Six AI Image Tutorials to Get You Creating
Work through each tutorial in order, or jump to the topic you need. Every step is short, practical, and something you can try right away.
1. Write your first prompt
A strong prompt names four things: the subject, the style, the lighting, and the composition. Start with what you want to see, for example a red fox, then layer on a style such as watercolor illustration, a lighting cue like soft morning light, and a framing note like close-up portrait. The style library shows what each style looks like, with a sample prompt for every one.
The clearer your description, the closer the result lands to your vision. Head to the AI Image Generator and describe your idea in a sentence or two to begin.
2. Add lighting and mood
Lighting sets the entire feeling of an image. Golden hour gives a warm, glowing look, cinematic lighting adds contrast and drama, soft studio light keeps things clean and even, and dramatic shadows create a moody, high-contrast scene.
Add one lighting phrase to your prompt, generate, and compare. Feeling the difference between two lighting styles is the fastest way to learn what each one does.
3. Choose the right aspect ratio
Pick an aspect ratio that matches where the image will live. Use 1:1 square for social posts and avatars, 16:9 for website heroes and video thumbnails, and 9:16 for mobile wallpapers, stories, and reels.
Setting the ratio before you generate keeps your composition intact and saves you from awkward cropping after the fact.
4. Iterate on your outputs
Great images come from small, deliberate tweaks. Change one detail at a time, such as swapping the lighting or the color palette, so you can see exactly what each edit does.
Reuse a seed to keep a composition steady while you refine your wording, then run the prompt again with one phrase changed and keep the direction you like best.
5. Use reference images
You do not have to start from a blank prompt. Upload a reference image and describe the change you want to guide the result toward a look you already have in mind.
Image-to-image and style transfer are great for restyling a photo, matching a color palette, or keeping a character consistent across a whole series of images.
6. Pick the right model
Different models shine at different jobs. Nano Banana Pro is the fast default with built-in web search and strong character work, Flux 2 Pro handles complex compositions and versatile artistic styles, and Flux 1.1 Pro is a proven choice for ambient scenes.
For premium quality, Nano Banana 2 delivers the sharpest character and editing results, and GPT Image 2 leads on readable text in the image and photorealistic detail. Not sure where to start? Compare them in our best AI image tools guide.
Pro Tips for Better Results
A few habits that help every creator get more out of the AI image generator.
Start Simple, Then Layer
Begin with a short prompt, review the result, and add detail one phrase at a time. You will learn faster and keep more control over the outcome.
Save Prompts That Work
When a prompt lands, keep it. Small edits to a proven prompt are the fastest path to fresh variations that still feel on brand.
Match the Model to the Task
Reach for text-friendly models when your image needs readable words, and character-focused models when consistency across a series matters.
AI Image Tutorial FAQs
Common questions from creators learning the AI image generator.
Start small and build up. Write a short prompt, look closely at what comes back, then add one detail at a time so you can see how each change shapes the image. Working through prompts, lighting, aspect ratios, iterating, reference images, and model choice in order gives you a repeatable process you can lean on for any project.
Name four things: the subject, the style, the lighting, and the composition. For example, a red fox, watercolor illustration, soft morning light, close-up portrait. The clearer and more specific your description, the closer the result lands to what you pictured.
Match the ratio to where the image will live. Use 1:1 square for social posts and avatars, 16:9 for website heroes and video thumbnails, and 9:16 for mobile wallpapers, stories, and reels. Choosing the ratio before you generate saves you from cropping later.
Yes. Upload a reference image and describe the change you want, and the generator uses your image to guide the result. This image-to-image approach is great for restyling a photo, matching a color palette, or keeping a character consistent across a series.
It depends on the job. Nano Banana Pro is the fast default with built-in web search and strong character work, Flux 2 Pro handles complex compositions and versatile artistic styles, and Flux 1.1 Pro is a proven choice for ambient scenes. For premium quality, Nano Banana 2 gives the sharpest character and editing results, and GPT Image 2 leads on readable text in the image and photorealistic detail.
Not at all. These tutorials are written for creators and artists at any level. You describe what you want in plain language, and the AI handles the technical side, so you can focus on your ideas.