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The Power of AI Art Prompts: Inspiring Creativity

Jeff Joyce
Tuesday, 15th Aug 2023
AI art prompts

Ever dabbled with AI art prompts? You know, those intriguing little snippets that can turn a blank canvas into a vibrant masterpiece.

You’re skeptical. Can an algorithm really create art?

Your screen suddenly comes alive with an unexpected assortment of vibrant hues and forms. It’s like having Picasso whispering in your ear… except a robot is doing it.

The more you play around with AI art prompts, the more they seem to unlock doors within your imagination that were previously stuck shut.

A whole new world of artistic potential unfolds right before your eyes!

Let’s dive into the fascinating world of AI art prompts.

What Are AI Art Prompts?

The world of art has seen a revolution with the advent of artificial intelligence, and one such innovative tool that has emerged is the AI image generator. From a simple phrase or sentence, these apps can create stunning portraits, paintings, cartoons, and even logos for businesses.

The secret ingredient to creating amazing digital art? AI art prompts.

AI art prompts are phrases or sentences that fuel your creative engine, whether you’re an artist by profession or someone who enjoys digital art as a hobby.

AI art prompts work on the principle of using algorithms to generate unique visuals based on specific inputs. You can feed in text prompts or style keywords to AI image generators or AI video generators, and what comes out might be anything from simple pencil sketches to intricate oil paintings.

Many popular tools allow you to generate art using AI, such as DALL-E, Bing Image Creator, and NightCafe. Some tools will require more text input, while others will allow you to import images to give the tool some direction.

Detailed Prompts for AI Art: The Backbone of AI Image Generation

A detailed prompt serves as comprehensive guidance used by artists when creating digital artwork. In terms of AI-generated images, these detailed instructions guide the algorithm about what kind of image it should produce.

A vague prompt like “forest” may result in generic tree-filled landscapes while specifying “Dense pine forest at dawn with mist rolling over the trees” would yield a far more distinctive scene.

If you write AI art prompts with enough detail and precision, there’s a high chance that the resulting image would closely resemble your envisioned concept.

Variety and Versatility

Artificial Intelligence has opened up limitless possibilities for creativity at scale — transforming basic texts into compelling visual narratives or mimicking famous artistic styles. There seems to be no end to its capabilities!

While text-based commands are common, other types of inputs such as image prompts also exist. Some advanced AI image generators allow users to upload their own photos or sketches which then serve as guides for producing original artwork – whether it’s transforming a pencil sketch into an oil painting or applying Van Gogh-style brush strokes onto your photo.

This versatility makes AI image generators invaluable not just for individual creators but also for businesses looking to produce content without having to use low-quality stock images.

Fuel Creativity with Unique Visuals

Apart from creating standalone pieces of digital art based on individual instructions, some artists use these text-to-image tools as starting points or inspiration sources when they need their creative juices flowing for a large project.

Here’s an example of an AI image that NightCafe created from the prompt “Goodness gracious, great balls of fire.”

nightcafe image generator

The Anatomy of an AI Art Prompt

An AI art prompt consists of several components that guide the AI model’s creative process to generate artwork based on a specific text description. These help shape the style, content, and overall direction of the image you want the AI to draw.

Let’s break down the key elements of an AI art prompt:

Description and Concept

At the core of every AI art prompt is a clear and concise description of the subject or concept the generated artwork should convey.

Just like human artists, AI image generators need a subject as their muse. Popular topics are people, animals, and landscapes. While you can certainly use multiple subjects within one prompt, sticking to one subject per text prompt keeps things simple and clear.

If your subject is performing an action, you must specify this on your prompt. These could range from simple movements such as looking up or running to more complex activities like playing an instrument or dancing in the rain.

A useful tip when writing prompts: avoid abstract concepts such as “love”, “justice”, or “infinity.” While these may seem intriguing, they often result in inconsistent depictions due to their subjective nature.

Instead, opt for concrete nouns like “old woman”, “forest”, or “sunset” which provide a clearer direction for creating unique visuals.

Meanwhile, the concept outlines the theme, setting, characters, objects, or any other central elements that should be present in the resulting artwork — setting the creative stage for bringing the idea to life.

Style Guidance

The prompt may include guidance on the desired artistic style for the AI-generated artwork. This could involve emulating Van Gogh’s distinctive post-impressionist technique or the surrealism of Salvador Dali, replicating a particular art movement, or adhering to specific visual characteristics.

