SUSAN TIPPETT BRAITHWAITE

A hush falls over your underground state-of-the-art lab. Rows of cutting-edge technology surround you, each piece humming with untapped potential. The select few military officials and operatives granted access to today’s unveiling huddle closer, trying to get a better view of your latest creation. Resting on its pristine white pedestal, your high-tech gadget waits for you.

Anticipation crackles in the air as you step into the centre of the room. It’s time. You’ve run countless simulations and prepared for every possible scenario. But now, the moment of truth has arrived. Panic claws at your throat as your finger hovers above the power button on the control display screen. You take a deep breath, ready to unleash its capabilities for the very first time.

The device whirs to life. A bright light fills the room, and a message beams into the mind of each person present: “Welcome to this week’s Spies, Lies & Digital Skies art challenge.“

What is SLDS?: SLDS is a weekly prompt challenge that encourages artists of all levels, including non-artists, to create an image with a spy and romance theme. You can use various tools such as Photoshop, ArtRage, Procreate, DALL-E, MidJourney, Microsoft Edge’s CoPilot, or any other software that you prefer to create your artwork.

Last Week’s Highlights:
A Stolen Kiss in a Moment of Danger

Before we jump into this week’s high-tech challenge, let’s celebrate the incredible entries from last week’s “A Stolen Kiss in a Moment of Danger.” Your amazing artwork beautifully captures the intensity and passion of a forbidden moment. 

Check out some of my favourites!:

Curious Embraces with Marie

Check out Marie’s post for more eyebrow-raising embraces!

Wartime Kisses with Kevin

Check out Kevin’s post for more beautiful wartime kisses.

Dangerous Kisses with Jez

Check out Jez’s post for more dangerous kisses.

This Week’s Challenge:
A High-Tech Gadget’s First Use

What spy story doesn’t have some kind of high-tech gadget? Cutting-edge designs, advanced features, and seemingly benign packaging. By the time they show up in a story, they’ve been through rounds of rigorous testing and tweaks to perfect them.

But their first use? Woo! There are only two ways that can go, success or failure—ranging from meh to spectacular. Oh, the possibilities!

Create With Me: A Gadget’s First Use

Okay, I wish I could say that my mind went straight to spectacular success… but nope. Spectacular, catastrophic failure was my first and only thought when I saw today’s prompt.

The high-tech gadget isn’t clear in my head, but the reactions of those in the room as it goes wrong are vividly clear in my head. Think comedic levels of mayhem!

Let’s Destroy a Very Expensive High-Tech Gadget!

The image in my head is set in an outdoor testing facility filled with spooks… and lots of running and hiding from the malfunctioning high-tech gadget. Oh, and humour. This kind of calamity has to be funny.

PROMPT: Let’s create a wide-format image! The setting is a secret outdoor testing ground for new spy equipment–think large concrete blocks for hiding behind, viewing platforms, etc. Today is the first use of a new gadget. The gadget is supposed to use new technology (much like LiDar) to locate targets through walls, etc., and to then eliminate targets… but in today’s test, it goes catastrophically wrong! The gadget targets the people in the viewing platform, sending them ducking and running for cover. Let’s add a wee touch of comedy to the image.

I probably shouldn’t have mentioned LiDAR ? Wow, can you imagine if it was that huge? I love the level of chaos, but I think I should bring the size of the high-tech gadget down a wee bittie.

PROMPT: Okay, let’s change the size of the gadget to what looks like a swarm of mini-drones. There should be beams of red coming from them.

? Ooft, that’s way too… so many way too muches there.

PROMPT: Okay, let’s make it a wee bittie mair sedate… fewer viewers, and they’re in stands (bleachers? I think they’re called). The drones are tiny; some target the viewers, and one creates a massive explosion over the tester’s head.

It’s okay, but where’s the funny? I want an image that makes me laugh and this isn’t it.

Finding the Funny in High-Tech Gadget Calamities

I think I put too much information into the original prompt, so let’s pare it back and see what we get.

PROMPT: Please create a wide-aspect ratio image of a tiny spy gadget on its first test in the agency’s outdoor testing facility. The test is a catastrophic failure. The tester ducks for cover–inject a wee bit of humour in his facial expression.

I love that the guy totally misses the massive fireball behind him… other than that, it’s not working for me. Also, what’s with the wee fire gadgie?

PROMPT: Let’s make this test be for a mini-drone, but it’s now targeting its creators!

Mmhmm… but I need more.

Testing the High-Tech Gadget in the Field

Let’s get out of the testing arena and out into the field. Am I being evil? Pah. Comedy is drama plus timing.

PROMPT: Please create a humourous yet photorealistic wide-aspect ratio image of a miniature drone with massive firepower on its first test in the field. The test is a catastrophic failure, causing the operative to duck for cover.

??? This one wins it for me. It makes me laugh each time I look at it, which was exactly what I was aiming for.

Over to You

Now, it’s your turn to bring innovation to life. Show us your vision of a high-tech gadget’s first use, and let your creativity soar into the future. (See the beginning of the post for “How to join in”).

Hit the follow button and join us next week to see where our creative journey takes us.

Till next time, stay awesome,

Susan x