Culture & Lifestyle
Everyday AI: Neeti Shrestha
Shrestha is an illustrator, author and graphic designer based in Kathmandu.Post Report
With a background in the animation industry, she is a BFA graduate in graphic design from Kathmandu University. She has illustrated children’s books, such as ‘Exemplary Sita’, in collaboration with the British Council Nepal.
She was also involved in the graphic design for the WOW Madhesh festival, organised by the British Council to promote gender equality in the Madhesh region.
AI as a timesaver
I believe AI can be a great tool. I use it to help with tedious tasks that take too much time. The tedious work takes time out of my creative process.
For instance, when I know what I want to write but do not want to spend much time refining it, I write a draft and use AI to refine it. I keep refining my text until I am sure it conveys what I want in the correct tone and accurately.
Using AI to break down art challenges
‘I for illustrators’ is a networking space for visual storytellers, mainly illustrators, through discussions and collaborative events. Recently, an 8/8 Hourly/Spread Challenge was hosted by ‘I for illustrators’. I used Gemini to help me prepare the forms for this event. In addition, I used AI to generate text describing this event.
Translator
My clients’ work demands a thorough understanding of Nepali. On some occasions, I am unaware of the context of Nepali words and phrases, so I convey that through my illustrations. To ensure the original purpose of my art remains in its truest form, I use AI to research and translate.
This way, I can be precise about what needs to be conveyed in my illustrations instead of taking a shot in the dark. Through this method, I can also learn new vocabulary that I am not familiar with.
AI as a boon and a bane
AI cannot be termed ‘bad’. As an illustrator and graphic designer, I use AI to support my workflow. On the other hand, I feel that relying solely on it will limit your thinking abilities in the long run, especially for professionals like artists whose work depends on their thoughts and feelings. Using AI to create a theme for an artwork would risk overpowering the individuality or human aspect of art.




13.12°C Kathmandu














