work I'll drop it in Photoshop to fix.
What do you say to critics who argue that AI-generated art isn’t “real” art?
I think people are most certainly welcome to that opinion, but at its core it often feels more reactionary and fear based than an actual informed take, and I think there is nuance here that is overlooked for the sake of a bold stance. There's often a lot of vitriol and gate-keeping that comes with those statements as well which, to me, devalues the argument significantly. We already live in a world where art has become so commoditized and consumable that embracing any sense of a "sacred way of art" seems like an antiquated approach to me. Much of what defines art, to me at least, involves an idea/goal + a problem solving process + applying tools and knowledge to achieve desired results. The goal is to create something that begins in the imagination and becomes realized by way of these approaches. While it's true that rendering an image or video with a genAI tool often takes far less time that other established forms of creation, I feel it is important to acknowledge that were there no personal/human involvement, no initial idea/inspiration, these outputs would not exist at all. We're still at the helm, you know? For many of us that use genAI tools, that process is inherent each time we set out to create something, and many who create with genAI tools are/were also "traditional" artists and designers well before we'd ever written a prompt. Speaking as one of those artists, I am continually finding new and exciting inspiration as I continue to explore the possibilities of these tools, and as I do, I am also finding ways to better integrate all of the forms of art that I create, ultimately working towards producing work that best represents all of my creative facets.
How do you ensure your Midjourney creations maintain a personal touch or signature style?
I feel like my methods and practices at this point sort of lock that in for me. There are themes/terms/aesthetics that I typically gravitate to to make things properly “Death Milky”, and those inherently make there way into my prompts (whether I want them to or not haha)
Also, as I continue forward and integrate my illustrations further into the process, I feel like my style will become even more "mine".
Have you collaborated with other artists using Midjourney? If so, how was that experience?
Yes, I collab often! It's a great way to connect and grow both as MJ users and as humans. You always learn something new, and usually produce some fantastic imagery. Doing it in Discord also makes it much more interactive and spontaneous. Highly recommend to everyone.
How do you engage with the Midjourney community, and what value do you find in it?
There's always value in community, no doubt. I've had varying levels of involvement/engagement with the MJ community at large, but there are many smaller pockets of folks that I stay connected with as well.
Aside from everyone generally being lovely, supportive, and fun, there’s so much to learn from each other, and you make connections that can lead who knows where.