Style guidance helps tailor the output to match the desired aesthetic, allowing the AI to produce art that aligns with the intended artistic direction.

Style descriptions such as “oil painting”, “photography”, “Van Gogh”, or “pencil sketches” can help direct how you want the AI to render your final piece.

Details and Specifications

Including specific details and specifications ensures that the AI-generated art aligns with the creator’s vision. This can involve instructions about color palettes, composition, proportions, and other visual attributes. By providing detailed specifications, the prompt ensures that the generated artwork adheres to your desired visual parameters.

If you are writing photography-related prompts, you could specify framing and lighting conditions and even mention a camera brand and lens specification to tailor results to your desired outcome.

Here’s an example of a detailed prompt that I wrote for DALL-E:

dall-e 2 image generator

Mood and Emotions

An essential part of creating unique visuals with AI lies in setting the mood, atmosphere, and emotional tone for your images. Ominous morning rain over a deserted cityscape, dangerous sunset mountains looming on the horizon, a nostalgic coffee table scene — each detail helps generate high-quality AI art that resonates emotionally with viewers.

By including keywords related to emotions (e.g., serene, vibrant, melancholic) or visual elements (e.g., futuristic, organic, abstract), the prompt influences how the AI infuses these aspects into the final image.

Narrative or Background

In some cases, the AI art prompt may include a narrative or contextual background to provide a deeper understanding of the depicted scene. This narrative context can help the AI model create a more cohesive and engaging composition where the elements interact meaningfully within a larger story or context.

In terms of text prompt structure, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach, but most experts agree that a 3-7 word length often yields more detailed results. The key here is specificity – the more descriptive your prompt, the easier it will be for the AI to generate high-quality AI art.

To achieve unique visuals, try combining different techniques, movements, and artists within your detailed prompts. By doing so, not only do you stimulate your creative juices but also encourage AI to come up with something entirely original.

The beauty lies in experimentation – so don’t hesitate! Dive right into crafting those detailed prompts and get those creative juices flowing!

Best AI Art Prompts

When it comes to generating high-quality AI art, the sky’s the limit. Whether you’re a professional artist or just someone who enjoys creating unique visuals in your free time, using AI art generators can help spark your creativity and bring your ideas to life.

Here are some popular categories of prompts for AI art, plus some examples created in NightCafe:

Animals

  • “A mythical creature that combines elements of a dragon and a phoenix.”
  • “A sentient alien species living underwater on an exoplanet.”
  • “A whimsical, anthropomorphic animal orchestra performing in a grand concert hall.”
  • “A technologically advanced AI-driven wildlife sanctuary where robotic animals coexist with their organic counterparts.”
  • “A wise old owl engaged in a conversation with a mischievous squirrel in an enchanted forest.”
nightcafe ai image generator

Portraits

  • “Portrait of a time-traveling archaeologist from the future, capturing their sense of curiosity and adventure.”
  • “Portray an elderly artist surrounded by their masterpieces, reflecting a lifetime of creativity.”
  • “A futuristic portrait of a cyborg-human hybrid with intricate biomechanical enhancements.”
  • “Generate an image of an AI-generated self-portrait that captures the essence of the artist’s emotions and personality.”
  • “Portrait of a young astronaut standing on an alien planet, conveying a sense of wonder and discovery.”
nightcafe ai art generator

Landscapes

  • “A breathtaking, otherworldly desert landscape with multiple moons in the sky.”
  • “A serene and tranquil scene of a floating city amidst the clouds, showcasing advanced futuristic architecture.”
  • “A lush, bioluminescent forest illuminated by the gentle glow of native flora and fauna.”
  • “A landscape that combines elements of a futuristic metropolis with a harmonious integration of nature and technology.”
  • “An ancient, overgrown ruin of a once-great civilization, surrounded by a lush and mysterious jungle.”
nightcafe ai photo generator

Sci-Fi

  • “A bustling intergalactic market on an alien space station.”
  • “A high-tech, utopian cityscape where humans and AI coexist harmoniously.”
  • “A team of explorers encountering a massive, ancient extraterrestrial artifact buried on a distant planet.”
  • “A cyberpunk street chase with futuristic vehicles and holographic advertisements.”
  • “A spacefaring vessel traveling through a mesmerizing cosmic anomaly, bending the fabric of reality.”
nightcafe ai illustration generator

