I’ve been messing round with completely different generative AI apps, identical to a lot of you. I’m attempting to determine how I can use them in my job and in addition get actually good at utilizing the varied AI instruments. As a result of I create on-line programs, I’ve been engaged on making my very own illustrations that work effectively.
In a earlier put up, I shared some ideas primarily based on issues I’ve studying utilizing AI. I’m utilizing Midjourney for my examples, however there are lots of instruments on the market on your preliminary experimentation.
Listed below are some ideas I’ve picked up and the way I make these free illustrated characters that I share on LinkedIn.
It Begins with Prompts
The key to getting the precise photographs relies on the prompting. The problem with AI is that you just by no means know what you’ll get and while you get one thing that you just actually like, it’s possible you’ll not get it once more.
- I begin easy and don’t attempt to overstate or be too descriptive initially. After which I work from there.
- I additionally take a look at what photographs folks share within the AI group and after I discover one thing I like, I strive their prompts to see what I get.
- For prompts, I principally use a personality, an motion, after which the type. Relying on what I would like, I’ll add a location or one thing to supply extra visible context.
The Character
There may be lots of bias constructed into the AI language fashions. For instance, if I kind in businessman, 99% of the time it is going to be a white businessman in a swimsuit. Why white? Why a swimsuit? That’s one thing it is advisable account for as you create characters.
Whatever the bias, I begin with one thing generic like businessman. That often offers me a white man in a swimsuit. However that’s OK to start out. As soon as I get the precise look, I modify the descriptor. Some tricks to get higher preliminary characters:
- As an alternative of simply “businessman,” use an age to see what you get. I discover 40-year-old is an effective addition.
- It doesn’t matter what you get, the primary level is to see if you happen to can give you one thing constant.
- There are lots of good movies now on how one can write prompts. The extra you follow and mess around, the higher you get.
- In some unspecified time in the future, I name it good and transfer on. My objective is to discover a easy option to get a adequate picture. Enjoying round in AI for hours (or days…which is able to occur) is enjoyable, however not one thing I can afford to do for lengthy.
As you may see within the photographs beneath, you get some fairly respectable preliminary photographs to start out. I can work with these.
The Motion
Describing the motion is the place you get the pose you need and may use. I hold it easy.
- I prefer to insert “gesturing” as a part of the immediate. It offers me extra assorted arm positions.
- Add an emotion or state-of-being equivalent to “confused” or “offended.”
- I additionally change the pose and should use “arms crossed” or “arms on hips.”
- Mess around and see what you get.
You’ll discover how the photographs change primarily based on a couple of easy phrases.
As you evaluation the photographs above, you’ll discover that the types change fairly a bit. You’ll additionally discover that you could be not get the pose you count on. For instance, “arms on hips” consists of arms crossed. “Arms crossed” aren’t full physique poses. That’s one thing you must stay with.
As you follow and get to know how one can write prompts it is possible for you to to design extra constant types.
The Type
As talked about above, getting a constant type could be robust. Numerous it should come right down to the way you write prompts and the texture you get for them as you follow.
- For illustrated characters, I desire a comparable type and no background so it’s straightforward to wash up.
- My default immediate type is “flat vector illustration” as a result of that works effectively for lots of e-learning course design.
- It additionally works persistently more often than not. And even when the illustrated characters aren’t the identical, they typically are shut sufficient to make use of collectively.
- I do mess around with distinctive type descriptions. For instance, I’ll state “within the type of [add descriptor].”
As you evaluation the photographs above, you’ll discover that including a mode description to the “flat vector illustration” begins to supply a extra particular type that will get nearer to consistency.
Bonus Type Tip: Getting Rid of the Background
The AI picture is simply the start line. Typically you will have to do some edits to arms, faces, and so on. One of many essential issues is getting a clear background in order that I can place the picture the place I need it.
To get as clear a background as doable, I add the immediate: “white background.” That works 90% of the time. The picture beneath is identical “arms on hips” immediate as above with the addition of “white background” within the immediate.
Overcoming Bias with AI
As I famous above, there’s built-in bias which might embody issues like gender and race, but additionally type of garments. You’ll be able to mitigate a few of that by altering the descriptor. As soon as I get a picture type I like, I’ll begin to add extra descriptions to get extra various characters. Very quickly in any respect, I’ve a various set of characters from which to construct.
One factor to think about is your individual bias. For instance, I’ll search for a selected picture after which assume that it really works due to how “I see” that character and what it ought to symbolize.
These are among the fundamental tricks to get began creating your individual characters with AI. In a comply with up put up, I’ll share my secret sauce and what I do to hurry issues up and the way I edit the characters.
Don’t neglect to obtain the characters I’ve already added. I’ll be including extra, so hold your eyes peeled.