45 Prompts To Explore AI Illustration Images

How this works

Introduction

This guide is designed to help you navigate the landscape of digital illustration techniques and make informed decisions for your upcoming projects.

Digital illustration has transformed visual art, offering an unprecedented range of creative possibilities.

In this article we explore several of these styles, discover how to create prompts, and experiment with done for you prompts.

At the end, there's a surprise. I'll show you a way to take any image that you encounter and convert it into a prompt.

Types of Illustration

Here are 15 different illustration styles.

1. Realistic Illustration
2. Cartoon/Comic Book Illustration
3. Flat Illustration
4. Line Art Illustration
5. Digital Illustration
6. Watercolor Illustration
7. Pencil Illustration
8. Charcoal Illustration
9. Woodcut Illustration
10. Collage Illustration
11. Fashion Illustration
12. Technical Illustration
13. Children's Book Illustration
14. Caricature Illustration
15. 3D Illustration

Now for each of these 15 illustration styles, I have developed two types of prompts that you can try: One is simple and the other is more creative.

Start with the simple and once you get the hang of it, move to the more creative.

Then advance to modify and create your own prompts, simple or advanced, on demand.

Your Simple Illustration Prompt

This is a simple prompt with the variables bolded in curly brackets.

Create a scene inspired by {art style}, incorporating elements such as {key elements}. Capture the scene with {illustration technique} to achieve {desired effect}.The scene should have a {mood or atmosphere} and include {additional details}.

Here are 5 simple and straightforward variations for each key in the prompt [you can expand these to 10, or 15 as you wish]

{art style} =

1. Impressionism
2. Surrealism
3. Art Nouveau
4. Pop Art
5. Minimalism

{key elements} =

1. Flowing lines
2. Geometric shapes
3. Natural forms
4. Bold colors
5. Negative space

{illustration technique} =

1. Watercolor
2. Digital painting
3. Pen and ink
4. Collage
5. Linocut printing

{desired effect} =

1. Dreamy atmosphere
2. Visual contrast
3. Sense of movement
4. Emotional impact
5. Optical illusion

{mood or atmosphere} =

1. Serene
2. Mysterious
3. Playful
4. Melancholic
5. Energetic

{additional details} =

1. Hidden symbols
2. Textured backgrounds
3. Reflections
4. Repeated patterns
5. Silhouettes

Now let's combine the Illustration Style + Generic prompt + variable keys, randomly to create some prompts for you to use, try, modify and learn.

I'll create some random combinations to generate unique illustration prompts using Simple Prompts.

Simple Illustration Prompts Done For You

1. Illustrate a twilight metropolis, pulsing with life. Reflections dance in glass, architecture whispers secrets. Digital brushstrokes weave hyper-reality, textures so tangible they breathe.
2. Titans clash in vibrant panel. Illustrate with bold strokes birth larger-than-life nemeses. Onomatopoeia explodes, action frozen in eternal conflict.
3. Illustrate: Geometric skyline, minimalist dream. Layers whisper depth, colors speak in hushed tones. Subtle motion breathes life into static forms.
4. Illustrate: Mechanical chimera emerges from intricate lines. Weight and texture born of varied strokes. Negative space amplifies fantastical form.
5. Illustrate: Future's canvas blends organic and synthetic. Digital alchemy crafts impossible light, textures defy reality. Subtle animations blur the line between still and motion.
6. Illustrate: Ethereal forest, digital watercolors bleed dreams. Light dances through leaves, colors meld in aqueous harmony. Splatter and grain whisper of traditional techniques.
7. Illustrate: Emotions etched in graphite, shading speaks volumes. Pencil textures weave depth, focus emerges from chaos. Smudges soften, lending organic whispers.
8. Illustrate: Moody vistas born of digital charcoal. Light and shadow wage eternal war. Smudges and erasures sculpt atmosphere from void.
9. Illustrate: Bold contrasts echo ancient craft. Thick lines carve narrative, black voids speak volumes. Subtle textures whisper of hand-carved heritage.
10. Illustrate: Reality fragments, reassembles in surreal tapestry. Photographic ghosts dance with painted phantoms, boundaries blur in dreamlike fusion.
11. Illustrate: Avant-garde visions flow from fluid lines. Fabric defies gravity, watercolor washes breathe life into static forms.
12. Illustrate: Mechanical secrets laid bare in precise vectors. Isometric perspective reveals hidden truths. Annotations decode complexity.
13. Illustrate: Whimsy blooms in vibrant hues. Simplified forms hide complexity, inviting young eyes to explore. Magic lurks in every corner.
14. Illustrate: Public figure distorted, essence amplified. Bold strokes caricature fame, humor etched in exaggeration. Personality echoes in visual metaphors.
15. Illustrate: Alien bazaar rendered in digital dimension. Otherworldly textures, impossible light craft alternate reality. Subtle motion breathes alien life.

