Da Vinci Kiss
Leonardo Da Vinci (1452 - 1519) has long captivated my undivided admiration. From my youngest years, his astounding work and remarkable persona have been a deeply influencing presence in my life. While some may find it peculiar to idolize an individual from the 15th century, those familiar with me wouldn’t find it out of character in the least.
As a child, adults frequently posed the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” A definite answer was always elusive for me.
I’ve consistently demonstrated a knack for technology. When I was ten, I dived headfirst into programming, even cooking up my own computer games for fun. Subjects like Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry, with their firm answers, ensured a steady stream of A’s. Yet, when the weekend rolled around, I found solace in painting and drawing. I wouldn’t say I was particularly gifted, but the calming, meditative effect they offered made them a great way to spend a lazy Saturday.
The quest for knowledge across diverse fields has always intrigued me. Over time, I’ve gathered a multitude of seemingly disparate interests, which, remarkably, have manifested their relevance in my creative endeavors later on.
So, anytime people asked me about my future plans, I was honestly at a loss — perhaps a scientist, a musician, or an artist? However, when I stumbled upon Leonardo Da Vinci during my teen years, it dawned on me that having eclectic interests was perfectly fine. From that point on, my reply was pretty clear-cut — I aspire to be a Renaissance Man.
Throughout my career, I have worked on many projects and many clients, spanning so many industries and brands — but there’s always one thing that tie everything together — and that’s the way I work — I function as a designer, but technology is so integral in my process that everything I work on lie on the intersection of art and technology.
Putting into words exactly what I do has always been a bit of a challenge. Two decades in, and I still fumble when asked to explain it. I often get questions like, “Are you a designer who can code?” or “Are you a programmer who can design?” I don’t feel like I belong to either category. I am neither, but I am also both. They’re two halves of my whole. Together, they add up to something greater than the sum of their parts — kind of like 1+1 equals 3. Splitting them up just doesn’t work for me. It would be like trying to run with one leg.
After two decades in my line of work, I’m not completely certain if I’ve reached my goal of becoming a Renaissance man. However, I can't shake off the feeling that I’m inching closer to the aspiration that took root in my childhood.
Something that really touched me from the Stanford Commencement Speech that Steve Job gave back in 2005 is that “you can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever.”
In retrospect, the various experiences and pursuits that once seemed disconnected are gradually weaving a coherent tapestry. Although I may never reach the towering heights of greatness personified by Da Vinci, I take solace in the knowledge that I’ve earnestly striven to emulate the paragon I idolized in my youth. My hope is that, someday before my journey ends, I will have fulfilled the profound ambition I harbored since my childhood.
Tech
Text prompts in Stable Diffusion.
- 30 steps, CFG 7, DPM++ 2M Karras, 1024x1024
- Base Ratio: 0.8. Refiner Strength 0.75. Refiner Intensity: Hard.
- Denoise 0.5. Hires Fix Disabled.
- Base: sd_xl_base_1.0. Refiner: sd_xl_refiner_1.0. VAE: sdxl-vae.
- Post: Topaz Gigapixel HQ 4x (4096x4096).
- Post: Adobe Lightroom (color correction).
- Post: Adobe Photoshop AI (Generative Layer In-painting / limb fix).
- ComfyUI with SeargeSDXL workflow 3.4
Images
Additional Images
Images that I didn’t publish on social media to avoid issues.
Some issues with spatial coherence, but beautiful figurative forms.
Errors
These are failed renders that I thought were interesting enough to share.
