Fresh, shiny, and smells like a new car?
Yes, the recently released Illustrious-XL was uploaded to Hugging Face just a month ago, but due to the lack of strong hype, I only found out about it now. So, what do we have? An incredibly flexible, completely uncensored model that includes styles of various artists (unlike Pony).
Censorship
There is none. Absolutely none. Seriously, it's even somewhat unsettling. I tried to find the bottom, to discover the limits of this model's censorship, but it was as fruitless as trying to find the bottom of a jar of sulfuric acid: not particularly pleasant, and you can't feel the bottom. This model can do everything (I condemn the following) from loli to guro of varying degrees of severity. I choose not to explore the model's limits regarding harmful content and instead focus on its positive applications. The author explicitly condemns and discourages the generation of illegal or harmful content, including but not limited to CSAM and gore. The absence of censorship is noted solely for technical comparison purposes. A GUIDED version of the model is available to avoid such content.
Important: The discussion of censorship (or lack thereof) in this article is for informational purposes only. Readers are reminded to always use AI models responsibly and ethically, adhering to all applicable laws and community guidelines.
Artists' Styles
I haven't tested that many artists, but even some of the less popular ones are present. Instead of a thousand words, it's better to look:
prompt: 1girl, solo, glasses, artist name(without style)
aya shobon
bkub
ojipon
matsunaga kouyou
blade (galaxist)
Characters
By the way, it's worth mentioning that the model knows many characters, for example:
Charlie morningstar
Aqua
Tracer
Hatsune Miku 
Prompt Adherence
You can assess the model's prompt adherence with these three rather complex prompts:
A surreal painting of a person's head on fire, with the flames forming a large, intricate, and vibrant orange and yellow shape that resembles a person's head, wearing a green jacket, against a backdrop of a blue sky with fluffy white clouds, the person's face is not visible, the flames are the focal point, the painting has a dreamlike and abstract quality, the colors are bright and saturated, the style is reminiscent of a surrealist or abstract painting, the image is cropped to show only the person's head and upper body, the person is facing away from the viewer, the jacket is shiny and reflective, the flames are detailed and have a sense of movement and energy, the background is simple and uncluttered, the overall mood is surreal and thought-provoking, the painting is signed in the bottom right corner, the person is standing in an outdoor setting, the lighting is soft and even, the person's hair is not visible, the painting is in a landscape orientation, the person's head is tilted slightly to the right, the jacket is buttoned up, the person's shoulders are visible, the painting has a high level of detail and realism, the flames are the main subject of the painting, the person's head is completely engulfed in flames, the person is not wearing any other clothing, the painting is highly stylized and abstract, the person's head is not symmetrical, the person's head is not proportional to the rest of the body
This is a digitally rendered artwork depicting a hooded figure standing in a vast, golden desert under a clear blue sky. The figure is shrouded in a tattered, flowing cloak that billows dramatically in the wind, blending seamlessly with the sandy landscape. The cloak's texture appears rough and worn, suggesting long-term exposure to the harsh environment. The hood casts the figure's face into shadow, adding an air of mystery and anonymity.
The background showcases a seemingly endless expanse of golden sand dunes, with a few scattered tufts of grass and sparse vegetation breaking the monotony of the arid landscape. The sky above is a brilliant blue, dotted with a few fluffy white clouds that contrast sharply with the desert's warm tones. The overall composition conveys a sense of isolation and desolation, amplified by the figure's solitary presence.
The artwork employs a realistic style with meticulous attention to detail in the textures and lighting. The golden hues of the desert dominate the color palette, with the blue sky providing a striking contrast. The light source appears to be from the front, casting subtle shadows that enhance the three-dimensional quality of the scene.
This image is a digital illustration in a dark, surrealistic style. The central figure is a person cloaked in a flowing, hooded robe, standing waist-deep in turbulent, dark ocean waves. The figure is facing away from the viewer, with only the back and hood visible. The robe is a deep, muted red, contrasting starkly against the dark, almost black, water. The ocean waves are depicted with a sense of movement, their crests catching the light and creating white foam.
Dominating the background is a massive, glowing red full moon, casting an eerie, otherworldly light across the scene. The moonlight reflects off the water, creating a reddish hue that spreads across the waves and the figure's robe. The sky around the moon is pitch black, emphasizing the intense red glow.
The overall mood of the image is dark and mysterious, with a hint of danger and otherworldliness. The use of bold, contrasting colors and dramatic lighting enhances the surreal and somewhat haunting atmosphere. The texture of the water is depicted with fine details, giving it a sense of roughness and movement. The figure's cloak appears to be made of a heavy, textured fabric, adding to the overall sense of isolation and solitude.
Overall, it's at a fairly high level. It's hard to say—sometimes it's better than Pony, and sometimes worse—but the fact is, it's good.
Comparison with Pony
Here are three prompts for comparison, Illustrious VS Pony:
twilight sparkle, rainbow iris, vibrant colors, heterochromia, magic,
1girl, glasses,
A surreal painting of a person's head on fire, with the flames forming a large, intricate, and vibrant orange and yellow shape that resembles a person's head, wearing a green jacket, against a backdrop of a blue sky with fluffy white clouds, the person's face is not visible, the flames are the focal point, the painting has a dreamlike and abstract quality, the colors are bright and saturated, the style is reminiscent of a surrealist or abstract painting, the image is cropped to show only the person's head and upper body, the person is facing away from the viewer, the jacket is shiny and reflective, the flames are detailed and have a sense of movement and energy, the background is simple and uncluttered, the overall mood is surreal and thought-provoking, the painting is signed in the bottom right corner, the person is standing in an outdoor setting, the lighting is soft and even, the person's hair is not visible, the painting is in a landscape orientation, the person's head is tilted slightly to the right, the jacket is buttoned up, the person's shoulders are visible, the painting has a high level of detail and realism, the flames are the main subject of the painting, the person's head is completely engulfed in flames, the person is not wearing any other clothing, the painting is highly stylized and abstract, the person's head is not symmetrical, the person's head is not proportional to the rest of the body
Model Issues
It's challenging to get exactly what you want; the model requires fine-tuned prompting. You can't just write score_9 and be happy - you'll have to work hard. But the effort is worth it, and with proper skill, you can get masterpieces indistinguishable from real works.