AI & PADL: What You Need to Know

AI is a new tool, and new tools come with questions. This page covers the most common ones — what PADL’s AI actually does, how to use it, and what to expect.

No technical background is needed. You just need a painting and a question.

What AI Does in PADL — and What It Doesn’t

PADL’s AI tools work like a knowledgeable painting companion looking over your shoulder — one that asks good questions, helps you see what you might be missing, and guides you toward your next decision. It won’t paint for you. It helps you think like a painter while you paint.

Specifically, the tools can help you see patterns in your values, shapes, edges, and overall design. They can help you narrow your focus, figure out what matters most in a particular painting, get unstuck when you’re not sure what to do next, and reflect on what worked so you grow faster.

What PADL won’t do is tell you there’s only one right answer. It’s not a paint-by-numbers system, a style machine, or a formula. It’s designed to support your artistic voice — not replace it.

Is This Right for Me?

PADL works well for painters who are learning, growing, or trying to be more intentional about their work. No particular level is required. If you’re someone who often paints alone and would benefit from having a thoughtful sounding board, that’s exactly what PADL is built for.

Why Does PADL Sound Like Kathleen?

This is what makes PADL different from simply asking ChatGPT about painting. Kathleen spent hundreds of hours compiling video transcripts, demonstrations, and teaching notes, then built a complete lexicon of the frameworks, phrases, and processes she uses consistently in her teaching. The AI tools were trained on all of that — which means the guidance you receive isn’t generic. It reflects Kathleen’s actual methodology, The Elemental Method, and the way she thinks about painting. It’s the closest thing to having her in the studio with you.

What to Upload

You can type a question, upload a photo, or both. Good options include your reference photo, a work-in-progress shot, a finished painting you want to reflect on, or a grayscale version if you’re studying values.

One tip: photograph your painting in good natural light and crop it so PADL can see the painting clearly. That’s all it takes.

How to Talk to PADL

No special vocabulary is needed. Questions can be simple, half-formed, or exploratory. For example:

“I don’t know what to ask.”

“Something feels off but I can’t name it.”

“This feels unfinished — what should I look at?”

“What’s working, and what should I change next?”

PADL can work with all of that. For the best results, focus on one painting or one question at a time. The more specific the question, the more useful the response.

Your Privacy

When you upload a painting inside PADL, it’s used only in that moment to respond to you. Your images aren’t shared with other users or stored for future use. PADL is intended for painting support, so just avoid uploading anything unrelated to your artwork — personal documents, private information, and so on.

Why Kathleen Built This

“I love teaching, but I knew I couldn’t be there with every student every time they painted. Then I realized — maybe I could be, in a new way. That’s what PADL is. It’s me, in the tools, showing up whenever you need it.”

— Kathleen Broaderick