How to create AI art prompts (+ 50 top examples)

Ready to play around with AI art but not sure where to start? You're in luck! We've put together a list of over 50 awesome AI art prompts that'll get those creative juices flowing. Whether you're an art pro or just starting to dabble, these prompts are your ticket to creating some seriously cool pieces.

Think dreamy landscapes, quirky characters, and everything in between.

So, let's get those ideas rolling and see what amazing art you and your AI can dream up together!

• Understand the essence of AI art along with the concept and strategic use of AI art prompts.

• Develop a comprehensive knowledge of how to formulate thought-provoking AI art prompts.

• Explore various AI art prompt ideas and themes to ignite creativity and innovation in the art world.

• Learn about the diverse artistic genres that can cater effectively to AI art prompts.

• Acquire insights from community examples to enrich your own AI prompt creation process.

• Adapt a full-circle approach by bringing AI-generated masterpieces to life using Gelato's print services, thus making art both digitally progressive and physically tangible.

AI art, or artificial intelligence art, represents the intersection of creativity and technology. It's the process of using machine learning algorithms to create and interpret unique pieces of artwork. This innovative art form expands the boundaries of creativity, paving the way for unprecedented artistic expressions.

An AI art prompt is a concise directive given to an artificial intelligence model to create artistic content. It helps establish the specific parameters, such as the style, subject, and mood of the desired image. These instructions guide the AI in generating unique and visually stunning artwork.

So you've got hold of a free AI art generator and are now wondering how to write AI art prompts! We've got your back. Unleash your creative potential and master the art of shaping astonishing AI-generated masterpieces with the following tips.

Understand the basics of prompts

Getting the basics down for creating an AI art prompt is the first stepping stone towards sparking AI creativity. Here are some keys to keep in mind: 

• Briefness: Keep your prompt concise and to the point. Excessive information might confuse the AI.

• Clarity: Use words that are easily comprehensible to the AI. Try to avoid complex terminologies.

• Simplicity: Even if your idea is complex, try to simplify it into smaller, more understandable parts.

• Specificity: Be specific about the elements you want in your artwork. Define your subject, emotion, actions, and atmosphere clearly.

• Experiment: Don't hesitate to play around. Try various prompts to see how the AI responds differently. Remember, more refined prompts mean better outputs.

Choose your style and medium

Your choice of style might be influenced by famous artists or your personal preference. Here's how to go about it:

• Determine the artistic style: You may opt for realism, surrealism, cubism, etc. You could also remain unbounded by specific styles and explore innovative mixed-media digital art, including elements of 3D, glitch art, photography, and more.

• Pick your medium: AI art generators can simulate multiple mediums, such as oil painting, watercolor, graphic designs, and much more. The medium you select can greatly influence the final look of your art.

Define the subject and theme

You'll need to decide on the central point or figure that your artwork will revolve around. 

• The subject can be an object, a person, or a scene - like 'a sunset over the mountains' or 'an old man reading'. 

• The theme, on the other hand, is the overarching idea or message you want to convey in your artwork, such as 'tranquility' or 'journey'. This will guide the AI in creating a piece of art that has more depth and meaning.

Make sure to choose a subject and theme that work well with your chosen style and medium.

Incorporate mood and atmosphere

Creating a specific mood and atmosphere aids in guiding the AI engine toward more emotionally resonant and intriguing outputs. So how do we do it? 

• Describe mood explicitly: Terms like 'serene', 'chaotic', 'joyful', or 'somber' can significantly shape the overall energy of the resulting image.

• Use atmospheric components: Think about the time of day, weather, lighting, and even color schemes. For instance, a 'dimly lit, foggy night' paints a completely different picture from a 'bright, sun-soaked afternoon'.

• Enliven with sensory details: Mention sounds, smells, or sensations that enhance the mood, such as the 'gentle rustle of leaves' for calmness or 'echoing footsteps' for suspense.

Specify details and complexity

Delving into the details and understanding the complexity of the subject matter is pivotal to the creation of AI art prompts. Here’s how you can do it: 

• Theme intricacies: Pinpoint the intricate aspects of your chosen theme, such as the distinct features of a character or the unique elements of an architectural structure.

• Action and technique: Consider the action of the subject and the execution technique. This can range from a character performing an activity to a particular light effect playing over a building's surface.

