One comment made after one of my last posts on AI is that everything will turn out the same, as you have the same instructor, a computer.
Not quite.
Each large language model (LLM) has its own “upbringing.” Much like children growing into adulthood, they’re shaped by what they’re fed. Behind the scenes, teams of human trainers pour in oceans of text—books, articles, websites, conversations—then refine the responses with feedback. The result? Each AI develops its own quirks, voice, and way of seeing the world.
Curious to explore this, I decided to run a little experiment. I chose a scene I know well: a coastal view I painted back in 2017 for the Carmel Art Festival. That painting went on to win the Plein Air Magazine Award of Excellence—so the place carries special meaning for me. The subject is Soberanes Point on Big Sur’s rugged coastline, beloved by artists everywhere and one I return to again and again with my brushes.
Below is the scene and my painting from that day.
Vertigo!, 24×12, oil on canvas
I presented a photograph of the scene to two different AI models: ChatGPT (which helped ignite today’s AI revolution) and Google’s AI Studio. The last time I tried Google’s tool, it glitched and couldn’t produce a painting at all. This time, however, it worked.
Both AI models used a similar color palette, and included many colors I use on my palette. However, the results couldn’t have been more different. One leaned toward a dreamy, impressionistic style. It emphasized more bright colors I normally wouldn’t do, but other artists use to great effect. The other was more literal, almost like a photograph with artistic filters applied. To my eye, the Google output felt less inspired, something I might achieve just as easily in Photoshop.
My painting is somewhere in between what the two AI models produced. While not being as bright as the ChatGPT version, it was a more literal translation similar to Google AI. Of course I did do some cropping and editing, as I wanted the point of interest to be the ocean and light behind the nearer rocks. I also moved the rocks around a bit, adding more to the right side to help balance the composition.
Below, I’ve shared the edited versions so you can see for yourself.
The biggest surprise? ChatGPT actually refused to take on certain aspects of the task—a hint of where the tangled question of AI copyright begins. That, I’ll share in my next post.
ChatGPT Results
Here’s how I’d approach developing this coastal plein air oil painting, step by step, with suggested colors:
Palette Choices
Sky & Water
Ultramarine Blue
Cobalt Blue
Cerulean Blue
Titanium White
Touches of Alizarin Crimson (for violets)
Viridian or Phthalo Green (sparingly, for water depth)
Sunlit Hillside
Cadmium Yellow Light
Yellow Ochre
Sap Green
Viridian mixed with Yellow Ochre (for spring greens)
Raw Umber + White (to dull greens where needed)
Cliffs & Rocks
Burnt Sienna
Burnt Umber
Yellow Ochre
Ultramarine Blue (for shadow planes)
Alizarin Crimson (for warm accents in rocks)
White (to modulate value)
Foreground Vegetation
Sap Green
Cadmium Yellow Medium
Viridian
Burnt Sienna (to warm greens in sunlight)
Touches of Cadmium Red Light (for warm sparks among foliage)
Development Process
Block-in (thin washes / transparent earth tones)
Sketch composition with Burnt Umber or a mix of Ultramarine + Burnt Sienna.
Indicate big shadow masses of cliffs and hill.
Keep it thin and transparent.
Establish Values & Light
Lay in the sky first: Cerulean + White near horizon, deepening with Ultramarine higher up.
Indicate water masses with broad strokes, reserving lighter passages where sun reflects.
Middle Ground – Hill & Cliffs
Lay warm ochres and siennas into sunlit cliffs.
Mix cool violets (Ultramarine + Alizarin + White) for shadowed rock faces.
For hillside greens, alternate warm greens (Yellow Ochre + Sap Green) with cooler mixtures (Viridian + Blue).
Foreground Rocks & Shadows
Deepen shadows with Ultramarine + Burnt Sienna (rich dark neutral).
Add sharp edges and angular brushwork for the rocky forms near bottom.
Accentuate contrast between warm cliff planes in sunlight and the cool shadows below.
Final Accents & Movement
Bright foam of waves: Titanium White with a touch of Cerulean, applied with broken brushstrokes.
Add warm sunlight accents with Cadmium Yellow Light glazed thinly over cliff faces.
Foreground grasses with flicks of Sap Green + Cad Yellow + touches of Red for sparkle.
Google AI Studio
Painting this en plein air, I’d start by establishing the broad shapes and values.
Sky: I’d lay in the sky with a mix of Ultramarine Blue, a touch of Cerulean Blue, and plenty of white, keeping it light and airy, especially towards the horizon where it meets the distant hills. A hint of yellow ochre or a very light peach might be blended in near the sun for a subtle warmth.
Distant Hill: For the large hill, I’d use a mix of Sap Green, Yellow Ochre, and a touch of Burnt Sienna to suggest the dry grasses and varied terrain, keeping the values lighter and colors more muted due to atmospheric perspective. The sunlit areas would get more yellow ochre, while the shadowed side would have more green and a touch of Ultramarine for coolness.
Ocean: The deep blues of the ocean would be built up with Ultramarine Blue, Prussian Blue, and a hint of Alizarin Crimson or Burnt Sienna in the darker, deeper areas to create that rich, cool depth. Near the shore and where the waves break, I’d introduce lighter mixes of blues with white, and possibly a touch of viridian for the shallower, more vibrant greens. The white foam would be a quick highlight with titanium white, perhaps with a touch of the water’s color mixed in for translucency.
Cliffs and Rocks: The prominent cliffs would be a mix of Raw Umber, Burnt Sienna, Yellow Ochre, and a touch of Dioxazine Purple or Ultramarine for the shadowed crevices. I’d vary the texture and color for the sunlit faces versus the shaded undersides, using lighter, warmer tones for the former and cooler, darker tones for the latter. The smaller rocks in the water would echo these colors but with more blue reflections from the water.
Foreground Vegetation: The immediate foreground plants would be rendered with more intense greens (Sap Green, Lemon Yellow, a touch of bright Cadmium Yellow), focusing on their distinct shapes and the play of light and shadow on their leaves.
Development: I’d work from general to specific, thin washes to thicker impasto. First, block in the sky, then the distant hill, followed by the ocean. Next, define the large rock formations, working from the general shape to more detailed highlights and shadows. Finally, I’d add the foreground vegetation and the whitecaps of the waves, paying close attention to the interplay of light across the entire scene to capture that bright, clear atmosphere.
