I was watching a video by an artist who does thumbnail paintings using simplifications generated by ChatGPT. So I have decided to try it. Below are a few of my own photos with their corresponding ChatGPT version. I’m planning on painting these studies on 8×8 canvas paper for acrylic. It’s nice and smooth, yet it will keep me focused on the fact it’s a study and a means of practicing what I might do for a bigger picture. (That’s me on my 5th birthday many decades ago.)
Own Reference
Sunrise
Just the other day I posted a photo of the sunrise from my office on the 10th floor, I know, but this was so dramatic and the sky so clear that I was taking photos at 1 minute intervals. Three of those four photos are below. I’m struck by how much redder the sky gets, and how big the splash of red is. And, of course, the camera sees the Sun as white, whereas to my eye it was blinding — and mostly orangey-yellow. The two later photos are zoomed-in.
7:33 a.m. 
7:35 a.m. 
7:36 a.m.
First-ever Self Portrait
This painting — done on Aquabord, something I’ve never used but I really like — is based on one of my own reference photos (well, I suppose my hubby took the photo) when we vacationed in the Seattle area back in 2009. It’s one of my all-time favorite photos.
But I’m not sure it was the best reference photo for painting purposes. The right side of my face is heavily in shadow, and I chickened out as far as painting it dark enough. I think my earrings are too bright — but I wanted to use my silver metallic paint!
I am, however, fairly happy with my hair. I used Raw Umber (Golden’s brand), Burnt Sienna, Raw Sienna and a touch of Yellow Ochre. Skin tones were a mix of Iron Oxide, and White with a touch of Raw Umber (Liquitex’s version).
Minis Painted Today
I continued on with my 5×5 canvas panels, after painting the candy in the previous post. The pink doughnut was from a reference photo used in Fresh Paint’s “Paint More in 2026” week back in January, and the white miniature pumpkin is one of my own references. (Right now the pumpkin is outside sitting on the lap of our skeleton right by our porch.)
Sunflowers in a Vase
This painting was done on a 6×8 canvas (Blick Premier — I surprisingly liked it) and it’s based off of one of my own photos. The background is Dioxazine Purple (PV23) tinted with Titanium White, as a complementary color to the various tones of yellow (Yellow Ochre, and Cad Medium Yellow mixed with Yellow Ochre).
While I’m not entirely happy with this effort, on the whole, I think it’s one of my better sunflower paintings.
Work in Progress 
Finished Painting
Pink Roses in a Vase
I took this photo back in the summer of 2023 and, as I was browsing through my pics of floral scenes, thought about painting it. Roses are difficult for me — but maybe I need to let go of that negative thought and tell myself roses are fun to paint! (Actually, this bouquet WAS fun to paint knowing I was doing it “solo”, and not copying someone else’s painting or using someone else’s reference photo.)
I used a 6×8 canvas panel for this one.
Sunflower
For once, I’m painting from a reference photo of my own! My first attempt was garbage, as you can see below, because my values were completely off relative to the photo on the right. You can barely see that I actually have two shades of yellow for the petals in the painted version.
So, I tried again a few days later, just painting over the old version. And this is the comparison between the old painting and the new. Still not happy with it, but it looks better from a distance, lol!
Just for grins, here’s the comparison between my photo and the new painting.
