Key Takeaways
- AI art generators like Deep Dream Generator, Artbreeder, Getimg.AI, and Nightcafé can transform mundane photos into abstract art.
- Each generator offers unique customization options and features, such as Visual Prompt or Image to Image.
- Free accounts are available for most generators, with subscription options for more credits and additional features.
Instead of deleting all of my bad photos, I decided to see what AI could do with them. Here’s how a bit of tech magic turned my mundane photos into something worth looking at.
I’m going to use the same image with every AI art generator to keep the results consistent, and every generator will have a feature that lets you upload a reference photo. Below is the photo I’m using—my attempt to spruce up a bookcase with Christmas decorations, but the framing is way off so the photo was an easy reject.
Starting out with Deep Dream Generator for its Visual Prompt feature, this one was my favorite. Upon loading the generator, click Visual Prompt and select an image to upload from your device. You can leave it at that, but if you’re looking for a specific result, I recommend entering a text prompt, adding modifiers and negatives, and selecting a model.
I didn’t do any of that and went straight to the Generate button to see how much it would deviate from the original photo. I’m very pleased with the results, something that resembles abstract art is exactly what I was going for.
At first glance, the AI kept the color palette, the textures, and the overall composition. When you look closer, you’ll notice the objects are nonsensical, but that doesn’t bother me as photorealistic AI art wasn’t the goal. This new image would make for a pretty background to a character drawing or even a real portrait photo if you blur it a little.
Deep Dream Generator is a free-to-use AI generator, you just need to sign up with an email. Every image generation uses “energy”, which recharges each day with a free account. Subscriptions buy you faster recharge times, starting at $9 per month.
2 Artbreeder – The Easiest to Use
The Artbreeder generator also gave me the results I was looking for, it just doesn’t offer as many customizations as Deep Dream Generator.
Go to the Artbreeder Composer page and click on the image icon next to the text description box. You’ll be prompted to sign up with your email if you haven’t already. Once logged in, select Content > Upload from the image icon drop-down and choose an image on your device.
Artbreeder will display your image next to the text prompt box with a slider. Dragging the slider up will make the result more similar to your image, and dragging it down will do the opposite. The three-dot icon allows you to choose from Face, Style, and Content. The AI will immediately generate results whenever you make a change to any of these parameters.
I chose Content to keep the composition similar to the original photo, and I’m very happy with the results. Upon closer inspection, the objects are a little abstract, and the AI fixed the framing issues I had with the photo. I can use this new result for a number of other creative projects.
The free plan refills your credits every month, and the subscription tiers buy you more credits and a few other benefits.
3 Getimg.AI – The Most Varied Results
If you’re looking for an AI generator that will give you results that look very similar to your original photo, or very different, try Getimg.ai. It’s a text-to-image generator with an image-to-image feature.
Head to the text-to-image generator, go down to Image Reference, select Image to Image from the Reference drop-down, and upload an image from your device. If you want to keep the content of your image, drag the Similarity slider up to High, and drag it to Low for more variation. You can also toggle the other settings to get better AI art, such as the style, resolution, and the number of images you get.
Unlike the other generators I’ve discussed so far, a text prompt isn’t optional, so you’ll need to enter something in the description box—try these AI art prompts if you’re low on ideas. I used “A cute miniature baby dragon sitting in a glass jewelry box” and then hit Generate.
These results are pretty awesome. Because I put the Similarity slider at 40%, the AI kept my original composition, colors, and textures, yet seamlessly added my text prompt into the original image.
I wanted to try another image of me holding a fidget cube. The slider was still set to 40% and I kept my prompt simple; “a purple bus.” The AI changed the way my hand looks, flattened the keyboard in the background a little, and changed the fidget cube into a miniature purple bus—pretty cute.
The free plan requires an email signup and gives you 100 credits per month. The subscriptions get you more credits and access to some of the other Getimg.ai tools, such as Image to Video.
4 Nightcafé – For Artistic Results
The Nightcafé art generator gave me the most unexpected results, but I’m not mad at it. Head to the site, sign up with your email, and select the big red Create button. You’ll be taken to the create page with a panel of settings on the left—open the menu at the top next to Create and select Depth to image.
Click on Choose a Start Image and upload your photo from your device. Same as Getimg.ai, the text prompt isn’t optional, so enter something and change the other settings if you prefer. Hit Create and await your results.
I used the prompt “A Grumpy Kitten sitting on a rock, stunning desert sunset. Endless landscape view.” Unlike the previous generators, Nightcafé didn’t keep the color palette or any of the textures, but it did follow the same composition. The rock is rectangular and at the forefront, just like the bookcase, and the kitten is sitting on top of it, just like the decorations in my image.
If you’re looking for something that will incorporate the elements of your photo, I don’t recommend this generator. But it could be a good option if you’re looking for a specific composition. Free accounts get a daily credit top-up, and there are subscriptions available to buy more credits and access other features.
Using AI to turn boring photos into abstract art demonstrates how this tech can enhance creativity. I’ll be thinking twice before getting rid of my boring photos from now on, and see if I can turn them into something captivating instead.
