Usman Riaz's hand-drawn tribute to Ghibli
Amidst the recent flood of AI-generated Studio Ghibli-inspired images, Usman Riaz, the visionary behind Pakistan's first hand-drawn animated film The Glassworker, posted a stunning Howl's Moving Castle fan poster across all his social media platforms on Tuesday. His caption pushed back against the rising trend of AI-generated art, stating: "Amidst the recent wave of Ghibli AI content, here's something I made the old-fashioned way - with years of study, love, and a deep understanding of the Ghibli style."
He revealed that this particular piece was part of a 2021 series created while working on The Glassworker, purely for the joy of it, ensuring that every detail felt as authentic as possible. In doing so, Riaz not only showcased his deep appreciation for Ghibli's artistry but also emphasised the irreplaceable value of human creativity and craftsmanship.
Recently, AI-generated art inspired by Studio Ghibli has taken over social media, with users prompting AI tools, especially ChatGPT, to create landscapes, characters, and dreamlike scenes in the signature hand-drawn aesthetic of Hayao Miyazaki's legendary animation house. This surge in AI-generated Ghibli-style art was made possible with the launch of a new image filter in ChatGPT, designed to refine outputs in specific artistic styles. The trend has sparked debates about the ethics of AI art, especially when it mimics the distinct style of studios that have spent decades refining their craft.
While some fans are fascinated by the ability of AI to emulate Ghibli's soft, painterly look, others argue that these images lack the heart, emotion, and storytelling depth that come from real artists. Many have pointed out that Studio Ghibli itself has always championed traditional animation, with Miyazaki famously dismissing AI as a "disrespect" to human effort. The trend, therefore, stands in direct contrast to the philosophy that Ghibli embodies - one of meticulous hand-drawn artistry.
Riaz, a Pakistani animator, musician, and director, pioneered work in hand-drawn animation in the country. As the founder of Mano Animation Studios, Riaz spent years bringing The Glassworker to life - a passion project inspired by the storytelling and animation techniques of Studio Ghibli. Upon its release last year, the film was dubbed by BBC as "Pakistan's first Ghibli-style animation".
In the same interview, the animator recalled, "Since I was a child, I have loved hand-drawn animation and there's something so magical about it. The beauty of the lines drawn and painted by the human hand [have] always resonated with me."
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