Overview

This is a collaboration with insertusername to capture the artistic style of the Pacific Northwest. First Nations of Canada have a tradition spanning hundreds of years for carving totem poles and masks, and creating intricate formline designs on chests, boxes, or houses.

Which version to use

• The SDXL type is the most versatile. It can do prints, totem poles, carvings, glass, Potlatch ceremonies, etc. The trick is to match it with a responsive checkpoint.

• The first FLUX version tends to be quite tame. It may give you some Pacific Northwest art vibes at times, but it doesn't go all in. If you ask for a print of a salmon in Haida style, you'll get your salmon but the style may be moderately visible.

• The wild FLUX version goes all in. If you ask for a print of a salmon in Haida style, it'll definitively be in Haida styles (shapes and colors) but it may be hard to discern a salmon. The wild version leans towards intricate abstractions.

How to use

You can trigger a style by stating the era (traditional/contemporary/pop) and the nation of interest (Haida/Salish/Tlingit/Nuu-chah-nulth) -- see the sample images.

Examples of style-oriented prompts:

• contemporary Salish lithography print of wolf and bear

• postcard of Paris in the style of a contemporary Haida print

• colorful pop print of Stormtrooper at a barbecue with Darth Vader, helmets painted in Haida style, capes and armors covered in vibrant Salish salmon prints

Alternatively, you can trigger specific elements, including: totem pole, blown-glass sculptures, box, lithography/print/silkscreen, woven basket, painted cedar masks.

Examples of content-oriented prompts:

• photo of a forest, each tree trunk is a totem pole of different animals stacked

• daylight, sculptures of playful orca jumping out of the water, large Haida sun

• Hillary Clinton amused with face painted in pop Tlingit style, wearing traditional Salish clothes, carrying a Tlingit painted woven basket

Tips

The artistic style tends to produce symmetric objects, particularly on prints. If you do not want symmetry, include the word "symmetry" as a negative. It can work on prints (because there exist non-symmetric prints), but it may not work on wood panels (as all those in the training data are symmetric).

Suggested base models

The LORA was successfully tested on FluentlyXL and on Boltning. You can use either as a base model if you're not sure where to start.

Disclaimer

This LORA seeks to promote the appreciation of an artistic style, which is the product of a long cultural heritage. If you wish to know more, you can check out the Wikipedia pages for some of the nations whose work is represented (Haida, Coast Salish, Tlingit, Nuu-chah-nulth). If you wish to support them, you can buy their art from various galleries, where the affiliation of an artist is clearly stated. Selling art is an important economic activity for first nations, which is why this LORA does not allow for sales. While cultural objects have a deep meaning, you are welcome to express your interest for this style by integrating it in your own work as you see fit.

Books to learn more

For a complete source, consider:

• "Transforming Image, 2nd Ed.: Painted Arts of Northwest Coast First Nations"

For more thematic overviews, see:

• "S'abadeb / The Gifts: Pacific Coast Salish Art and Artists"

• Knowledge Within: Treasures of the Northwest Coast"

For collections, see:

• "Transformations: The George and Colleen Hoyt Collection of Northwest Coast Art"