I used to think AI art was just a gimmick until I saw it animate my friend's comic

My buddy in Austin makes a small web comic, and about six months ago he was still drawing every single frame by hand. It took him a week to finish one short scene. Then he started using this new AI tool, I think it's called Runway Gen-2, to help with the in-between animation frames. The change was crazy. Last week, he showed me a full minute of smooth animation he made in two days. The AI didn't do all the work, he still drew the key poses, but it filled in the movement so fast. I always thought these tools just made weird, melted pictures, but seeing it actually help someone make more of their art changed my mind. It's less about replacing the artist and more about being a really fast helper. Has anyone else had an experience like this where an AI tool surprised you by being actually useful for creative work?

2 comments

2 Comments

fionak631mo ago

My cousin's comic got that same melted look from an AI tool last month.

the_jesse1mo ago

Actually that melted look can happen with regular digital art too, not just AI. Sometimes it's from overusing the smudge tool or a bad filter. Saw a tutorial once where someone messed up their layer styles and got that effect. The blurry, drippy look isn't a sure sign of AI.