A collaboration between vector artists to make the funnest deck of cards ever! 
Vector Magic is at it again and now we'd like you to join in on the fun. 

This all started as a collaboration with Dan Flores aka Delta Tango Mike, and Erin Hueston aka Hues & Tones to expand on their styles and challenge their skills on their tablets. They built one of the coolest Joker cards ever!

Check out more on that project over here. ​

ANSWER:

​**Womb City** by Tlotlo Tsamaase is a genre-blending novel that combines elements of cyberpunk, Africanfuturism, and body horror to explore themes of bodily autonomy, surveillance, and patriarchal oppression. Set in a dystopian future Botswana, the story follows Nelah, a woman constantly monitored by an AI Criminal Behavior Evaluator due to a microchip implanted in her body. In this society, bodies are government-issued resources, and the oppressive system places intense scrutiny on women's bodies, often marking them as potential criminals【6†source】【7†source】.

Nelah's life is further complicated by her abusive husband, Elifasi, and her precarious position as a mother-to-be with a baby growing in a government lab. The plot thickens when Nelah accidentally kills a woman, whose vengeful spirit returns to haunt her, forcing Nelah to uncover a dark political conspiracy【6†source】【8†source】.

The novel is rich with social commentary, drawing parallels to contemporary issues such as surveillance, misogyny, and class struggles. It also incorporates elements of Setswana mythology, creating a unique and culturally grounded speculative narrative【7†source】. 

For a more detailed synopsis and to explore the book further, you can visit [Penguin Random House] or other book review sites like [BookBrowse] and [Fantasy Hive].

​Yes, Botswana is a real place. It is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, known for its stable democracy, rich wildlife, and significant diamond production. The capital city of Botswana is Gaborone.

For a text-to-picture prompt describing the city in "Womb City," you might use the following description:

"A sprawling dystopian metropolis in a near-future Botswana, where towering skyscrapers made of reflective metal and glass dominate the skyline. The streets are lined with neon signs in multiple languages, flickering holographic advertisements, and heavily armed surveillance drones patrolling overhead. The city is shrouded in a perpetual haze, with narrow alleys and crowded marketplaces juxtaposed against high-tech corporate buildings. Amidst the urban sprawl, traditional Botswanan motifs and structures peek through, blending ancient cultural elements with cutting-edge technology. The atmosphere is tense, with an omnipresent sense of surveillance and control, as citizens navigate through the oppressive and chaotic environment under the watchful eyes of the government."

Nelah, the protagonist of "Womb City," is a complex character navigating a harsh, dystopian reality. Here is a detailed description based on the novel:

**Physical Appearance:**
Nelah is a young woman in her early thirties. She has a slender build, reflective of a life under constant stress and surveillance. Her skin is a deep brown, and her expressive eyes convey both determination and weariness. Her hair is often styled in natural twists or braids, a nod to her cultural heritage.

**Attire:**
Nelah dresses pragmatically, blending functionality with the need to navigate her oppressive environment. She typically wears utilitarian clothing, such as fitted jumpsuits and jackets with multiple pockets, made from durable, weather-resistant fabrics. Her attire is often in muted, earthy tones like olive green, brown, and gray, which help her blend into the urban landscape. She occasionally accessorizes with small, culturally significant items, such as beaded bracelets or a headscarf, that connect her to her roots.

**Text-to-Picture Prompt:**
"A slender woman in her early thirties with deep brown skin and expressive eyes. Her hair is styled in natural twists or braids. She wears a fitted jumpsuit and a jacket with multiple pockets, made from durable, weather-resistant fabric in muted, earthy tones like olive green and brown. Her attire is practical, reflecting a life of constant vigilance, and she accessorizes with small, culturally significant items such as beaded bracelets or a headscarf."

