Gunnar Quist
@gunrquist.bsky.social
Computer artist. Graphic novelist. SubGenius.
Everyone assumes AI art means typing a prompt and accepting the slop. I spent years building my own system, training my own characters, and writing my own code. When someone challenged me on it, I expected a fight. I got something rarer: someone who actually listened.
The Slop and the Craft
One man, an air-cooled GPU, and the exhausting task of defending his art.
open.substack.com
February 13, 2026 at 2:12 PM
Everyone assumes AI art means typing a prompt and accepting the slop. I spent years building my own system, training my own characters, and writing my own code. When someone challenged me on it, I expected a fight. I got something rarer: someone who actually listened.
Pic of Lucinda, Betty, and Ruby from the other day. Yes, it actually snowed in #Tennessee!
February 5, 2026 at 9:39 PM
Pic of Lucinda, Betty, and Ruby from the other day. Yes, it actually snowed in #Tennessee!
Test clip using "I SPEAK YOUR EVERY WORD" by Curve. I generated the base image by training a LoRA of the singer, Toni Halliday, using the Flux Dev 1 model. Video and lip synch generated with LTX-2 in ComfyUI. Subtitles created in Photoshop. Final mixed in Premiere.
January 23, 2026 at 10:09 PM
Test clip using "I SPEAK YOUR EVERY WORD" by Curve. I generated the base image by training a LoRA of the singer, Toni Halliday, using the Flux Dev 1 model. Video and lip synch generated with LTX-2 in ComfyUI. Subtitles created in Photoshop. Final mixed in Premiere.
The radio signal of PSR B1919+2153 discovered by Jocelyn Bell at Cambridge University in 1967. It is a pulsar--the undead remnant of a star that exploded long ago. Although denied the honor of being the co-recipient of the Nobel Prize for her work, she was awarded a $3 million prize in 2018.
January 19, 2026 at 8:39 PM
The radio signal of PSR B1919+2153 discovered by Jocelyn Bell at Cambridge University in 1967. It is a pulsar--the undead remnant of a star that exploded long ago. Although denied the honor of being the co-recipient of the Nobel Prize for her work, she was awarded a $3 million prize in 2018.
Pin-up artist Earl Moran enjoying sodas with four showgirls he used as models for his paintings. Any showgirls in Knoxville I could hire?
January 19, 2026 at 12:11 PM
Pin-up artist Earl Moran enjoying sodas with four showgirls he used as models for his paintings. Any showgirls in Knoxville I could hire?
I asked ChatGPT, "Based on our conversation history, create a picture of how you feel I treat you." When I use it, I usually ask questions and write bits of code. I view these LLMs as helpful tools. I don't imagine it having a personality, let alone a face. Cute picture, nonetheless.
January 19, 2026 at 12:25 AM
I asked ChatGPT, "Based on our conversation history, create a picture of how you feel I treat you." When I use it, I usually ask questions and write bits of code. I view these LLMs as helpful tools. I don't imagine it having a personality, let alone a face. Cute picture, nonetheless.
I've watched digital art evolve from my Amiga days to now—where one of the world's biggest platforms openly generates deepfake porn. The model release forms I relied on for decades? Worthless. The moral guardians who should be screaming? Silent. The tent is on fire and they're selling tickets.
The Mainstreaming of the Unspeakable
How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Watch the Circus Tent Burn
open.substack.com
January 15, 2026 at 3:54 PM
I've watched digital art evolve from my Amiga days to now—where one of the world's biggest platforms openly generates deepfake porn. The model release forms I relied on for decades? Worthless. The moral guardians who should be screaming? Silent. The tent is on fire and they're selling tickets.
Sometimes I forget to write a prompt when I generate an image. Without input, the model generates a random image based on what it was trained on--its memories. In its own mechanical way, ROBOTS CAN DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP. This morning it dreamed of fancy glasses and candy. Who knows why?
January 9, 2026 at 3:46 PM
Sometimes I forget to write a prompt when I generate an image. Without input, the model generates a random image based on what it was trained on--its memories. In its own mechanical way, ROBOTS CAN DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP. This morning it dreamed of fancy glasses and candy. Who knows why?
