Just a few days ago, I shared my initial experiments with AI-generated art, focusing on how MidJourney handled architectural landscapes and, of course, our feline friends. The previous article title is “AI in the Marketing Toolkit: A MidJourney Experiment.” The response was fantastic, but it led to an obvious follow-up question: How does the tool handle the human form?
Today, I am releasing a second collection of images titled “Digital Art with MidJourney: Love in the Style of Gianbattista Piranesi.”
A Different Kind of Experiment
While the previous collection was a broad exploration of styles, this set was born from a more specific technical goal. I wanted to see how effectively MidJourney could replicate a specific artist’s style, here, the dramatic, intricate etchings of the 18th-century Italian artist Gianbattista Piranesi.
I’ll be the first to admit: the results are a bit cheesy. We are looking at idealized romantic scenes that feel like they belong on the cover of a classic novel. However, if you look past the sentimentality, the technical quality is staggering:
- Stylistic Fidelity: The tool successfully mimicked the atmospheric “Veduta” style, blending human emotion with grand, crumbling Roman architecture.
- Intricate Detail: From the folds of draped fabric to the weathered textures of Corinthian columns, the level of precision is remarkable for an automated tool.
- Composition: The images demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of light and shadow (chiaroscuro), which was a hallmark of Piranesi’s work.
What This Means for Marketers
Even if the “romantic” subject matter isn’t your cup of tea, the implications for our daily marketing activities are clear. This experiment proves that we can give AI very specific artistic constraints and receive high-quality, stylistically consistent assets in return.
Whether we need a specific historical look for a campaign or a unique storyboard style, the ability to reference a particular aesthetic and have the AI execute it with this level of polish is a game-changer for conceptual work.
The goal remains the same: to explore the untapped potential of these tools at a moment when they are just beginning to redefine digital creativity.
Take a look at the full gallery below. I’d love to hear your thoughts on whether these “human” images are more or less impressive than the cats from last week! You can reach me at folini@gmail.com.