Last Updated on September 8, 2023 by Christopher G Mendla

Dive into the world of AI-generated art: a cost-effective, innovative solution for sourcing unique visuals for your site. Stay informed about potential drawbacks and tips for the best results.

The Power of Images

Captivating visuals instantly attract users, prompting them to click on your site. Engaging graphics and images can enhance their overall experience.

Beware of the Copyright Trolls

Unintentionally using copyrighted images can lead to hefty penalties. Not all image providers are trustworthy, and some may unintentionally offer copyrighted content.

The “Old Ways” of Sourcing Images

1. Create Your Own Images Not everyone possesses artistic flair, and producing images demands time. Using personal photographs may be an option, but might not always be apt for every article.
2. Purchase Images Image galleries are diverse in terms of cost and content. It’s not always guaranteed you’ll find the perfect match.
3. Hire an Artist Platforms like Fiverr connect you to myriad artists. Be wary: quality varies, and some might give you images sourced from the internet, risking copyright issues.

The AI-Generated Art Revolution

AI art, a burgeoning field, offers an alternative to traditional image sourcing.

• The Process
  1. Set up an account on an AI Art platform such as NightCafe.
  2. Draft a brief descriptor like “A Cyborg painting a picture of a person.”
  3. Platforms like NightCafe offer various tools like Stable Diffusion and Dall-E-2. Each provides a unique interpretation of your prompt.
  4. Adjust parameters such as aspect ratio, number of images, and quality.
  5. Review credit costs and download the image for use.

Potential Drawbacks and Concerns

• Unclear copyright rules for AI-generated art. Consider watermarking or embedding a copyright in the metadata for protection.
• Search engines may or may not favor AI Art.
• There is alearning curve with AI Art platforms.
• Not all AI-generated images meet expectations. You sometimes end up with something that might have been created by a sleep deprived four year old.
• Some AI Art engines may restrict certain terms or content. For example, some will allow you to use the names of famous people while others won’t.
• Ensuring AI-generated art doesn’t misrepresent your content is crucial.

Hints and Tips for AI Art Novices

• Dive in and experiment. Familiarity comes with practice.
• Platforms like ChatGPT can assist in crafting prompts, albeit indirectly.
• Most engines accept a ‘starter image’ as a base.
• Use prompts and negative prompts to refine results.
• This example is more of a cartoon/fantasy. You can add prompts for a wide variety of artistic styles ranging from cartoons to photorealistic images.

An example.

Suppose I want an image of a robot painting a picture of a barn.

I can create a prompt in ChatGPT such as the following:

Help me create a prompt for AI Art that would show a robot painting a picture of a barn

The robot is painting on canvas with a brush using the barn as a model

The prompt needs to be less than 400 characters

ChatGPT will return a prompt such as the following:

Depict a robot with articulate hands, standing in a serene countryside setting, using a paintbrush to create a detailed painting on a canvas. The subject of the robot's artwork is a rustic barn in the distance. The scene should capture the robot's concentration and the intricate process of translating the barn's image onto the canvas."

You can view the ChatGPT prompt and response here.

That went a little over the 400 character limit so I tweaked it a little in NightCafe

Depict a robot with hands, standing in a serene countryside setting, using a paintbrush to create a detailed painting on a canvas. The subject of the robot's artwork is a rustic barn . The scene should capture the robot's concentration and the intricate process of translating the barn's image onto the canvas.

SDXL created 16 images based on that prompt

The Verdict on AI-Generated Art

AI-generated imagery can enhance your website, offering a cost-effective means to source unique visuals. There’s a learning phase, but tools like ChatGPT can simplify the journey, aiding in prompt generation for captivating results.