• Scene ambiance: Pay attention to the ambiance of your scene, taking into account factors like mood, background description, lighting, and framing.

• Descriptive specificity: Get specific with your descriptors. Whether you're working towards a photorealistic piece or an abstract creation, vivid and concrete language will lead to more predictable AI art results.

Experiment with variations

Not merely sticking to a single style, theme, or concept extends the range of your artistic creativity. Here's how you can experiment with variations in your AI art prompts: 

• Change perspective: Reimagine your subject from different viewpoints. Don't limit yourself to the usual front view; consider bird's-eye, worm's-eye, or side views.

• Show a sequence: Progress narratives or show the evolution over time. Great for history-based prompts.

• Varying color palette: Play around with monochromatic, analogous, or complementary color schemes. Break the rules; make it unexpected.

• Imitate styles: Inject some variety by imitating the styles of famous artists.

• Incorporate different mediums: Blend traditional and digital, 2D and 3D, static and animated - the possibilities are endless.

Use advanced techniques and modifiers

Perfecting AI art prompts requires not just a keen aesthetic sense but also a flair for utilizing advanced techniques and modifiers. In creating your AI art prompts, you may use: 

• Colorful descriptions: Use color adjectives and descriptive modifiers to evoke specific imagery, like 'cobalt blue skies' or 'lush green forests'.

• Light and shadow play: Incorporate elements of light and shadow with phrases like 'bathed in golden sunlight' or 'shrouded in dense shadow' to subtly shift the mood and atmosphere.

• Style specification: Specify the style or desired application of techniques, such as 'impressionistic', 'cubist', or 'glitch', to guide the artistic direction.

Balance specificity with creativity

Being too specific can constrict AI's creative strength while being too vague can produce unfocused and disjointed outputs. You should: 

• Stay specific: Use precise details such as "a cyberpunk cityscape during a rainy night", not just a "futuristic city".

• Allow room for creativity: Let AI surprise you. Instead of dictating every detail, leave some aspects open to interpretation, like "a cityscape with an element of surprise".

• Experiment: Perfect balance comes through trial and error. Don't shy away from refining and retesting your prompts.

Review and refine your prompt

Once you've drafted your AI art prompt, it's time for the pivotal step of reviewing and refining. It’s key to look at it with a critical eye and make beneficial tweaks: 

• Revisit your prompt: Revisiting your prompt with a fresh perspective after a short break can help you identify any unclear instructions or excessive detail.

• Consider the context: Does it lead the AI image generator in a specific creative direction, or is it too vague?

• Check the prompt's length: The prompts for AI art should be clear and concise. If it's too long, try to condense it without losing critical information.

• Resonance: Ensure your prompt aligns with the desired style, mood, and theme.

Learn from community examples

Community examples offer a wealth of insight into the process of crafting effective AI prompts. Tapping into this collective wisdom of experienced artists helps you sharpen your prompt creation skills, fostering innovation and creativity in your AI art journey. 

A few pointers to consider include:

• Noting how they balance specificity and ambiguity to provoke diverse results

• Observing the use of descriptive language and vivid imagery

• Examining the incorporation of diverse themes, styles, and genres

• Learning from their distinct methods of defining subject matter and setting

• Utilizing their explorations of mood, atmosphere, and complexity

Explore a series of top AI art prompt examples to jumpstart your journey into the dynamic intersection of artificial intelligence and artistry.

Fantasy worlds and characters

1. "Design an intricate high fantasy digital art piece, focusing on a sprawling Elven city nestled in an ancient forest, bathed in the ethereal twilight glow." 

2. "Illustrate a gripping Medieval fantasy scene, displaying an epic duel between a fire-breathing dragon and a courageous knight clad in gleaming armor, in a style reminiscent of Chronicles of Narnia." 

3. "Craft a delicate piece of fairy art in watercolor style, showcasing a dazzling fairy circle set against an enchanted woodland backdrop." 

4. "Create a vibrant, pop art-style portrait of a classic movie star with a modern twist, incorporating bold, contrasting colors and comic book-style halftone dots. The background should feature iconic symbols or elements related to the star's most famous roles"

5. "Create a Middle Eastern fantasy digital painting, highlighting a mystical genie emerging grandly from an ornate lamp in a bustling marketplace."

Science fiction and futurism

1. "Depict a dystopia in outer space with silhouetted figures standing against a background of nebulae, distant stars, and collapsed civilizations, painted with impressionistic strokes." 

