Microblog: Creating visuals for Starborn Alive
Working with storytelling and marketing of Starborn Alive is a circular process: first the long translation of inner images into words, then back into visuals that carry the same emotion.
The image work begins with AI prompts—often dozens of iterations until character, light, and texture align with my vision. Then the edit pass starts. A posture may work but an expression doesn’t; a background detail is off. That’s where Photoshop takes over: cutting, compositing, upscaling (Super Zoom), and AI-assisted inpainting/outpainting (Generative Fill) to refine or extend what the initial generations didn’t solve. Hands, especially, can take hours—sometimes days—to get right.
Finally comes color grading and layered atmosphere. It’s not quick work, but this is where the book’s world takes on another dimension.
For me, these visuals aren’t marketing decoration—they’re part of the storytelling. They clarify my own vision and give readers a glimpse of what’s at stake: the artifact, the sisters, and a galaxy on the brink.