Creative Illustration Prompts

Envision a {setting} where {art style} collides with {contrasting concept}. Illustrate a scene that {narrative prompt}, incorporating {key elements} and {unexpected object}. Employ {illustration technique} fused with {unconventional material} to achieve {desired effect}. Infuse the piece with a {mood or atmosphere}, while subtly conveying {abstract theme}. Challenge convention by {artistic twist} and include {additional details} that offer layers of meaning.

Important: Once you write the full image prompt, get ChatGPT to make the prompt cryptic, without losing its meaning, to under 400 characters for optimal rendering.

The variable keys for creative illustration

{setting} =

1. Underwater metropolis
2. Floating sky islands
3. Cyberpunk alleyway
4. Enchanted forest glade
5. Martian desert colony
6. Steampunk airship deck
7. Quantum realm laboratory
8. Ancient temple ruins
9. Neon-lit rooftop garden
10. Interdimensional train station

{art style} =

1. Art Nouveau
2. Cubism
3. Surrealism
4. Pop Art
5. Impressionism
6. Abstract Expressionism
7. Minimalism
8. Gothic Revival
9. Baroque
10. Art Deco

{contrasting concept} =

1. Futuristic technology
2. Primal instincts
3. Environmental conservation
4. Artificial intelligence
5. Ancient mythology
6. Quantum physics
7. Social media culture
8. Spiritual awakening
9. Genetic engineering
10. Time travel paradoxes

{narrative prompt} =

1. Reveals a hidden truth about the universe
2. Depicts a moment of unexpected transformation
3. Bridges two seemingly incompatible worlds
4. Challenges the viewer's perception of time
5. Personifies an abstract concept
6. Reimagines a historical event through a fantastical lens
7. Explores the consequences of a "what if" scenario
8. Visualizes the birth of a new idea
9. Captures the essence of an emotion in physical form
10. Illustrates the ripple effect of a small action

{key elements} =

1. Floating geometric shapes
2. Bioluminescent creatures
3. Clockwork mechanisms
4. Fractured reflections
5. Swirling energy vortexes
6. Impossible architecture
7. Metamorphosing figures
8. Cosmic patterns
9. Living shadows
10. Holographic projections

{unexpected object} =

1. A sentient shadow
2. An impossible machine
3. A portal disguised as everyday item
4. A creature made of pure energy
5. A paradoxical structure
6. An object that exists in multiple dimensions
7. A relic from a forgotten civilization
8. A living, breathing artwork
9. A tool that manipulates reality
10. An anachronistic artifact

{illustration technique} =

1. Digital painting
2. Watercolor and ink
3. Collage and mixed media
4. Vector illustration
5. Etching and engraving
6. Pointillism
7. Linocut printmaking
8. Airbrush and stencil
9. Scratchboard
10. Generative AI art

{unconventional material} =

1. Bioluminescent pigments
2. Holographic projections
3. Kinetic sand
4. Programmable matter
5. Living plant material
6. Quantum dot displays
7. Shape-memory alloys
8. Photochromic dyes
9. Ferrofluid
10. Aerogel

{desired effect} =

1. Mind-bending optical illusion
2. Seamless blend of reality and fantasy
3. Emotional resonance
4. Sensory overload
5. Temporal disorientation
6. Philosophical contemplation
7. Subconscious awakening
8. Synesthetic experience
9. Paradigm shift
10. Cosmic interconnectedness

{mood or atmosphere} =

1. Ethereal wonder
2. Unsettling disquiet
3. Nostalgic melancholy
4. Electric excitement
5. Serene contemplation
6. Chaotic energy
7. Dreamlike surreality
8. Primal intensity
9. Cosmic awe
10. Bittersweet longing

