AI Art experience
The excitement i feel with my use of AI is a mix of freedom and surprise. Freedom because it's like standing in front of an infinite well of art and being able to explore and search for the imagery that is close to my inner universe. And also surprise because i need to give a big importance to randomness and the possibility to discover a path i didn't expect to take.
Personal experience
I've been working as a digital collage artist for many years, and have been used to create artworks from already existing material, by searching, gathering, combining, modifying old photos. At the same time i always have been interested in new tools brought by the evolving technology of image making and manipulation. That was a natural path for me to experiment with AI in 2022 and try to incorporate the images i could generate into my collage work. Now, as Franki Domino, i also enjoy creating artworks 100% made with AI. My background as an artist and illustrator, and specifically a collagist has obviously a big impact on how i create with AI and the choices i make, because with AI the action of making choices is essential.
Unexpected thought
I use this new tool without knowing too much, technically, about it. I think it's good for me to keep a large place to the unexpected and the possibility to be astonished. I think that it creates an opening in your brain to reach inner visions that were kept sleeping maybe because you thought you could never produce them concretely before. I have the feeling that AI virtually makes anything be possible to emerge from yourself. The thing is to know how to recognize them and then collaborate efficiently with the machine to make it follow your intuitions.
Description
In this series i wanted picture the blooming of the creative process. And install a doubt about the humanity or artificality of the creator.
Process
Tools
Midjourney, Magnificai upscale, Photoshop
As a producer of Aww Inc., Asia’s first virtual human company, Sara Giusto is a female leader at the intersection of technology and creativity. She was featured in Forbes Japan’s ‘30 Under 30’ in 2023 and was a TED speaker in 2024.
Franki Domino’s piece Herbarium captivated me instantly, both with its strong visual impact and with the seamless integration of AI into his existing artistic language. I’m a super visual person and tend to depend on my instinct—and this work really caught me off track.
It was nothing like much of the AI art I was used to, both in the details and quality. Franki’s background as an illustrator and collage artist shines through in this work, where AI doesn’t overshadow his skill but rather amplifies his talent and distinctive taste. Every detail of Herbarium shows that this is not just AI-driven art, but rather the work of a seasoned artist with a deep understanding of composition, texture, and narrative.
I was particularly drawn to the meticulous layers, like the transition from a spotted grainy texture to a milky, silky tone. This level of detail, often missing from AI-generated images, is enriched by Franki’s use of tools like Photoshop, adding a refined quality that AI alone might have lacked. The randomness of AI that adds to Franki’s already full experience in collage makes this an amazing collaboration.
Ultimately, Herbarium exemplifies what’s possible when traditional artistic skills meet technology. Franki’s approach shows that AI can be a powerful tool allowing artists to build on what they already know, creating pieces that feel innovative yet deeply rooted in personal style. In the simplest terms, the imagery here is absolutely delicious—I can’t stop looking at it.