Cut and glued panel frame for "The Black Rabbit of Inlé". It is 48"x24". I'm describing my entire process--including generative AI image processing--in a series at gunnarquist.substack.com
January 5, 2026 at 7:23 PM
Cut and glued panel frame for "The Black Rabbit of Inlé". It is 48"x24". I'm describing my entire process--including generative AI image processing--in a series at gunnarquist.substack.com
In this article I describe my realization--thanks to the oracular wisdom of a woman that was higher than a Georgia Pine--that three years of obsessively mastering local AI art technology has produced only nine paintings and consumed the time needed to actually create and sell work for survival.
The Raving Madness of a Generative Dream
A tale of sunk costs, broken LoRAs, and the woman at the rave who knew better
gunnarquist.substack.com
January 2, 2026 at 11:13 AM
In this article I describe my realization--thanks to the oracular wisdom of a woman that was higher than a Georgia Pine--that three years of obsessively mastering local AI art technology has produced only nine paintings and consumed the time needed to actually create and sell work for survival.
"Betty Lou à la Delores", July 2024, acrylic on panel, 24"x36", $1600. My fourth painting of her. Trained SDXL LoRA of at least 5 different women combined. Composed in Photoshop. Painted in 32 hours. Prints available at gunnarquist.com
January 1, 2026 at 6:31 PM
"Betty Lou à la Delores", July 2024, acrylic on panel, 24"x36", $1600. My fourth painting of her. Trained SDXL LoRA of at least 5 different women combined. Composed in Photoshop. Painted in 32 hours. Prints available at gunnarquist.com
"Betty Lou Tubin'", July 2024, acrylic on panel, 24"x36", $1600. My fourth painting of her. Trained SDXL LoRA of at least 5 different women combined. Composed in Photoshop. Painted in 27 hours. Prints available at gunnarquist.com
January 1, 2026 at 6:28 PM
"Betty Lou Tubin'", July 2024, acrylic on panel, 24"x36", $1600. My fourth painting of her. Trained SDXL LoRA of at least 5 different women combined. Composed in Photoshop. Painted in 27 hours. Prints available at gunnarquist.com
"Betty Lou Flash", July 2024, acrylic on panel, 24"x36", $1600. My fourth painting of her. Trained SDXL LoRA of at least 5 different women combined. Composed in Photoshop. Painted in 32 hours. Prints available at gunnarquist.com
January 1, 2026 at 6:23 PM
"Betty Lou Flash", July 2024, acrylic on panel, 24"x36", $1600. My fourth painting of her. Trained SDXL LoRA of at least 5 different women combined. Composed in Photoshop. Painted in 32 hours. Prints available at gunnarquist.com
"Betty Lou's Midnight Skinny Dip", July 2024, acrylic on panel, 24"x36", $1600. My third painting of her. Trained SDXL LoRA of at least 5 different women combined. Composed in Photoshop. Painted in 32 hours. Prints available at gunnarquist.com
January 1, 2026 at 6:16 PM
"Betty Lou's Midnight Skinny Dip", July 2024, acrylic on panel, 24"x36", $1600. My third painting of her. Trained SDXL LoRA of at least 5 different women combined. Composed in Photoshop. Painted in 32 hours. Prints available at gunnarquist.com
"Betty Lou Kudzu", June 2024, acrylic on panel, 24"x36", $1600. My second painting of her. Trained SDXL LoRA of at least 5 different women combined. Composed in Photoshop. Painted in 30 hours. Prints available at gunnarquist.com
January 1, 2026 at 6:12 PM
"Betty Lou Kudzu", June 2024, acrylic on panel, 24"x36", $1600. My second painting of her. Trained SDXL LoRA of at least 5 different women combined. Composed in Photoshop. Painted in 30 hours. Prints available at gunnarquist.com
"Betty Lou's Rope Swing", June 2024, acrylic on panel, 24"x36", $1600. My second gen AI painting, the first to feature Betty Lou: a trained SDXL LoRA of at least 5 different women combined. Composed in Photoshop. Painted in 42 hours. Prints available at gunnarquist.com
January 1, 2026 at 6:12 PM
"Betty Lou's Rope Swing", June 2024, acrylic on panel, 24"x36", $1600. My second gen AI painting, the first to feature Betty Lou: a trained SDXL LoRA of at least 5 different women combined. Composed in Photoshop. Painted in 42 hours. Prints available at gunnarquist.com
"Hecate's Muse", October 2023, acrylic on panel, 30"x45", $2500. First painting I created using gen AI: trained SDXL LoRA of several woman combined. Composed in Photoshop. Painted in 32 hours. Prints available at gunnarquist.com
January 1, 2026 at 4:20 PM
"Hecate's Muse", October 2023, acrylic on panel, 30"x45", $2500. First painting I created using gen AI: trained SDXL LoRA of several woman combined. Composed in Photoshop. Painted in 32 hours. Prints available at gunnarquist.com
The year 2026 is now upon us and my latest Substack article is out. The first part is free. The rest of it is available to paid subscribers.