{abstract theme} =

1. The illusion of free will
2. The nature of consciousness
3. The interconnectedness of all things
4. The malleability of reality
5. The power of collective imagination
6. The beauty in impermanence
7. The duality of existence
8. The rhythm of the cosmos
9. The evolution of ideas
10. The symbiosis of chaos and order

{artistic twist} =

1. Inverting the laws of physics
2. Merging multiple timelines
3. Anthropomorphizing abstract concepts
4. Visualizing sound or music
5. Depicting invisible forces
6. Reimagining scale and proportion
7. Fusing organic and inorganic elements
8. Challenging color theory norms
9. Incorporating tactile or interactive elements
10. Blending 2D and 3D perspectives

{additional details} =

1. Hidden symbols and glyphs
2. Recursive patterns within patterns
3. Subtle references to famous artworks
4. Optical illusions that change with perspective
5. Elements that respond to viewer interaction
6. Microscopic details visible only upon close inspection
7. Shifting elements that change over time
8. Embedded narratives within the larger scene
9. Anamorphic elements that reveal new images from different angles
10. Layers that peel away to reveal deeper meanings

Done-for-you Creative Illustration Prompts

• [Martian Art Nouveau meets gene-spliced dreams. Emotion incarnate swirls with energy vortexes, birthing pure consciousness. Digital alloys blur reality's edge. Unsettling whispers fuse organic and inorganic, hiding stories within stories]
• Baroque depths embrace bioluminescent conservation. Worlds collide through everyday portals. Etched chromatic dyes resonate emotion. Wonder whispers interconnectedness. Sound visualized, perspective shifts meaning.
• Cyberpunk alleys birth primal Pop Art. What if, spawns impossible machines. Vectors dance with ferrofluid, overloading senses. Electric free will challenges color theory. Patterns nest infinitely.
• Art Deco islands float in social media skies. History reimagined through fractured reflections. Airbrushed matter bends minds. Chaos breeds ideas. Touch the art, watch it evolve.
• Quantum minimalism meets mythic lab. Cosmic patterns reveal universal truths. Vectors glow with quantum dots, contemplating existence. Awe whispers cosmic rhythms. Hidden glyphs redefine scale.
• Cubist AI runs interdimensional station. Time bends as figures morph. Kinetic sand generates dreamscapes. Reality melts. Timelines merge, revealing new angles.
• Gothic quantum glade personifies abstractions. Clockwork transcends dimensions. Luminous scratches awaken minds. Serenity speaks of duality. Invisible forces hide microscopic truths.
• Ancient tech blooms with Impressionist future. Ideas birth from floating geometry. Reality-bending tools emerge from pointillist aerogel. Nostalgia whispers collective power. Famous art hides in plain sight.
• Steampunk deck warps time, Surrealism style. Shadows live, artifacts defy eras. Holographic paint connects cosmos. Primal order emerges from chaos. 2D and 3D merge, peeling away meaning.
• Neon garden births Abstract Expressionist awakening. Actions ripple through holograms and sentient shadows. Living collage shifts paradigms. Impermanence's beauty inverts physics. Art responds to your touch.

