I was inspired by the drawing “Adoration of the Magi” by Federico Barocci. This drawing was most likely intended as a preparatory study for a painting that has not survived (meaning it was either never completed, or the original has been lost or remains unidentified). What strikes in it and what gives it value is the visibility of the artist’s creative process: the search for composition, corrections, and the tension between a finished form and an idea still taking shape. This piece is a kind of a record of the artist’s thinking and searching.

In the context of digital art and AI tools, there is a frequent conversation about a “lack of process”, without trials or mistakes (especially when speaking about AI), which is far from the truth. Therefore, in my interpretation I used AI-generated elements (Gemini), Photoshop, and digital painting as contemporary tools of sketching. The resulting variations, layering of forms, textures, and modifications function as the modern equivalent of preparatory studies.

I expanded the composition on one side, bringing the image toward the form I imagine as a possible “completion” of the work: surrounding space appears, yet only glitched in outlines, still subordinated to the idea of the sketch. Some figures are partially filled with colours and preliminary finished faces, some yet remain only with textures. On the opposite side I intentionally left the work showing layers; traces of decisions and creative process remain visible, to show that thanks to contemporary tools we now have almost unlimited possibilities to materialize imagination. Digital and AI tools are not the enemy of the artist nor a threat to the process, they are collaborators. At the centre of every artwork remains the Creator, his choice, concept, and path toward form. The tools change, but the act of creation remains.

neuralartistry.art | 6400 x 3600 | JPG | 25.5 MB | created 2026