January 1, 2026 at 12:00 AM
The year 2026 is now upon us and my latest Substack article is out. The first part is free. The rest of it is available to paid subscribers.
Écoutez l'émission des Octave Docteurs de la Compagnie d'Opéra Invisible du Tibet de la planète Gong:
"I see you sittin' there on your old back veranda
You got your shady lady and waltzing Matilda
I only wanna know if you really remember
You're really only me in the morning banana"
"I see you sittin' there on your old back veranda
You got your shady lady and waltzing Matilda
I only wanna know if you really remember
You're really only me in the morning banana"
December 15, 2025 at 11:31 PM
Écoutez l'émission des Octave Docteurs de la Compagnie d'Opéra Invisible du Tibet de la planète Gong:
"I see you sittin' there on your old back veranda
You got your shady lady and waltzing Matilda
I only wanna know if you really remember
You're really only me in the morning banana"
"I see you sittin' there on your old back veranda
You got your shady lady and waltzing Matilda
I only wanna know if you really remember
You're really only me in the morning banana"
"The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (v3)". Generated using a publicly available model trained in the USA. Oh, wait a minute... no American organization has ever publicly released an image generation model. Instead, Americans have been renting access because capitalism, shareholders, AI bubble, etc.
November 28, 2025 at 9:05 PM
"The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (v3)". Generated using a publicly available model trained in the USA. Oh, wait a minute... no American organization has ever publicly released an image generation model. Instead, Americans have been renting access because capitalism, shareholders, AI bubble, etc.
"The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (v2)". Generated using Z-Image, a model that was released the day after Flux 2. It's low-powered, generates very quickly, and the style is nice. But its prompt comprehension is limited. This Chinese model doesn't know what a satyr or pan flute is. Flux 2 is German.
November 27, 2025 at 7:38 PM
"The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (v2)". Generated using Z-Image, a model that was released the day after Flux 2. It's low-powered, generates very quickly, and the style is nice. But its prompt comprehension is limited. This Chinese model doesn't know what a satyr or pan flute is. Flux 2 is German.
"The Piper at the Gates of Dawn", generated using Flux 2 which was released today. Although not a great composition, there are no errors and I did not need to edit it all. It follows prompts EXTREMELY well. This half-power watered down version of the model pushed my rig to the limit.
November 25, 2025 at 10:31 PM
"The Piper at the Gates of Dawn", generated using Flux 2 which was released today. Although not a great composition, there are no errors and I did not need to edit it all. It follows prompts EXTREMELY well. This half-power watered down version of the model pushed my rig to the limit.
One day I feel I’m on top of the world
And the next it’s falling in on me
I can get back on
I can get back on
One day I feel I’m ahead of the wheel
And the next it’s rolling over me
I can get back on
I can get back on
And the next it’s falling in on me
I can get back on
I can get back on
One day I feel I’m ahead of the wheel
And the next it’s rolling over me
I can get back on
I can get back on
November 21, 2025 at 11:04 PM
One day I feel I’m on top of the world
And the next it’s falling in on me
I can get back on
I can get back on
One day I feel I’m ahead of the wheel
And the next it’s rolling over me
I can get back on
I can get back on
And the next it’s falling in on me
I can get back on
I can get back on
One day I feel I’m ahead of the wheel
And the next it’s rolling over me
I can get back on
I can get back on
"Paddle Witchin'", 2025. Lucinda Faye Foxfire, Betty Lou Kudzu, Ruby Lee Possum, and Queenie float the French Broad River on Halloween night. Happy Halloween!
October 31, 2025 at 8:28 PM
"Paddle Witchin'", 2025. Lucinda Faye Foxfire, Betty Lou Kudzu, Ruby Lee Possum, and Queenie float the French Broad River on Halloween night. Happy Halloween!
Ruby Lee Possum shreddin' at the park on a warm autumn day in #Tennessee! Another art style mix experiment. Perhaps with refinement, it could be suitable for poster print.
October 7, 2025 at 10:25 AM
Ruby Lee Possum shreddin' at the park on a warm autumn day in #Tennessee! Another art style mix experiment. Perhaps with refinement, it could be suitable for poster print.