The_lostastronaut's interview

I have long admired The_lostastronaut (or @dlostastronaut on X) and the profound beauty he captures within darkness. His art consistently delves into realms of fantasy and science fiction, both of which resonate deeply with me, and it is in the seamless fusion of these genres that his unique artistic signature truly shines. One project of his that particularly captivates me is his reinterpretation of classic movies from the ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s through stunning artwork (and where I am eagerly anticipating the opportunity to participate in this venture myself). I am honored and grateful to have him join us for this interview.

Let’s discover The_lostastronaut together.

Lost cosmonaut

Without getting too personal, can you tell us a bit about yourself?:

My pseudonym on social media is The_lostastronaut. I grew up in the late 1970s, and from a young age, thanks to my mother, I got involved in art. I started with ceramics, oil and watercolor paintings, and music. As the years went by, I continued with my artistic pursuits, and when computers and technology came into my hands, I began studying graphic design, using early versions of Photoshop, Freehand, and Macromedia Director. I'm a restless person with a passion for art in all its forms of expression.

Could you please tell us which country you live in?:

I live in Spain, in a city of approximately 1 million inhabitants, where I've been since birth, although I've traveled and lived in other cities like Madrid and Barcelona.

What led you to begin working with AI imagery?:

A few years ago, as I've always been an inquisitive person in both the artistic and technological fields, I began hearing about Stable Diffusion before it even emerged. That caught my attention and piqued my curiosity. As soon as the first version was released, I started tinkering and playing with it to see what possibilities this type of generative image technology offered.

What AI tools do you use?:

I've worked with the early versions of Stable Diffusion for a long time. I even trained a model in the early days with my physical features; it was a lot of fun and worked quite well. I've been exploring applications as they've been emerging, and currently, I mainly work with Midjourney, Magnific, and Runway Gen 2. In this regard, I think it's fair to mention that absolutely all of my AI-generated work is later treated with Photoshop or After Effects. It's my usual workflow.

What inspires you?:

My inspiration comes from many areas. I've always been passionate about cinema, reading, video games, music, photography, and classical art. I absorb from all of them; even nature itself is a source of inspiration for me, as well as certain philosophical concepts that I enjoy reflecting on.

Sands Guardian

(One of @revelinai’s favorite images by The_lostastronaut)

In which other medium, if any, do you practice art?:

I've always practiced various artistic expressions. I've done ceramics, traditional oil and watercolor painting, and, above all, music. I started at a very young age, and to this day, I haven't been able to stop incorporating and experimenting with everything related to creativity in various fields. I wouldn't know how to live without it!

Would you consider AI-generated art true art?:

Of course, I consider any project related to the generation of visual and audiovisual content using technologies like AI to be art. For me, art is any visual, written, or auditory work that touches something special within me, something that stirs up sensations or feelings. I've felt that with traditional artists and with art generated using this new type of technology. If it moves me inside... it has something special.

Please share one or a few of your favorite images with us.:

I’ll share two, plus two series.

Nork'Thul

Unwanted_Guests

Dhertox Encounter

The Lair of Aranea

The_lostastronaut’s favorite images

Do you title your AI-generated art? If you do, what inspires you to come up with these titles?:

I always give a title to every creative process I engage in, whether it's a traditional painting, a song I compose, or a piece I develop using AI. The titles usually stem from the basic premise of the idea I want to convey. Sometimes they're deeper, other times more common, but I always title my works.

When do you tend to be the most productive, and do you work in long sessions or short bursts?:

My creative moment varies, and it has changed over the years. Initially, I felt very comfortable working on my creations during nighttime hours, but now it's the opposite. I feel more creative in the early hours of the day, waking up very early.

I never do short work sessions. When I start developing any idea or project, I do it for several consecutive hours. I like to concentrate and take my time to carefully and thoughtfully work on projects.

Nahaira_Meditation in the Desert

What type of prompts do you prefer: text or AI-generated descriptions through fed images?:

Without a doubt, I prefer working with texts. In fact, I've never used any other methodology when developing ideas using AI. I usually have a clear idea in mind of the concept and image I want to generate.