Art Styles

  • “A modern cityscape transformed by his iconic brushstrokes in the style of Vincent van Gogh.”
  • “A dynamic and fragmented view of a bustling urban square in the Cubist style.”
  • “A pointillism technique to depict a serene natural scene with intricate details created from individual points of color.”
  • “Inspired by Art Deco, showcasing sleek and futuristic architecture with elegant geometric patterns.”
  • “Image in the style of Jackson Pollock, capturing the energy and emotion of a futuristic AI-assisted art performance.”
nightcafe ai cityscape image generator

Mood

  • “Old woman on a misty beach evoking a sense of nostalgic melancholy.”
  • “Students feeling awe and wonder, capturing a breathtaking cosmic event from a distant planet.”
  • “Policeman in a whimsical and playful mood, engaged in a lighthearted dance.”
  • “A scared boy exudes a sense of eerie mystery, showcasing an abandoned futuristic city shrouded in fog.”
  • “Mourning woman in a moment of serene contemplation, inside a futuristic library bathed in soft, diffused light.”
nightcafe ai portrait generator

Famous Art

  • “Interpretation of Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘Mona Lisa’ set in a futuristic, AI-dominated world.”
  • “Inspired by Salvador Dalí’s surrealism, a scene where gravity appears to be defied by advanced technology.”
  • “An image that pays homage to Edvard Munch’s ‘The Scream,’ with a futuristic twist highlighting the anxieties of the digital age.”
  • “Grant Wood’s ‘American Gothic’ featuring a robot and a human in a modern rural setting.”
  • “An image inthe style of Pablo Picasso’s ‘Guernica,’ depicting a powerful scene of technological conflict and its impact on society.”
nightcafe ai art creator

Where to Find Prompts for AI Art

Creating your first AI art prompts can be a challenging task. Visualizing the exact results you desire might take multiple attempts, especially if you’re not using a free AI image generator. This process could be costly as credits are consumed quickly when generating high-quality AI art.

The silver lining here is that you can learn from other creators who have been in your shoes before. Platforms like Discord offer servers where discussions on AI image generation are held regularly. Here you’ll get an opportunity to interact with the community, ask questions, and collaborate with others.

Besides engaging in forums, there are several places where one can browse collections of prompts for inspiration:

This will give you insights into how each model interprets different text prompts and help create visuals through original descriptions and fresh prompt combinations.

Creating digital art using artificial intelligence may seem daunting at first due to its technical nature, but remember that even great artists need some inspiration! The key lies in learning from others’ experiences while also experimenting until you find what works best for your unique visual style.

How to Write AI Art Prompts

Crafting the perfect AI art prompt is crucial to generating high-quality AI art. It’s not just about coming up with an idea but also conveying it in such a way that artificial intelligence can understand and execute it.

Here are a few tips on how to create good AI art prompts.

Select Your Subject Matter

To create images with AI, the first step is selecting your subject matter. Abstract ideas don’t translate well into AI-generated images, so be specific when describing your subject. Consider its color, actions, attire, or any other unique characteristics you want the image to portray.

Incorporate Setting Details

To create more detailed prompts and generate more compelling images, include as much information as possible about the setting of your scene. Describe elements like lighting conditions or background details that provide context for where and when the event takes place.

For example:

“A sleeping orange cat on a blue couch in a living room bathed in morning light.”

dall-e photo generator

Pro tip: If you want to exclude something from your image, consider adding a negative prompt to your AI art prompt.

Let’s say you want to create a city landscape but don’t want to include any people in it, write “negative prompt: people” in your AI prompt.

Here’s an example:

negative prompt

Suggest Art Styles And Mediums

Your choice of style keywords greatly influences how your text prompts are interpreted by AI art generators. You could suggest art styles or even specify mediums like watercolor, oil, or pencil sketch which will help guide the visual output generated by these advanced tools.

Some of the popular art styles for creating AI images are:

  • Portrait
  • Anime
  • Hyperreal
  • 3D
  • Epic
  • Color painting
  • CGI character
  • dark fantasy
  • Modern comic
  • Abstract curves
  • Cubist
  • Gouache
  • Neo impressionist
  • Pop art
  • Cosmic
  • Sinister
  • Candy
  • Matte
  • Charcoal
  • Horror
  • Surreal
  • Cyberpunk
  • Synthwave

Set Mood And Emotion

Apart from physical attributes and settings, consider specifying emotions or moods you’d like your image to evoke. Whether funny or dramatic, this detail adds another layer of depth to creating richer visuals.