• Floating isles, Impressionist conservation collide. Emotion manifests amid bioluminescence, everyday portal. Watercolor-ink-photochromics blur reality/fantasy. Ethereal wonder whispers interconnectedness. Sound visualized, perspective-shifting illusions reveal layers.
• Enchanted glade, Art Nouveau meets quantum. Worlds bridge through energy vortexes, paradox structures. Watercolor-ink-bioluminescence evoke emotion. Serene contemplation hints at malleable reality. Organic-inorganic fusion embeds narratives within narratives.
• Ancient AI temple, Gothic-revival ruins. Universal truth revealed via impossible architecture, multi-dimensional objects. Digital sketches-programmable matter disorient time. Unsettling quiet ponders consciousness. Inverted physics hide symbolic glyphs.
• Cyberpunk alley, Minimalist mythology clash. What if, explored through fractured reflections, living art. Pencil-watercolor-shape-memory alloys philosophize. Electric excitement suggests duality. Reimagined scale hides recursive patterns.
• Martian Baroque colony meets social media. Abstract concept personified via metamorphosis, reality-bending tools. Charcoal-ferrofluid awakens subconscious. Primal intensity echoes collective imagination. Anthropomorphized abstractions reference famous works.
• Quantum Surrealist lab engineers genes. Time perception challenged through cosmic patterns, anachronistic artifacts. Charcoal-quantum dots synesthetize experience. Dreamlike surreality pulses cosmic rhythm. Merged timelines respond to viewers.
• Underwater Art Deco primal metropolis. Fantastical history reimagined via clockwork, sentient shadows. Woodcut-holograms bend minds. Chaotic energy implies illusory free will. Invisible forces reveal anamorphic angles.
• Steampunk Cubist airship bends time. New idea births amid floating geometry, impossible machines. Woodcut-kinetic sand shifts paradigms. Nostalgic melancholy evolves ideas. Subverted color theory morphs over time.
• Neon Pop Art garden awakens spirit. Transformation captured in living shadows, energy beings. Collage-aerogel overloads senses. Cosmic awe finds beauty in impermanence. 2D/3D blend hides microscopic details.
• Interdimensional Abstract Expressionist station meets future tech. Small actions ripple through holograms, forgotten relics. Collage-living plants connect cosmos. Bittersweet longing balances chaos/order. Tactile elements peel away meanings.

• Quantum Nouveau AI nexus. Worlds collide via energy vortices, paradox structures. Digital alloys resonate emotion. Electric reality bends. Sound visualized, perspective shifts meaning.
• Minimalist cyber-myth alley. Universal truth in impossible architecture, multi-dimensional relic. Photochromic vectors contemplate existence. Unsettling consciousness whispers. Organic-inorganic fusion embeds nested narratives.
• Baroque quantum Mars colony. "What if" spawns clockwork reality-benders. Programmed etchings disorient time. Serene interconnectedness inverts physics. Glyphs hide meaning.
• Gothic gene-punk airship. Abstract concept personified in fractured anachronisms. Quantum dot vectors awaken subconscious. Primal imagination reimagines scale. Patterns nest infinitely.
• Impressionist eco-glade. Emotion incarnate in bioluminescent portals. Glowing watercolors blur reality/fantasy. Ethereal impermanence anthropomorphizes abstractions. Art history whispers in details.
• Pop Art time-islands. History reimagined through metamorphic living art. Holographic paint synesthesizes experience. Dreamy idea evolution merges timelines. Art responds to touch.
• Surreal social media garden. Time bends via cosmic patterns, sentient shadows. Ferrofluid sketches illusions. Chaotic free will depicts invisible. Angles reveal hidden images.
• Cubist primal underwater metropolis. Ideas birth from geometric impossibilities. Kinetic vector sand shifts paradigms. Nostalgic chaos-order symbiosis defies color theory. Art morphs over time.

Create Illustrations Similar To Another

It's easy to upload an illustration that you find/ like to DallE.

Step 1: Ask DallE to describe the image

Step 2: Make the description cryptic, under 400 characters, without losing its essence

Step 3: Create the image from the description.

Step 4: Modify the prompt to get as close to the original as you can.

Conclusion

Perfecting AI-generated illustrations is an iterative process.

Analyze initial outputs to identify areas for improvement. Adjust prompts to guide the AI closer to your vision - tweak colors, composition, style, or missing details.

Think of it as a dialogue with the AI. Provide feedback through refined prompts; the AI responds with updated visuals. Each iteration brings you closer to the ideal image as you learn to communicate ideas more effectively.

Unexpected combinations can yield surprising results, pushing creative boundaries.

Through this process, you'll develop an intuition for effective prompts and settings. This refinement isn't just about technical skill - it's about cultivating your unique artistic voice.

Remember, the goal isn't perfection on the first try. Embrace the journey of exploration, learn from each iteration, and allow yourself to be inspired by the AI's creations.

Next Steps

1. To help you find your way around Phewture, I have put together a set of AI Recipes under Wayfinding. Do go through these and you'll navigate like a pro through this stream of consciousness. 😄
   
2. The Learning Methods are exercises that I'd recommend if you wish to wrap your head around the possibilities of using AI Recipes at work, or for play.
   
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