When prompting with text, do you write simple text-based prompts or complex ones?:

In this aspect of prompting, I must say that I tend to be extremely detail-oriented, and I generate excessively complex texts. I usually have a very clear idea of what I want to do, so I detail it as much as I can. Then, based on the AI's comprehension capacity and my way of communicating with it, I deconstruct those texts if I see that the results are not as expected, or if I notice that the AI gets lost in so much detail.

Do you think text-based prompts should be shared within the AI art community?:

Well, when it comes to sharing Prompts, it's a very personal decision for each individual, and I respect whatever choice people make. I'm not someone who typically shares prompts frequently, but I do so if I see that the resulting output could somehow contribute to other creators. Especially in technical aspects like image angles, types of cameras, artistic styles, lighting, etc.

What is the most unconventional method you have used to create an image?:

I tend to follow very consistent patterns in image generation, as I mentioned before; I don't do excessive testing. However, from time to time, I like to give the AI complete freedom and just give it a concept of one or two words to see what random results it generates. Sometimes, you can get very interesting and inspiring things.

How many images you have generated using AI technology?:

Hahaha, I couldn't even give you an approximate number of how many images I've created, I guess hundreds or thousands. It's been several years of tinkering and learning, so a lot of content gets generated.

Dark Sun

Please share your X (Twitter) handle with us.:

@dlostastronaut

Tell us a bit about your X handle and X username.:

Oh, my username on social media comes from one of my passions, science fiction and the cosmos. I've always found the idea of drifting through the cosmos both fascinating and terrifying. To see things never seen by anyone and to feel lost at the same time...

How many X followers do you currently have?:

Now I have about 450 followers on X, last week there were 480, next week will be a mystery... I take it as something curious, nothing more. It's not something I pay excessive attention to, to be honest. I started uploading my work as a personal portfolio with the sole intention of collecting my design works, music composition, or other works.

How many X accounts do you currently follow?:

At first, I followed a lot of accounts, but some time ago, I decided to trim down and focus only on artists of any kind who really catch my attention due to their high quality or original ideas. Besides, every day I like to spend some time looking at the work of other colleagues, and it's a nightmare to navigate among so many users. Nevertheless, I try to carve out an hour each day just to view the work of other people in the community and in other artistic fields that truly interest me.

How long have you been on X (Twitter)?:

I've had a X account since early 2021, which is when I decided to start compiling my work and have a place where I could review it.

Outpost Hangar Chrono N/9 2

Is there any other online platform where we can view all of your previous work apart from X?:

Right now, I try to publish all my creations on X, and if possible, I link them to other social media platforms like Spotify for my music composition works or on YouTube for audiovisual projects.

In this world of cryptocurrencies and non-fungible tokens (NFTs), are you currently selling your digital art on any platform? If so, which platform are you using?:

Got it, I'm not interested in NFTs at all, so I haven't used any similar platforms or those types. You caught me totally off guard!

Are you selling tangible AI-generated artwork, such as high-quality prints like Giclée prints?:

I don't usually sell my creative work. I only do it if it's for a project demanded by a client, such as corporate image design, a song for an advertisement, or post-production work for a short film or advertisement. When it comes to my personal projects, I've never put them up for sale, nor do I intend to. My financial support comes from other sources. My creative projects are purely for pleasure, and I don't seek anything in return; inner satisfaction is enough for me.

Could you suggest some AI artists you like that we could follow?:

I could mention many artists in the field of generative image through AI that I love and consider to do really great, creative, and original work. However, I would leave out many others because the community is full of incredible talent, so I prefer not to be rude and not name anyone. In any case, if anyone is curious, they can simply go to my profile and see who I follow. Everyone on my list has something special in my view.

Is there anything else you would like to add or share with the AI community?:

I would like to highlight, despite reiterating what was said before, that the community in general is fantastic. You all are a constant source of inspiration, there's a lot of talent and people doing truly interesting things. I hope to contribute a bit of the same that I absorb from all of you every day. I learn something new from everyone constantly, and that's phenomenal.

Thank you to all who are part of it. And of course, many thanks to you, Revelinai, for remembering me and considering me for these small interviews that help us all get to know each other a little better! I feel very grateful that you have thought of me for this project you have in hand, so interesting and stimulating.