2. "Conceive an alternate reality where quantum computers have taken over the world. Mirroring cyberpunk aesthetics, illustrate towering superstructures, neon-drenched streets, and advanced human-android interactions." 

3. "Create a realistic 3D model of a metropolis on Mars, just as the sun is setting. Buildings sculpted out of native Martian materials, advanced terraforming machinery in action, and futuristic vehicles zooming past should be featured." 

4. "Illustrate a chilling rogue AI takeover, showcasing a city in disarray: autonomous drones soaring the sky, robotic hounds patrolling the streets, colossal digital billboards broadcasting cryptic messages." 

5. "Imagine a civilization where bioluminescent fauna illuminates an underwater city in the deep ocean. Emphasize the harmony of organic forms and futuristic technology, infused with elements of magical realism."

Historical and cultural imagery

1. "Design a Renaissance ballroom scene imbued with classic opulence and populated with nobles clad in era-appropriate attire."

2. "Generate an AI painting of a bustling marketplace in Ancient Rome, featuring a display of fruits, wares, and patrons with Roman attire."

3. "Illustrate a festive scene during the Chinese Spring Festival, showcasing vibrant lanterns, dragon dances, and traditional Chinese attire."

4. "Create a digital depiction of an 1800s American Wild West scene, starring cowboys, horses, and a backdrop teeming with saloons and dust-blown streets."

5. "Craft a depiction of the African Masai tribe, illustrating their vibrant clothing and beaded jewelry against the verdant landscape of the Great Rift Valley."

Nature and wildlife

1. "Generate a vibrant AI painting showcasing a breathtaking sunset over a dense, pristine rainforest. Capture the deeply saturated hues of the falling sun and how they illuminate myriad species in their natural habitat." 

2. "Create a detailed illustration featuring a dynamic scene of various wild animals gathering around a waterhole. Highlight the tension, suspense, and the raw desperation for survival in a harsh environment."

3. "Showcase the majesty of the mighty ocean through an AI-generated image. Populate your seascape with a variety of marine life: dolphins leaping in waves, colorful schools of fish beneath the surface, and perhaps even a majestic whale tail breaking away from the water." 

4. "Depict the transition of seasons on a serene mountain landscape. Communicate this shift from a vibrant blossoming spring to a frosty winter wonderland, capturing the beauty of life in adversity."  

5. "Concoct a fantasy-infused rendition of an owl perched on a gnarled branch under a starry sky. Bring on the mystic charm with glowing eyes and an aura that blends seamlessly with the ethereal atmosphere."

Abstract and surreal art

1. Create an abstract digital art piece consisting of overlapping geometric shapes. Arrange these shapes in a way that exhibits harmony and balance, colored in a vibrant and psychedelic palette to create an optical illusion effect. 

2. Using a surreal approach, design a digital art scene featuring unconventional items and patterns co-existing in an impossible world. This digital art should reflect the works of the famous surrealist artist Salvador Dalí. 

3. Illustrate a digital artwork emulating cubism, showcasing a real-life object from multiple perspectives. Use abstract shapes partitioned into smaller facets and painted in muted colors that evoke Pablo Picasso's renowned style.

4. Create an abstract rendition of a sunflower in the heart of a desert. This abstract piece should employ bold hues and lower resolution to evoke the feeling of isolation and grandeur of the desert scene. 

5. Develop a digital art piece inspired by primitivism. This work should incorporate abstract symbols, patterns, and colors to represent an indigenous culture or ancient civilization, akin to the works of Paul Gauguin.

Portraits and character studies

1. Generate a Victorian-era portrait of a distinguished lady adorned in an extravagantly detailed gown and intricate accessories, with a backdrop of a grand manor. 

2. Design a character study of a grizzled old sea captain with weather-beaten features, showcasing his steely determination and the toll of life on the high seas. 

3. Create artwork of a cyberpunk heroine, accentuating her vibrant neon-colored outfit, body modifications, and a dystopian cityscape in the background. 

4. Depict a classic Greek sculpture of a youthful Adonis, showing the fine details of his muscular definition and the softness of his serene expression. 

5. Render a sci-fi character portrait of an alien emissary, highlighting the unique facial features, texture, and colorations native to their species, with an alien planet setting in the background.