Choose a Framing Style

One way you can influence the outcome of AI generators is through framing. This refers to how the subject or content is positioned within the image — similar to concepts used in film directing and camerawork like “wide shot,” “point-of-view,” or “Dutch angle.”

For instance, if you’re having trouble getting close-ups right with your AI art generators, try stating the subject first and describing the background after.

  • Prompt 1: Person standing inside a forest fire, strong determined attitude, close-up shot, realistic.
  • Prompt 2: Person with strong determined attitude, forest fire background, close-up shot, realistic.

In both image prompts above, we are trying to generate high-quality AI art, but by moving around connecting words and style keywords in Prompt 2, we get closer to our desired outcome.

ai art prompts

Set Lighting

Beyond framing, another crucial aspect is lighting. In photography, lighting plays a critical role as it changes the look and feel of an image dramatically.

So don’t shy away from adding specific lighting conditions such as “soft light,” “hard light,” or times of day like “morning,” “sunset,” etc., into your detailed AI art prompts.

Text Prompt Structure

Your image prompts should have a logical structure that guides the creation process smoothly from one stage to another. For instance, start with general details (like subject matter) before moving on to more specific ones (such as color scheme).

Besides these tips, experimenting with different kinds of prompts is key. Remember, there’s no right or wrong when it comes down to creativity!

If done correctly, using good prompts can help artists explore new themes and techniques they might not have considered otherwise, thus sparking their imagination even further!

Further reading: How to Write ChatGPT Prompts

How to Find AI Art Prompt Examples

If you’re keen to explore the realm of AI art prompts further, there are numerous resources available on the web. These can help expand your knowledge and inspire creativity in your projects.

Online Tutorials and Courses

You’ll find a wealth of information about artificial intelligence, digital art, AI image generation techniques, and how to write good prompts for AI art through various online tutorials. Websites like Coursera offer extensive courses covering these topics.

For those who are just starting out, YouTube channels offer helpful tutorials to guide the way.

Digital Art Forums & Communities

The internet is full of forums where artists share their experiences using different tools, including those related to creating unique visuals with artificial intelligence, such as the Sketchfab Forum or Reddit’s r/DigitalPainting community.

You will come across detailed text prompt structures shared by experienced users, which could spark creative juices flowing within you.

Educational Blogs & Podcasts

Blogs focused on technology or design frequently publish articles related specifically to leveraging machine learning capabilities in the artwork creation process.

In addition, podcasts such as “AI in Business” by Emerj delve deep into real-world applications, providing valuable insights into connecting words effectively when generating artwork via style keywords.

Dive deep into the world of AI art prompts. Expand your knowledge with online tutorials, join digital art communities for shared experiences, and stay inspired by educational blogs & podcasts. #AIArtPrompts #DigitalArt Click to Tweet

FAQs – AI Art Prompts

What are good prompts for AI art?

Prompts that encourage abstract thinking, such as “a dreamlike cityscape” or “an alien garden,” can yield unique and interesting results from an AI art generator.

Which AI creates art from prompts?

DALL-E, Bing Image Creator, NightCafe, Artbreeder, DeepArt.io, and Daz 3D are examples of AIs capable of creating visual artworks based on user-provided prompts.

What is a good AI prompt?

A good AI prompt should be clear yet open-ended to allow the algorithm room for creativity. For example: “A futuristic landscape with floating islands.”

What are the arguments against AI art?

Critics argue that since AIs lack human emotions and experiences, their creations may lack depth or meaning. Others worry about potential copyright issues surrounding machine-generated artwork.

Want to find out if a piece of art was generated by AI? Run it through our AI Image Detector!

Conclusion

The arrival of artificial intelligence has revolutionized many sectors, and the world of digital art is no exception. AI image generators such as DALL-E, NightCafe, Midjourney, DreamStudio, and Adobe Firefly have made it possible to generate high-quality AI art with just a few clicks.

Sparking creativity and pushing the boundaries of imagination, these tools offer immense benefits to artists of all levels.

You’ve learned how AI can transform your artwork into something truly unique, and how to write prompts that will bring your ideas to life.

Ready to embark on an exciting journey with AI art prompts? Start elevating your digital art today!

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Written by Jeff Joyce

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