This description encapsulates Nelah's appearance and the essence of her character, making it suitable for generating a visual representation through a text-to-picture prompt.

create an image of A slender woman in her late teens with deep brown skin and expressive eyes. Her hair is styled in natural twists or braids. She wears a fitted jumpsuit and a jacket with multiple pockets, made from durable, weather-resistant fabric in muted, earthy tones like olive green and brown. Her attire is practical, reflecting a life of constant vigilance, and she accessorizes with small, culturally significant items such as beaded bracelets or a headscarf, neon hightlights, futuristic art style

​If "Womb City" had a soundtrack, it would likely feature a mix of genres that reflect the novel's intense, futuristic, and culturally rich setting. Here's a description for a text-to-music prompt:

**Text-to-Music Prompt:**
"An intense and atmospheric soundtrack blending cyberpunk and African influences. The music features deep, pulsating electronic beats, synthesizers, and industrial sounds, creating a sense of tension and urgency. Traditional African instruments like the djembe, kora, and marimba are woven into the electronic backdrop, adding a layer of cultural depth. The melodies are haunting and evocative, with occasional use of eerie vocal chants and harmonies. The overall mood is dark and immersive, capturing the dystopian, high-tech world of futuristic Botswana while honoring its rich cultural heritage."

This description aims to capture the essence of the novel's setting and themes, providing a rich auditory backdrop that complements the story's atmosphere.

LIVESTREAMS 

• Weekly Livestreams with DTM, Mon, Tues and Weds 9am EDT www.youtube.com/@Vectormaestros

​

AI APPS

• Text chat Ai to build your knowledge, images and documents. ChatGPT 

• Interact with Ai to build your knowledge. Copilot 
• Free AI app: Focus Your Ideas fyi.me/​​
• AI Studio by Google aistudio.google.com/u/3/prompts/new_chat 
• Google Labs to make music images and and video    labs.google/fx/ ​

​

VIDEO AI 

• Try Pollo AI Video Creator for free  
• Create your own Character Models loralab.xyz/app 
• LTX Studio for storyboards and video https://app.ltx.studio/  
• images and video with Wan, get free credits daily wan.video/ 

​

MUSIC AI 

• Make a soundtrack for your reading time. Up to 10 free songs a day. Suno Ai 
• Make music, songs and instrumentals. riffusionwww.riffusion.com/ 

​

IMAGES AI​

•  Create Coloring Pages w AI
• Consistent Character Design www.dzine.ai/ 

• Create a picture of a scene in your book with a simple text prompt. Adobe Firefly 

​

About DTM
2d illustrator
Creator of worlds and characters
Comics animation and games
And all of it with a dash of Azteca Moderno
https://www.deltatangomike.com/
 
Presented at Adobe MAX and streaming current art, tech and ai tools every week on Mondays and Tuesdays 8am EST
https://www.youtube.com/@Vectormaestros
 
Wife and I founded Art Is King, empower artists in their path to a creative career
https://www.artisking.org/
And we founded ButtercupSTEAM empowering the next generation of women STEM professionals by inspiring the youth of today
We host regular workshops at events, most recently this past weekend at Atlanta SciFi Expo and next week we are at Piedmont Park with the Atlanta Science Festival
https://www.buttercupsteam.com/events.html
 
I keep a roster of smart friends, so I am always up to date
And you can join us anytime on our discord
https://discord.gg/Aztw26azaZ
 
Agenda
Explore our creativity with several ai tools
And remind me near the end for a great ai tool for educators
 
Purpose
To explore new worlds
Visualize characters and follow your favorite story
https://www.deltatangomike.com/blog/aiworlds

​I am sharing my experience so the Microsoft Store can use this information to improve the experience for someone buying several Surface devices. I am a big fan of the Surface line; I’ve owned a multitude of Surface devices since launch and even have a Surface Duo!
 