Architectural wonders

1. "Craft a digital image of a renowned architectural marvel, the Eiffel Tower, bathed under a resplendent golden sunset. Add fine details to depict its wrought-iron framework and illuminate the entire structure with twinkling lights that reflect off the Seine River below." 

2. "Generate a majestic rendering of the famous Art Deco monument, the Chrysler Building in New York. Pearl-grey clouds should backdrop the sleek, gleaming spire, while the city's bustle pulsates below."

3. "Conjure a dramatic interpretation of Barcelona's masterful architectural wonder, the Sagrada Familia. Transform its intricate stonework and sculpted facades into an ethereal underwater structure, complete with coral reef elements and glowing sea creatures."

4. "Fashion an outlandishly modern cityscape inspired by Frank Gehry's dynamic architectural style. Picture titanium-clad buildings mirroring sky and light, punctuated by asymmetrical curves and unpredictable patterns."

5. "Manifest an immersive art piece featuring the Great Wall of China snaking through autumn-hued forests and mountain ridges. Incorporate details emblematic of ancient architecture, and narrate its history through embedded symbols and motifs."

Cyberpunk and neon aesthetics

1. A street-level view of a bustling cyberpunk metropolis at twilight, under a sky awash with neon lights reflected on wet asphalt amidst the bustling city traffic and towering skyscrapers.

2. Create an intricate piece capturing a cybernetic protagonist set against the backdrop of a seedy underground cyber bar, bathed in harsh neon glows and pulsating electronic beats.

3. Visualize a photorealistic, drone-eye nocturnal panorama of a dense, high-tech mega city. Accentuate neon signage in foreign scripts, holographic advertisements, and airborne vehicles zipping through the sky.

4. Conceptualize a haunting, futuristic neon-infused city submerged in perpetual rainfall, with cyber-enhanced inhabitants going about their nightly routines in a cyber world defined by code and silicon.

5. Imagine an eerie, dystopian alleyway in a neon-drenched cityscape, lit by a mixture of bioluminescent plant life and artificial neon projections, populated by shadowy, augmented figures.

Cross-genre mashups

1. Create a Victorian-era cityscape with futuristic cyberpunk elements, merging the charm of the past with the innovation of the future.

2. Design an eerie, moonlit Gothic castle landscape peppered with bright, whimsical Alice in Wonderland touches.

3. Depict a Norse mythological creature in a gritty, noir-style detective setting.

4. Imagine an Ancient Roman gladiator in a space opera setting, fighting otherworldly creatures with futuristic weapons.

5. Draw inspiration from classic Impressionism and modern Game Art, creating a dreamlike, pastel-hued digital realm from a popular video game.

Seasonal themes and events

1. ''Create a wintry scene with snow falling on a cozy log cabin nestled among tall evergreen trees, with a warm glow emanating from the windows. Incorporate northern lights in the background and a snowman beside the cabin.''

2. ''Depict a vibrant spring landscape featuring a cherry blossom festival, with people having picnics under the trees. The majority of the image should be dominated by shades of pink and white, with occasional dabs of light pastel colors depicting festive elements.''

3. ''Envision an autumnal countryside scene, with a pumpkin field, and farmhouses bathed in an orange-red-gold palette denoting the fall season. Add a scarecrow in the foreground with crows resting on its arms for a classic autumn feel.''

4. ''Create a summer beach party scene with a lively crowd, surfboards, an ice cream truck, and an intense sunset. Capture the positive and energetic vibes that define the season. Include realistic reflections and lighting for added effect.''

5. ''Illustrate a festive Christmas market scene at a European square at night, with rows of market stalls selling holiday goods, Christmas lights, a giant decorated tree at the center, and people warmly dressed enjoying the festive spirit.''

Now it's time to bring your AI-generated art to life! Gelato offers a seamless transition from digital creation to physical manifestation. You can choose from a range of premium quality products such as t-shirts, mugs, wall art, phone cases, and photo books, perfect for showcasing your unique AI-generated designs. 

What's more? Gelato's Design Maker is a creative powerhouse, offering users a seamless way to bring their design ideas to life. With its user-friendly interface, anyone can create stunning, personalized products. Whether for business or pleasure, it connects you to a global print on demand network, ensuring high-quality results delivered worldwide.

Turn your AI visions into reality; the world is your canvas with Gelato. Sign up for Gelato today and choose a subscription plan that suits your needs and objectives.