Cosmic Creations Edition #7 [Self Portrait] | Alien Art Hive Contest

Hello Alien Art Hive Community members. This is my second entry in the AAH community contests. I'm happy to participate and bring my version of "myself reflected in a self portrait". My approach to this contest #7 was that of a reflection of my character as viewed through my spirit animal.

This month's theme: Self-Portrait

• Create art related to the above theme
• Make a post about it in Alien Art Hive
• Include the words Cosmic Creations in the title so they are easy to identify in the feed
• Please try to include some process images and discuss the techniques used in your creation
• Drop a link to your entry post the comments below
• The deadline is October 23rd Midnight EST
• To participate, visit the contest post: Cosmic Creations Edition #7 is LIVE: Self Portraits

My short bio accompanying my themed-project is below:

For this month's contest theme involving Self Portrait, my theme reflects my personality. I have always viewed myself as a bit hardened, with a strong convictions. I normally don't shift from this position and tend to view the others and world as having the capability of self-preservation. I strongly believe in Maslow's Hierarchy No. 2.

Previously, I participated in a blogging challenge in which I was asked to identify the spirit animal that closely reflects my personality. I did so, and presented the Black Panther as my spirit animal that I felt reflected the view of my inner self.

As I reiterated earlier, a spirit animal is one you admire. It's also one you think of when thinking about the qualities your find attractive or you find you like in yourself.

The animal qualities I felt I identified with are inherent in the Black Panther. Bold, dramatic, confident, but quiet and observant. The panther is actually a leopard or jaguar. Its black fur coat was developed over time as a recessive gene found in the leopard. The black coat is also the result of the jaguar's dominant gene.

My favorite color is black. Bold and beautiful is the black panther's shiny coat. I feel as though the black coat magnifies the animal's eyes of the animal.

If looks can be deceiving, the black panther gives human form to this concept. Moving through his environment gracefully and elegantly, he can be the deadliest predator.

What I find most admirable about the panther is its strength and fierceness. I had no idea these animals were excellent swimmers and tree climbers. In addition, the panther can run at speeds up to 50 mph and leap at 20 feet in pursuit of its prey. ¹

While watching an episode of Animal Kingdom, a black panther jumped into a river in pursuit of a full-grown crocodile. The panther remained under the water for a few moments minutes. It emerged with the crocodile in its jaws. The panther swam back to shore all the while dragged the crocodile. Once on land, it pulled the crocodile into the woods as its prey.

Whether in the wild or captured in art, the black panther will always have my admiration and be my spirit animal.

Below are my steps in the creation process of my self-portrait featuring the Black Panther:

To represent my self-portrait, I chose StarryAI, the stable diffusion program. Assisting the program in producing the image I desired, I started the description with my original photo I placed on Hive in my PROFILE.

In my PROFILE photo, notice that the outfit I wore contained a navy blue and white stripe on the shoulder of my suit coat. How thrilled I was when I saw the finished image. StarryAI utilized the stripe as the basis for creating the panther near my face. This image, together with my vivid description for the text input helped guide the program. The result was unexpected. I was thoroughly pleased.

For the landscape, I decided to design a dramatic night scene in the generative art program, upgraded version, GAUGAN2. I used this program initially a few years ago before stable diffusion burst onto the scene. With Gaugan, you begin with a blank canvas. You brushstrokes depicting the features are recorded on the left side of the canvas and converted into the various features you choose on the right side of the canvas.

To complete the images I included in the portrait, I searched for two pure fractals I designed in Apophysis 7X. The first fractal I used as a circle frame to hold my original I PROFILE photo. I decided to include the Profile photo so that my readers can see the similarity in the original and stable diffusion image.

Two pure fractals I utilized as masks to place on the faces of my stable diffusion portrait and the black panther. The final fractal I used in the landscape area, colorizing it as a fire.

With the various mixed media art items, I feel that the project came together beautifully as a self-portrait.

The final step was to blend the items. This required a design program. The program I use regularly is Canva. I uploaded them to take advantage of the pro features, such as background removal, sizing, colorizing, and filters.

Below are my procedures:

I began with a blank, white canvas.

Added the generative art Gaugan landscape image.

Realized I needed to switch to a black background to match the landscape image once I duplicated it to fill the canvas. Beautiful background landscape, I feel.

Added my transformed stable diffusion Profile photo.

Removed background of stable diffusion portrait, flipped and repositioned it to the left hand side.

Added fractals as masks to my stable diffusion portrait likeness and the black panther.

Respositioned the fractal masks on the face of my portrait and the panther.

Added fiery grass in the bottom of the scene. I felt it brought the landscape to life.

Duplicated the fiery grass to cover the entire bottom landscape near the rocks.

To complete my project, at the last moment I thought I'd add a white fractal ball I previously created to hold my original PROFILE photo.

I colorized the fractal ball dark beige to match my diffusion portrait, then added my Profile photo inside a fractal ball

Below is the completed project. I have two versions, one with and without the animation in the fiery grass.

Thanks for your visit. I hope you liked my mixed media art self-portrait project entry for Alien Art Hive's Cosmic Creations Edition #7.