Why we want 20 Surface Devices.
We are retrofitting our mobile computer lab with brand new Surface devices, thanks to a grant we can afford to level up!
Check out the grant ceremony at Science Gallery at Northlake Mall, free to attend the full Atlanta SciFi Expo in partnership with Atlanta Science Fair for ButtercupSTEAM sessions.
March 15
1-4pm EST
 
Two weeks ago, I started my quest to find someone at Microsoft sales or nonprofit to help me facilitate a 20 Surface Pro purchase. 20! That is correct.
You don’t just login to some website and add 20 devices to your shopping cart, pay, then they magically show up, but they should!
 
No, you need someone to help facilitate a purchase that big, because that’s a lot of money and you need all the support you can get to make sure your device get here, someone can be responsible for any issues that pop up. If you ever bought anything online then you know what I am talking about, looking at you Amazon.
 
Here is a short list of my issues.
 
To begin:
Like I said, two weeks ago I started my quest to find someone to help me buy 20 Surface Pro 11s.
I reached out to six Microsoft Professionals I have gotten to know in the last ten years, whom I know are connected to Surface, the Microsoft Store and Sales.
A couple said they were going to help me find someone, then one came back and said no results. I said thanks.
I reached out to the Microsoft Nonprofit Tech Accelerator from the online portal. No response.
I reached out to Microsoft social accounts on X and IG. No response.
I reached out to the Microsoft Business online and filled out the form. No response.
NO HELP IN FINDING SOMEONE AT MICROSOFT SALES TO FACILITATE A 20 DEVICE PURCHASE.
How can that be?
 
I got a response from someone (I won’t make names public unless it’s to actual Microsoft leadership so they can fix the process for small nonprofits like us) by email, responded to our issue with the standard answer about “nonprofit accelerator does not deal with Surface Pro 11”.
 
Got it, I then asked a couple of more questions including: what devices can you offer us that are not 4 years old? Because the nonprofit side of Microsoft sells Laptop Go and Surface Go renewed devices at a discount and nothing else.
THEY EVER RESPONDED TO ME AGAIN. JUST IGNORED BY THE THREE PEOPLE CC’d with Microsoft.com email addresses.
 
Why is my experience so frustrating?
Can anyone not buy several Surface devices?
Should I search for other brands to see what they have to offer?
I want 20 Surface devices because my drawing experience has been excellent.
 
FINALLY, I reached out to the chat on the Microsoft Store website, and I am faced with AI chat bot ran by Copilot. It was the weekend, so the chat bot said there was no one in the sales department to help me. Check back on Monday when someone would be in the office. No weekend sales?!
 
Monday I am back on the chat and I ask for a sales associate or someone who can help facilitate. After some time back and forth, there’s a customer service person who is willing to help, after a few questions establishing the details, I start to think that this is also a bot because it takes minutes to get a response.
I asked about business transaction, I asked about nonprofit purchase, but those options were not good for me because the Surface Pro 11 is only available on the consumer sale.
 
We start the process to create 3 different orders of 5 devices to get started because there is a purchase limit of 5. So, one order of 5 Surface Pro, 5 type covers, 5 pens and 5 arc mouses in each order.
 
Finally, we get to the end but I had to make adjustments to the address as the billing address is formatted a bit different than shipping address. There is lots of waiting but there is progress. Since we are buying the Surface in a consumer process, then the bank flags the transaction several times and we had to keep the bank on the phone while we had Microsoft store chat on the browser.
 
At the end of the four hours, almost 20K, and 3 orders later, my Microsoft Store account is deactivated because of suspicious behavior. Not entirely clear as what exactly is going on but we have to stop at this point with 3 orders of 5 until the issue is escalated, reviewed and account reactivated.
 
That is fine because I am beyond frustrated on the process, tired of sitting on the chat and I have other obligations today. What I thought would be a simple expensive transaction turned out to be an ordeal.
 
Much credit goes to the chat agent who stayed on the chat with me for four hours!
 
