From paper to digital
training AI models on Hokusai's manga
AI Hokusai and exactly.ai* are excited to announce the AI Hokusai challenge. The contest aims to merge the rich artistic heritage of Katsushika Hokusai with cutting-edge artificial intelligence technologies, creating a platform for artists and AI enthusiasts to explore and expand the boundaries of digital creativity.
Train neural networks on material from the manga series by Katsushika Hokusai. The goal is to develop AI models capable of generating high-quality images in Hokusai’s style across various genres and themes.
Participate in challenge
Participants are invited to leverage AI technology to create digital illustrations that capture the essence of Hokusai’s manga series. By analyzing and processing a selection of images from Hokusai’s manuals, the challenge is to train AI models that can generate new images that are stylistically consistent with Hokusai’s original works.
Why Hokusai?
Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) was a world-renowned Japanese artist and educator who sought to bridge Eastern and Western traditions. He created instructional manuals called manga that went on to inspire contemporary art education through a systematic methodology and approach that algorithmically breaks down complex artistic processes into accessible steps and elements. Hokusai’s impact extends beyond traditional Japanese art. His innovative use of perspective and composition influenced Impressionists such as Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh. Without Hokusai, disciplines such as modern woodcutting, graphic design, comics, manga, anime and even tattooing would not be the same. We are confident that training neural networks on the legacy of this great Japanese master can create a new, inspirational tool for contemporary artists.
We are confident that training neural networks on the legacy of this great Japanese master can create a new, inspirational tool for contemporary artists.
Prizes
🥇 The winners will receive cash prizes: 3rd place - £500, 2nd place - £1000, 1st place - £1500.
The winning models will become part of the @AIHokusai project:
✨ to be used during its online residency and research;
✨ showcased in a virtual exhibition (January 2025);
✨ included in the AI Hokusai ArtTech Report - a research paper exploring the intersection of AI and traditional art forms.
Expected outcome
AI-generated images should be virtually indistinguishable from Hokusai’s original works in terms of style, composition, and artistic quality.
Evaluation criteria
Faithfulness to Hokusai’s style. The AI-generated images must closely reflect the distinct characteristics of Hokusai's original works. This includes maintaining the unique style, composition, and artistic quality that are representative of his artistry. Participants should strive for a high degree of faithfulness to the nuances in brushwork, use of color, balance of elements, and the overall aesthetic Hokusai is renowned for. The generated artworks should evoke the same visual and emotional impact as Hokusai's originals, ensuring the output feels like an authentic extension of his artistic legacy.
*exactly.ai is an ethical AI platform that helps professional illustrators and commercial artists free up more time for their creative practice, promote their work, and protect their intellectual property
Low-quality generative imagery, produced by AIs trained with stolen, copyright-infringing imagery, is threatening to take over. exactly.ai believe that to fight back, illustrators and artists must harness the potential of AI – not ignore it. exactly.ai is an ethical AI platform and tool for illustrators and artists that helps them train AI models on their own terms.
Instead of threatening creativity, exactly.ai ignites it.
With exactly.ai, illustrators can explore, expand, and perfect their creative practice, remove time-consuming and repetitive tasks, and develop new income streams.
