King of the Beasts

Placement: 13th in DC #331, Blown Glass Animals

Meaning: I always felt that SDXL 0.9 was very underrated in terms of what it could produce, so much so that I didn't end up switching fully to SDXL 1.0 until 3 months after its release. When DC #331 rolled around, I used the general prompt structure from my "MTG Alpha 0.9" series and decided to try for a fully blown-glass setting. The above result blew past all my expectations. This is one of my favorite DC submissions, not only due to its composition and crispness of detail — which remain true two years on — but as a testament to the continued value of older models. Remember, old ≠ bad.

Prompt: A Blown_Painted_Glass elaborate gorgeous Sculpture of amber Roaring Lion enraged atop <blownglass savannah diorama>, realistic musculature & Expression, by National Geographic, Dale Chihuly. Remarkable glasswork detailing, Masterful Composition, Trending on ArtStation, 4k, HDR, ZBrushCentral, CGSociety, r/Art, ZBrushCentral, MoMA