Piperbailey said new tools should be part of art. Why do traditional artists act like AI is cheating when it's just another tool? You got those light effects down after years of struggle, so is the problem that you didn't sweat enough for it? What makes a painting your art if a machine helped plan the hard parts? Does using AI feel like learning a new skill or just getting a shortcut to the good stuff?
Remember how everyone freaked out about digital art replacing paint? The real issue is when you skip the learning part. If you can't draw a basic shape yourself but use AI to make a whole scene, that's a shortcut, not a skill. It's like using GPS without ever learning the streets, you get there but you're lost if the battery dies. The tool is fine, but you still need to know the basics.
In 2010, I borrowed my cousin's Wacom tablet for a weekend. My lines were all wobbly at first because drawing on a pad while looking up at the screen felt strange. After a few hours, though, I could shade clouds in minutes instead of struggling with a mouse for an hour! It totally felt like cheating compared to my old methods. But now, that tablet is just how I make digital art, no different than picking up a pencil. New tools always feel weird until they don't, right?