Why learn to draw in the age of AI?

It's rare that we allow ourselves to get personal here, but I have to introduce this topic from my point of view. I've always been terrible at drawing. From the first years of primary school to the present day, my visual productions have been at best very elementary, with silhouettes, hands, facial elements and stick figures. Games where I have to make people guess terms with sketches end up more in hilarity than in positive comments on my drawing skills.

So the arrival of artificial intelligences capable of generating images by writing down what I wanted was a revolution. Suddenly, I could bring to life ideas that I would have loved to draw or photograph in real life, despite my poor skills as a visual artist. From time to time, like many Internet users, I found myself creating images with AIs, which, in less than a few minutes, would come up with different proposals. Nevertheless, I couldn't help referring to the people I know who have really mastered the art of drawing, and to the designers. Is all this learning lost in the age of AI? Is it worth learning to draw these days?

Images, yes. Art...

This brings us back to the question that has been plaguing the Internet for some years now: does AI make art? Some would argue that as long as scenes are produced from someone's creative impulse, whether with paintbrushes or a computer keyboard, they're a work of art. Others, however, are not so convinced. For one thing, AI creations are based on models they've collected online. So, strictly speaking, they don't create anything that doesn't come from a source somewhere. Whether from a great master or an amateur artist who has only ever been known to a handful of Internet users, it's all a mix of inspirations. This results in images that can be sublime, but is it really creation?

Especially since the problem with AI images, as this artist reminds us, is that they look "artificial". Anatomy-related problems are already well known (six- or seven-fingered characters, or three-legged ones when seated), but they're also generally smooth. Textures are uniform in the drawings produced by the algorithm, which removes the possibility of subtlety in productions. Perspective is sometimes lacking, and the approach is often at the height of human vision, forgetting all the possibilities of low-angle, panoramic and other angles. He also reminds us that light comes from everywhere and nowhere. It's very difficult to understand where lighting comes from in an AI image, even though artists think about it and adapt their work to it. It's usually the details that give away an artificial image.

This is why so many claim that the machine can produce images in spades. But is it really art? Not really. What' s missing is the extra soul that artists bring to their creations, from Dadaist drawings to Impressionist frescoes. Because, in the final analysis, Midjourney, Copilot and others wouldn't create by themselves. These algorithms simply respond to an order written by a user and calculate, by drawing on its database, which images to produce to best match the request. In fact, anyone who has used these tools knows that sometimes you have to repeat the same description to really get something close to the image in your head... At these moments, I remember how simple it would have been if I could draw.

Learning to draw and using AIs

That's why learning to draw remains just as relevant today, even as generative artificial intelligences are democratized. Learning to draw, as this other artist reminds us, enables us to develop observation skills, understand perspective, express various emotions on a canvas and so on. It's a unique transmission experience that algorithms can't (and perhaps always will) achieve. But will the world of drawing change with AI? Of course it will. It will certainly become a tool to assist artists in generating ideas, exploring styles, enhancing details and so on.

Consequently, it will be necessary to teach young people as much about the basics of drawing as about generative AI art, so that they can see the possibilities, the limitations, the importance of the words chosen in the applications, etc.

Photoshop hasn't turned people into graphic designers, but it has made life a little easier for them, and some of them have started to take an interest in image retouching. Especially since, as this CBC article reminds us, some people with disabilities find themselves able to produce images and express things with AI. While aware of the ethical issues involved, they finally have the opportunity to develop their visual creativity.

So, will I have to learn drawing if I want to make incredible sketches? Quite possibly. I would acquire the techniques and I would, in fact, be better able to use AIs as assistants who would undoubtedly respond better to my requests. AI is a tool. It's as neutral as an axe. It's up to the art world and Internet users to work towards making it a companion to facilitate creativity rather than an executioner slicing the heads off artists of all kinds.

Image: Thomas G. from Pixabay

References

Chiang, Ted. "Why A.I. isn't going to make art." The New Yorker. Last updated August 31, 2024. https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-weekend-essay/why-ai-isnt-going-to-make-art.

Cownie, Emma. "AI and art: what you need to know." Medium. Last updated April 7, 2024. https://emmafcownie.medium.com/ai-and-art-what-you-need-to-know-a1fd76311b8b.

Davis, Vicki. "Incorporating AI art generation in the classroom." Edutopia. Last updated February 29, 2024. https://www.edutopia.org/article/generative-ai-art-school/.

Edwards, Keith. "Why does all AI art look like that?" Medium. Last updated July 5, 2023. https://medium.com/p/f74e2a9e1c87.

Graf, Pit. "Why learn to draw in the age of AI." Learn to Draw. Last updated July 26, 2024. https://www.apprendre-a-dessiner.org/apprendre-a-dessiner-ia/.

"The impact of artificial intelligence on art." The Eastern Stylus. Last updated August 20, 2024. https://le-style-est.com/intelligence-artificielle-dans-l-art/.

Orfanides, Lucas. "People debate if AI art is real. Here's how it's changed my life." CBC. Last updated: February 1, 2025. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/first-person-ai-art-1.7432023.

Silberzahn, Philippe. "In the age of AI, can my daughter still go to art school?" Philippe Silberzahn. Last updated: June 18, 2024. https://philippesilberzahn.com/2024/01/15/a-l-heure-de-l-ia-ma-fille-peut-elle-encore-faire-une-ecole-d-art/.