How to Make AI Art: Complete Beginner's Guide (2025)
Learn how to create stunning AI art from scratch. Step-by-step tutorial for complete beginners. No experience needed - start making AI images today!
How to Make AI Art: Complete Beginner's Guide (2025)
Never created AI art before? This guide takes you from complete beginner to creating stunning AI-generated images in under 30 minutes.
What is AI Art?
AI art is created by artificial intelligence systems that have learned from millions of images. You describe what you want in words (a "prompt"), and the AI creates an image matching your description.
How Does It Work?
- You write a prompt: "A cat wearing a space helmet on Mars"
- AI processes your words: The system understands concepts
- AI generates the image: Combining learned patterns
- You get unique artwork: Every generation is different
Choosing Your First Tool
Recommended for Beginners
| Tool | Why It's Good | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Bing Image Creator | Free, high quality, easy | Free |
| Leonardo AI | Generous free tier | Free (150/day) |
| Ideogram | Simple interface | Free (25/day) |
Start Here: Bing Image Creator at bing.com/create
Your First Prompt
The Basic Formula
[Subject] + [Description] + [Setting] + [Style]
Example Prompts for Beginners
Simple: "A fluffy orange cat sleeping on a window sill, sunlight streaming in"
More Detailed: "A fluffy orange cat sleeping peacefully on a vintage wooden window sill, warm afternoon sunlight streaming through lace curtains, cozy cottage interior, photorealistic style"
Artistic: "A majestic orange cat sleeping on a window sill, golden hour lighting, oil painting style, impressionist brushstrokes, warm color palette"
Step-by-Step Tutorial
Step 1: Go to Bing Image Creator (bing.com/create) Step 2: Sign in with Microsoft account (free) Step 3: Enter your prompt Step 4: Click "Create" and wait 30 seconds Step 5: Review your 4 image variations Step 6: Download favorites and iterate
Common Beginner Mistakes
Mistake 1: Being Too Vague
- ❌ "A nice picture"
- ✅ "A serene mountain lake at sunrise, mist rising from water"
Mistake 2: Conflicting Descriptions
- ❌ "A realistic cartoon drawing"
- ✅ "A realistic digital painting"
Mistake 3: Overcomplicating
- ❌ First prompt: 200 words with technical parameters
- ✅ Start simple, add detail in iterations
Quick Improvements
Add Lighting: golden hour, soft diffused light, dramatic shadows Add Style: oil painting, digital art, photorealistic, watercolor, anime Add Atmosphere: cozy, mysterious, bright, peaceful
Prompt Templates
Portrait Template
Portrait of [person description], [expression], [clothing], [lighting], [background], [art style]
Landscape Template
[Type of landscape] at [time of day], [weather], [specific elements], [art style], [mood]
Fantasy Template
[Fantasy subject], [magical elements], [setting], [lighting], [art style], highly detailed
Style Keywords That Work
Photography: Photorealistic, portrait, landscape, macro, street, fashion Art Styles: Oil painting, watercolor, digital art, anime, impressionist, art nouveau Quality Boosters: Highly detailed, 8K, masterpiece, professional, award-winning
Your First Week Challenge
- Day 1: Create 5 simple images
- Day 2: Add lighting descriptions
- Day 3: Experiment with 3 art styles
- Day 4: Try a portrait and landscape
- Day 5: Create fantasy or sci-fi
- Day 6: Analyze images with Image to Prompt
- Day 7: Recreate your favorite, but better
Conclusion
Start simple, iterate often, and learn the vocabulary. The best way to learn is by doing!
Ready to level up? Use our Image to Prompt tool to reverse-engineer prompts from images you love.
Ready to Create Amazing AI Art?
Use our Image to Prompt tool to reverse-engineer prompts from any image and improve your AI art skills.