Thread by @bri_guy_ai

There is no such thing as "writer's block" in #aiart.

You're only a roll away from magic ✨

But, crafting the perfect image is never easy.

So, if you feel "stuck," let me introduce you to:

Forks & Reversals

Here's what this creative cure-all is and how it works: 🧵⬇️

So, before we jump in. I'm a beginning AI Artist, and I often get stuck trying to craft the perfect prompt to deliver the perfect image.

Frankly, it's a poor workflow.

I'd end up jamming in words and not realizing which were effecting my images.

I needed something BETTER...

The key came down to one important factor: ITERATION.

It's far easier to start from 60%, 40% or even 20% of your desired image and crafting until you get closer and closer to what you're looking for.

0% ➡ 100% in one spin is impossible.

So, that's why you need Forks.

🍴WHAT ARE FORKS?

A fork is a the term I use for decision making in prompt iterating. You select an image of the 4. Then, you add a prompt modifier to that image.

In short: 1 Fork = 1 Decision

But what if your image is still rough around the edges?

Enter Reversals.

🎲 WHAT ARE REVERSALS?

A reversal is my term for rerolling a prompt.

In effect, it's like a steamroller or iron. You're getting out the wrinkles and emphasizing things you like.

The true power comes from combining Forks & Reversals.

Let's dive into a real-life example!

STEP 1: The Baseline

This is your setup. You're going for a vibe, mood, composition, etc.

It's a spark.

I started w/ a leftover idea:

💡A Victorian woman with a pink parasol on a high wire

Below is an image I loved, but it didn't match the main idea.

So let's fork with it!

STEP 2: Fork

Take your baseline image and add a few modifiers:

[image url] modifier words (1, 2, 3...)

Less is often more.

Since, I didn't like her blurry face, I thought:

"Let's fix it."

[baseline image url] hyperrealistic, detailed human face.

Here are the results:

STEP 3: Fork Again

I picked U2 b/c I'm a sucker for a good hat. And I felt like it could make a serious fashion statement.

So, I forked again, modernizing the look:

[forked image 1 url] haute coutre, avant-garde, fashion photography

Loved all of these, but we're here to fork!

STEP 4: Keep Forking

I picked U1.

Watching the hat evolve, architectural thoughts flooded my mind.

The arch, the dome, and now this Guggenheim-ish design.

And, I missed the water. So...

[forked image 2 url] brutalism, mosaic, reflections

Great set, but missing softness...

STEP 5: Fork It One More Time

Alright, these are again rad, but far from that original image.

I wanted to bring back in the lightness with a twist. So instead of a reversal, I opted for an inventive fork.

[forked image 3 url] fabriccore, romance, quixotic

Well, who is that?

STEP 6: REVERSAL

Another fine batch. MidJourney excels at the weird, so remember to get creative w/ your word choice.

I loved the new figures in U2, that I decided to rerun the prompt.

[forked image 4 url] fabriccore, romance, quixotic

How do I pick NOW?!

STEP 7: REVERSAL

I fought all my inner Rococo and bird desires, and I opted for U3. Why, because I was focused on characters.

A couple appeared, and I wanted to take them back to the start.

[forked image 5 url] brutalism, mosaic, reflections

Time to remove the sap factor...

STEP 8: Reversal

This was a bit too romantic for my tastes. My fault leaving romance in again. So, I opted for U3 knowing it was back to the fashion vibes.

[forked image 5 url] haute coutre, avant-garde, fashion photography

And the hat/suit combo did not disappoint...

STEP 9: REVERSAL

If you're w/ me this far, you know I'm a hat guy. So, I couldn't resist a hat on a hat!

U1 was my winner, and I was curious about how our first fork would replay on this image.

[forked image 6 url] hyperrealistic, detailed human face.

I should've been scared.

STEP 10: Reversal (Square 1)

We are out there now.

Time to bring it back home.

U4 had the most likeness to the original fork. So, I wanted to see how it would react with the original prompt.

[forked image 7 url] [original prompt from idea photo]

Now, I feel like we can rest.

That's it. An epic journey of Forks & Reversals.

After a grand adventure on the prompt line, I returned home with an extra large hat as a souvenir.

But that's not all. I now have 32 new images to reimagine with Forks & Reversals in the future.

Now, we'll never be stuck again.

I hope you enjoyed learning about Fork & Reversals and how they'll unblock your creative work.

If you found this helpful, you can do one of 3 things:

1) Follow me @bri_guy_ai for more of these process breakdowns
2) Try the techniques and share
3) Like/Retweet the first tweet ⬇️