Tokers’s interview — Revel in AI

We all know I love Dragons! So when it came time to pick an artist for this interview series who shares that same fiery obsession, the choice was obvious—Tokers, the undisputed Dragon Guy on X. If you’ve ever crossed paths with his epic creatures, you’ll know exactly why. From towering, snarling beasts locked in battle to regal, serpentine forms coiled in golden light, Tokers has turned dragon-making into an art form all his own. He even runs a whole X community devoted to it: Big Dragons (and he’s now also part of @MO_IAI and my very own Dragon Day Wednesday community—yay)!

But Tokers’ world stretches far beyond fire-breathing giants. Rooted in a lifelong love of fantasy and horror films, old-school literature, and weird little monsters, his work spans everything from sci-fi landscapes to whimsical surrealism, with the occasional alien, frog, or elegant warrior thrown into the mix. There’s always a sense of story, of personality—whether it’s a red-cloaked knight facing down a beast, or a sorrowful jester staring through you with eyes full of tragedy and style. His inspirations range from raw emotion—happiness, anger, curiosity—to the joy of character design itself, always bringing a touch of the cinematic or theatrical into his compositions.

Stylistically, Tokers moves effortlessly between dynamic painterly realism and stylized abstraction. His fantasy works have weight and texture: windswept hair, weathered armor, the glint of blade or fang in dramatic lighting. But then he’ll surprise you with something playful, offbeat, or delightfully strange—a figure in ornate dress with a bird on the shoulder, or a surreal headpiece shaped like a gothic village. His use of red, black, and white is often striking, creating scenes that feel as much like performance art as digital illustration. There’s grandeur, but there’s also mischief.

With dragons, monsters, space priests, gothic dames, and dreamlike curiosities populating his ever-growing gallery, Tokers invites us into a world that’s wild, wondrous, and wildly imaginative. I’ve admired his art for a long time, and I’m thrilled and honored he accepted this interview so we could finally get to talk about our shared love for the fantastical.

Let’s discover Tokers together.

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

Well, I'm 57 years old probably a bit older than most in the AI art world. My wife and I have been happily married for over 30 years now. I have a dog Named Sally, who we rescued from the streets of Tijuana, Mexico about 5 years ago.

Could you please tell us which country you live in?

I live in the United States, on the West Coast of Southern California.

What led you to begin working with AI imagery?

A few years ago, I had a completely different account on X. I came across @HoHoHo420Santa and @notfortoast and saw all the awesome stuff they were doing with their AI art. It really inspired me. It wasn't long after that that I started to look into it and test the waters. I got so into it that I ultimately completely deleted my old account and created the one I have now, completely 100% dedicated to my AI art.

What AI tools do you use?

I dabbled with Leonardo and a few others in the beginning but always came back to Midjourney. I use Midjourney exclusively now. It works the best for me and provides a lot of flexibility in my opinion.

What inspires you?

Inspiration comes from all sorts of different places for me. I love to scroll and see all the awesome AI artwork from other creators on X, it's very inspiring for me. I also grew up loving horror and fantasy films and literature. I have a keen interest in frogs, aliens and dragons that I draw from and I love abstract art styles.

Sometimes inspiration will come to me from emotions such as happiness or anger. I wonder sometimes if people can see that in the images I create. Some are purely emotionally inspired.

RAWR!

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

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

When I was 8 years old I started taking art lessons, specifically oil on canvas painting. I stuck with it for many years and as I got into junior high and ultimately high school I was drawn more to charcoal and and pencil drawings. I would draw a lot of character art and demons mostly. As years went by I spent less and less time on art. I think that is why AI hit me so hard and grabbed me in. It re-lit that fire inside me.

Would you consider AI-generated art true art?

I absolutely consider AI art true art. I understand there are those that disagree, however I would argue that true art is made within. How it is manifested and expressed can be many ways. AI is now, just another medium to express art of many different kinds.

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

Hard to pick favorites, but here are a few:

Big Dragon!

Red Moon Dragon

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Bedtime. Good night.

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Hello X!

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

I rarely title. However from time to time when I look an an image before posting it speaks to me a name. In those cases I will title the image.

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

I am most productive at night when I am relaxing. I may start prompting in some cases for an hour or so. Other times, especially on the weekends if I have the free time, I have been known to work on prompts all night.

QT Black Dress

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

I am pure text prompt artist. I have used fed images a few times only. Nothing really came out right when I did.

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

Most of my prompts are fairly simple. While I do like to add a lot of various adjectives and description details to what I prompt, I have learned not to overdo it. I try to keep the major descriptors of the subject and settings precisely stated and not make them overly descriptive. I seem to get better results that way. Prompting is an ever-evolving process, so I am always trying new ideas, descriptor combos, and styles.

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

I have shared tips and tricks with a lot of other artist. I am always happy to support my fellow AI artists with re-posts when I see work that strikes me. But I don't offer up my prompts; I don't share share, or post them publicly.

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

I pretty much just straight-up prompt. Other than the rare exception, I don't use -sref codes. I've used --weird and --chaos, but my experience with most of the codes is that while they give, they also take away. I do use --style raw on almost everything though, lol

How many images have you generated using AI technology?

I have almost 24,000 posted on X, and (I am guessing here) but I would think I should be approaching 100,000 images total in my library at this point.

Please share your X (Twitter) handle with us.

@AI_Newb420

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

I was a complete AI newb when I created the account so that's where the AI_Newb part comes from. The 420 and Tokers are cannabis-related monikers.

How many X followers do you currently have?

At this moment, I have 9816 wonderful followers.

How many X accounts do you currently follow?

I follow 642 accounts.

How long have you been on X (Twitter)?

This account was created in August 2023. I had another account for a few years before this one that has been put to sleep.

QT with your Red and White art

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

For now, X is the only platform I post on. I have an Instagram account for family use, and I will sometimes post images there for family.

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?

I am not selling any of my artwork at this time.

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

I am not doing any kind of selling.

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

Holy cow, there are a ton of great AI artists on X to follow. I have so many favorites, below is just a very few of my favorites. There are many more I feel I should put here but I did want to get carried away or I'd be typing names all night.

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

Be true to yourself. Do what you like for you. Don't get caught up worrying about what people think about your are work. Make yourself happy and everything will work out from there.

Thank you to everyone in the X AI Art community for your inspiration and all the awesome artwork.