Fine. Two days later 10 Surface devices are here. I am excited. Then I see the boxes and I don’t understand how are the Surface design teams so amazing at designing a beautiful device, but shipping has no respect for the 1K each device cost?
 
the boxes are thin, one box has a rip on the side, and it doesn’t have any padding or protection for 6K worth of Microsoft Surface products!
 
WELCOME TO THE UNBOXING.

Making Comics for Beginners
 
Create a 3-page comic story starting from an idea, to drawing characters, writing a story, comic panel thumbnails and Finished Comic. ​

Dan Flores aka DTM, multimedia artist
deltatangomike.com
@deltatangomike IG, FB, X
 
Dan Flores, aka DTM is a multimedia artist with 20 years of experience in drawing, graphic design, concept art, vector illustration and traditional arts. DTM has been published in ImagineFX Magazine, hosted an art competition for Microsoft Ignite Conference, received best Tattoo Shop of Atlanta Award (Creative Loafing 2002), and his traditional art has been featured in over 25 art exhibitions including shows for Honey Jack’s Art Beats and Lyrics, Herradura Tequila, Sharpie, The High Museum of Atlanta and Mercedes Benz Stadium. In the 20 year professional career, DTM's art and illustration has adorned murals in Downtown Atlanta, created art and marketing materials for Coca Cola, Emory University, Georgia Tech, UGA, Farm Burger, The Salvation Army, Newell Brands, Silicon Benders (Sketchable App) and McDonald’s.

“Vector Magic: Ain’t No Joke!”
Vector Illustration collaboration w

livestreams every Monday in November 
8:30AM EST 
Youtube: @VectorMaestros 

Join us BTS on @Discord
https://discord.gg/Aztw26azaZ

#AdobeFresco #VectorArt #CreativeNomads #SurfacePro #DTM #ArtLifeAllDay #TheBestInTheBiz #DeltaTangoMike #UnlockYourCreativePotential #AdobeLife #HumanCreator ​

Collab video playlist

First, My Wife. She continues to support my art career every step of the way, to the point that everything is possible as long as she is by my side. 
Second, Joshua Timothy. I first met this talented creator in NYC for the Microsoft Surface Event in 2019. We have stayed in touch ever since and this year we were able to partner with Microsoft Surface at Adobe MAX. We created so much content together four of the five days of MAX, so much that you will see a few more reels featuring my Surface Pro 11 and Adobe for a while! 
Third, Rosalia Ley. We only met a month ago at an Adobe event in Atlanta, GA. When we talked about MAX and found out we would both make it to Miami, I asked her to partner for some creative content and she agreed immediately and brought many ideas ready to go. 

I also want to thank many many people but I will mention a few and then show you pictures below:
Adobe Community Experts Team, Sil Cleary for leading an amazing team of Experts to support the latest Adobe updates. Thank you for bringing me on to Adobe MAX! I had a lot of fun talking about the latest updates to Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Express. Vector art all the way!

Surface Team, Xiomara Malpica, Stefanie Keeley and Cora Leach for supporting Josh and Dan on our Road to MAX. We put our Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop to work with the latest Adobe updates and I have to admit, that the Surface Pro 11 is super fast!

The Microsoft Booth! All of you were super awesome to talk about Surface with Adam, Erica, Amber and Yan plus I had a ton of fun drawing on the Surface Hub, I need one or two of those in my art studio running Illustrator and Fresco, please! lol

I took many many selfies with amazing artists and creative whom I admire for their talents. I am fortunate to be part of a great art community and thankful to Adobe for giving me the opportunity to share this amazing experience. 

Emerging Artists in ATL!
I am excited to collaborate with Adobe's Creative Cafe Atlanta
Free Adobe Portfolio Review Pop Up

I had a lot of fun reviewing portfolios from a long list of amazing creatives. I didn't have time to take any pictures of anything else! 

Look for these amazing creatives, artists and designers in the near future. I was fortunate to meet with each one individually and hear their stories. Expect big things!