The Implications of Visual Style Sampling

Kush
3 min readFeb 14, 2023

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As a visual artist, I’m always looking for new and unique ways to create something original. Recently, I’ve been exploring the possibilities of using artificial intelligence (AI) to sample other visual artists’ styles and create something entirely new. This process is strikingly similar to the way hip hop producers in the 1980s used drum samples from classic funk and soul records to create a new sound.

Take the Amen Break, for example.

This six-second drum sample from the 1969 track “Amen Brother” by The Winstons has been used in countless hip hop songs, including N.W.A.’s “Straight Outta Compton” and The Prodigy’s “Firestarter.” Similarly, the Funky Drummer sample, taken from a 1970 track by James Brown, has been used in hundreds of hip hop tracks, including those by the Beastie Boys and Public Enemy.

By applying AI to sample visual artists’ styles, I’m able to create something entirely new. I’m able to take the individual elements from a variety of different artworks, mix them together, and create something unique. My AI-generated art pieces blend together different styles, techniques, and perspectives, and the results are often quite stunning.

The first image below is an original Pop Wonder

and the second image is a “Not Wonder” I created using AI Sampling to produce a custom model. I pushed the meta further by adding in a reference to Leonardo Di Vinci’s “The Last Supper”.

‘“This is Fine” by Pop Wonder. This is one of the original paintings sampled by KUSH.

Here is the work produced using words “The Last Supper in the style of Pop Wonder” or similar using the model I created with AI.

KUSH recreated Da Vinci’s The Last Supper in the style of pop artist Pop Wonder, using AI to create a model of his artwork style. KUSH then uses text to image word prompts to create the images.

The impact of this development will be far-reaching.

Visual artists can now create something entirely new with the help of AI, just as hip hop producers did in the 1980s. This could open up entirely new creative possibilities, allowing artists to explore and discover new styles and techniques. It could also lead to a new wave of artists who use AI to create unique artworks.

In the next example, I sampled PEACEVOID’s Peaceful Groupie from the artist Yon. The first is his original artwork followed by two “Not Yon” images by KUSH using a custom model based on Yon’s artwork.

An original Yon Peaceful Groupie

Below are examples of recreated Yon artwork using the custom model, Kush refers to this as a “Not Yon”, Kush’s Peaceful Groupie.

A NOT-YON PEACEFUL GROUPIE by KUSH

One more Peaceful Groupie at the pyramids in Giza, Egypt.

KUSH “NOT-YON” PEACEFUL GROUPIE at the PYRAMIDS in GIZA

Overall, I’m excited by the possibilities that AI opens up for visual artists. By using AI to sample visual artists’ styles, I’m able to create something entirely new and unique. The result of this development could have a profound impact on the art world, and I’m looking forward to seeing what the future holds.

Key to the Stars VIDEO CREATED USING the custom model

music by Theperrisband.

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Kush

Kush is a audio visual explorer from another dimension.