AI Drawing Beginner's Guide: Generate Images from 0 to 1 in 5 Minutes

Recalling 2021, when the first AI drawing tools based on diffusion models emerged, they were merely toys for tech enthusiasts. Today, however, this technology has swept across the global creative industry, becoming a valuable assistant for designers, artists, and everyday users. Industry reports indicate that over 85 million users worldwide have used AI drawing services, and in the first quarter of 2024 alone, platforms generated approximately 12.6 billion images.

Foreword: The Rise of AI Drawing

AI drawing is no longer an inaccessible, sophisticated technology, but a practical tool integrated into everyday creation. Whether you are a professional designer seeking inspiration, or an ordinary user wishing to create beautiful images, this guide will help you quickly get started and explore the infinite possibilities of AI drawing.

Basic Concepts: What is AI Drawing

AI drawing technology (or AI image generation) refers to the process of creating completely new images through artificial intelligence algorithms. Modern AI drawing is mainly based on two core technologies:

1. Diffusion Models: such as Stable Diffusion, Midjourney, etc., which generate images by gradually removing noise.
2. Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs): two neural networks compete with each other, one generating images and the other judging authenticity.

These systems are trained by analyzing billions of images, learning how to create new images based on text descriptions (prompts). Simply put, you provide a text description, and AI transforms it into a visual form.

Introduction to Mainstream AI Drawing Tools

Currently, the AI drawing tool market is flourishing, each with its own characteristics. Here are some of the most popular choices:

Beginners are recommended to start with Midjourney or DALL-E 3, as they offer the best balance between ease of use and result quality.

Get Started from Zero: Five Steps to Generate Your First AI Image

Let's take Midjourney as an example and walk through the first AI drawing experience step-by-step:

Step 1: Register and Join the Platform

1. Create or log in to a Discord account
2. Join the official Midjourney server: https://discord.gg/midjourney
3. Complete the subscription (new users have a limited number of free trials)

Step 2: Understand Basic Commands

Midjourney works through text commands. The most basic command is:

/imagine prompt: [Your description]

For example: /imagine prompt: a serene lake at sunset with mountains in the background

Step 3: Write Your First Prompt

A good prompt is key to success. Include the following elements:

• Subject matter (what)
• Style description (how to represent it)
• Technical parameters (resolution, aspect ratio, etc.)

Step 4: Generate and Iterate

1. Submit your prompt
2. Wait 10-30 seconds to generate initial versions (usually 4 variations)
3. Select U1-U4 to upscale a version, or V1-V4 to generate more variations

Step 5: Save and Use

1. Download the image you are satisfied with
2. Post-edit as needed (optional)
3. Pay attention to usage rights

The entire process from start to obtaining a satisfactory work usually takes only 5-10 minutes.

Prompt Engineering: Making AI Understand Your Creativity

Prompt Engineering is the core skill of AI drawing. A good prompt can transform vague concepts into precise visual expressions.

Basic Structure of Prompts

[Subject matter], [Environment/Background], [Style], [Lighting], [Composition], [Technical parameters]

For example:

A young female programmer with round glasses, working in a futuristic office, cyberpunk style, blue and purple neon lighting, side-view perspective, 8k ultra-high-definition, extreme detail

The Power of Language

AI platforms generally understand English better than other languages. Experimental data shows that expressing the same concept in English usually yields more accurate results, with accuracy improved by about 15-20%.

For example, translate the above prompt into English:

A young female programmer with round glasses, working in a futuristic office, cyberpunk style, blue and purple neon lighting, side-view perspective, 8k ultra-high-definition, extreme detail

The Impact of Style Words

Adding artistic styles can significantly change the generated results. Here are a few common styles and their effects:

• Photographic Style: photorealistic, 35mm film, portrait photography
• Illustration Style: digital art, concept art, illustration
• Art Movements: impressionist, cubism, art nouveau
• Specific Artist Style: in the style of [Artist Name]

Note: Referencing the style of living artists may involve copyright issues, please use with caution.

Case Study: From Ordinary to Stunning

Let's look at a practical case to see how to improve prompt quality through iteration:

Initial Prompt:

City night scene

Result: Blurred city outline, lacking detail and personality

Improved Prompt:

Night scene of a bustling city, skyscrapers, neon lights

Result: Clearer but still lacks character

Further Optimization:

Futuristic night scene of Shinjuku, Tokyo, top-down view of skyscrapers, neon lights and holographic projections intertwined, wet streets after light rain reflecting colorful lights, cinematic composition, 8K ultra-high-definition, f/1.4 aperture, shot on Sony A7R4

Final Result: Stunning city panorama with detail and atmosphere, every element is clearly visible

Through this evolution process, we can see the direct relationship between the specificity of the prompt and the quality of the final product.

Practical Tips and Common Issues

⚡ Quick Tips

1. Use weight parameters: In Midjourney, you can use :: to adjust word weights, such as flowers::2 blue::0.5 to make the "flowers" feature more prominent
2. Negative prompts: Specify elements you don't want to appear, such as beautiful scenery, no people, --people --text
3. Reference image: Uploading a reference image influences the results, such as /imagine [uploaded image] landscape painting in a similar style
4. Batch variations: Try using advanced parameters like --chaos 20 to increase result diversity

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why are my results always not as expected? A: AI's understanding of abstract concepts is limited. Try replacing abstract words with more specific descriptions. For example, replace "beautiful scenery" with "a serene lake reflecting the golden sunset".

Q: Human faces often appear distorted, how to fix this? A: This is a common weakness of AI. Try adding prompts such as "precise facial features", "portrait quality", or use model versions focused on portraits.

Q: How to avoid text appearing in the generated results? A: Most AI models have difficulty generating readable text. Use negative prompts such as "--text", "--words", or explicitly indicate "no text".

Advanced Exploration: Customize Your AI Art

After mastering the basics, you can try these advanced techniques:

Model Fine-tuning

For technical users, consider fine-tuning open-source models (such as Stable Diffusion) to adapt to specific styles or content. This requires some programming knowledge and computing resources, but can create a unique personal style.

LoRA and Embeddings

Low-Rank Adaptation (LoRA) and custom embeddings allow training small adapters with dozens of images, injecting specific styles or themes into the model without full fine-tuning.

Try Different Generation Methods

In addition to standard text-to-image generation, you can also explore:

• Image-to-image: Modify existing images
• Inpainting: Modify only specific areas of an image
• Style transfer: Apply the style of one image to another
• Sketch expansion: Generate a complete image from a simple sketch

Conclusion: A New Era of Creation

AI drawing technology is developing at an amazing speed, with new breakthroughs every quarter. Since 2021, image quality has improved 10 times, and controllability has also significantly increased. This not only changes professional creation processes, but also makes artistic expression more democratized.

Industry experts predict that by 2027, over 70% of commercial visual content will rely at least partially on AI generation. However, AI will not replace human creativity, but will become a powerful creative partner, expanding the boundaries of our imagination.

Whether you are curious to try something new, or seeking to improve work efficiency, now is the perfect time to enter the world of AI drawing. Starting with this simple beginner's guide, you already have all the knowledge to create your first piece of AI art. The rest is to unleash your imagination and start creating!

This article is for educational and reference purposes only. When using AI-generated images, please pay attention to the terms of use of the relevant platforms and potential copyright issues.