How to Use AI to Generate Awesome Images

Ever find yourself staring at a blank canvas, wishing for a magical muse to pop out of nowhere and sprinkle some inspiration dust? Well, guess what? With the power of AI, you’ve got that magical muse right at your fingertips! Today, we're diving into the world of AI-generated images, featuring ChatGPT and Adobe Photoshop’s generative AI. I’ll also throw in a few more platform suggestions for good measure. Let’s get started!

Why Use AI for Image Creation?

First things first, why even bother with AI for generating images? Simple. It’s like having an infinite number of creative assistants who never sleep, never complain, and are always ready to help you brainstorm and bring your ideas to life. Plus, it’s just plain fun to see what kind of quirky, beautiful, or downright weird images AI can come up with!

Side note: Years ago, I was a freelance graphic designer. I have hired graphic designers over the past 15-or-so years to create logos for me. I am not at all advocating for replacing graphic designers and other art professionals. You just can’t beat work done by a pro!

Sometimes, you need to create a quick image for, let’s say, your blog posts. Or maybe your budget truly does not include hiring a graphic designer. Looking at y’all, hobbyists and early-stage solo entrepreneurs!

One last thing before we dive in: Personally, I avoid instructing AI what artists I’d like the image to mimic. Respecting artists’ creativity, originality, hard work, and copyrights! But I will include instructions such as: “Realistic style,” “in the style of anime,” “cartoon,” or even “claymation.”

Creating Images with AI

Let’s kick things off with our favorite text-based AI buddy, ChatGPT. While ChatGPT doesn’t create images directly, it’s fantastic at helping you brainstorm ideas and write detailed prompts for image-generating tools. Here’s an example prompt you can use to generate an image of a friendly, white robot writing its own prompt, with an orange-themed background:

Example Prompt:

“Friendly, white robot with a sleek, modern design, sitting at a desk and writing its own prompt. The background should be a vibrant shade of orange, with various hues and gradients to add depth and warmth to the scene. The robot should have a cheerful expression and look engaged in its task.”

Steps to Create This Image Using ChatGPT:

1. Start a Chat with ChatGPT: Open ChatGPT and begin a new conversation.

2. Input Your Prompt: Type out your detailed prompt, like the example above, into the chat.

3. Generate a Detailed Description: ChatGPT will then provide a detailed description of the image you want to create. This description can be refined and adjusted until it perfectly matches your vision.

4. Copy the Description: Once you have the detailed description from ChatGPT, copy it. This will be your guide for the next steps in your image creation process.

Using Adobe Photoshop’s Generative AI

Now, let’s bring that prompt to life using Adobe Photoshop’s generative AI features. Adobe’s AI tools are powerful and versatile, perfect for tweaking and fine-tuning your images until they’re just right.

1. Step One: Open Adobe Photoshop and start a new project.

2. Step Two: Use the “Generate” feature to input your prompt. Here’s where the magic happens. Paste the prompt you crafted with ChatGPT into the AI generator.

3. Step Three: Let the AI do its thing! Adobe’s AI will create an initial image based on your prompt.

4. Step Four: Tweak as needed. Use Photoshop’s robust editing tools to adjust colors, add details, or make any other changes to perfect your image.

Check out these examples where I used ChatGPT to help with the prompt. Then I used Photoshop to generate the images. It gave me three kick-ass options. Which one is your favorite?

Other Awesome AI Platforms for Image Generation

There’s more! Here are a few other platforms you might want to check out for AI image creation:

1. DALL-E 2: Created by OpenAI, this tool can generate high-quality images from textual descriptions. It’s incredibly versatile and can produce some stunning results.

2. Midjourney: Another fantastic AI art generator that’s great for creating everything from abstract art to highly detailed illustrations.

3. NightCafe: Known for its user-friendly interface, NightCafe lets you create beautiful, AI-generated artworks in just a few clicks. Perfect for both beginners and pros.

Putting It All Together

There you have it! With AI tools like ChatGPT and Adobe Photoshop’s generative features, along with other cool platforms, you can bring your wildest creative ideas to life. Whether you’re looking to create art for your blog, social media, or just for fun, AI is your new best friend.

Remember, the key to getting the best results is in the prompt. Be detailed, be specific, and don’t be afraid to get a little cheeky with your descriptions. The more vivid and precise your prompt, the better your AI-generated images will be.