As a non-artist, I love using generative AI to create images. It’s fun and makes me feel create at the same time even though I have never been an especially talented artist. One feature of generative AI that is often overlooked - or not exploited to the extent that it should be - is the ability to make images in dozens and dozens of styles, tones, formats, and techniques.

In order to demonstrate how much better image generation has gotten since the initial release of Dall-E several years ago, I wanted to create a simple guide for how I tried to use AI to teach me about various artistic styles and techniques. I have done this before but I wanted to do a little more methodical approach to have a place to showcase its abilities. For this demo, I used the latest version of ChatGPT4o.

First, I asked it to give me a list of 20 of the most popular artistic styles with a brief description. I then asked a follow up of 20 styles in a more realistic format followed by an additional 5 styles that were missing which I wanted to add.

Below is the list of styles and descriptions followed by the piece of art which served as an example for each artistic style. As a point of clarification, within the chat I asked for the AI to develop a specific text prompt to create a similar image for each artistic style. In other words, I wanted to use a similar imaginary “picture” as the basis to showcase how that would be interpreted differently according to each style.

I used a description of a school like Hackley so the images all purport to create an independent school with Gothic characteristics. I even provided the image below as a basis for the descriptions. I have not provided the separate prompts for each piece of art, so what follows is the description of the style with the image underneath.

  1. Photorealism: Produces images that are so detailed and realistic that they resemble high-resolution photographs.
  2. Surrealism: Combines unexpected elements to create dream-like scenes that are bizarre and often fantastical.
  3. Impressionism: Focuses on capturing the essence of a scene with visible brush strokes, often depicting light and movement with soft, blended colors.
  4. Cubism: Breaks subjects into geometric shapes, presenting multiple perspectives at once, often with a fragmented appearance.
  5. Abstract: Uses shapes, colors, and forms without aiming to represent reality, often evoking emotions or concepts rather than specific scenes.
  6. Minimalism: Emphasizes simplicity and uses minimal elements, often with a clean, uncluttered design and a focus on form and color.
  7. Fantasy: Creates imaginative and otherworldly scenes, often featuring mythical creatures, magical landscapes, and vibrant colors.
  8. Cyberpunk: Depicts futuristic, dystopian worlds with a blend of high technology and gritty urban settings, often with neon colors and dark tones.
  9. Art Nouveau: Characterized by intricate, flowing lines and organic forms, often inspired by natural elements like flowers and leaves.
  10. Steampunk: Combines Victorian-era aesthetics with mechanical elements, often creating retro-futuristic scenes with gears, cogs, and steam-powered machinery.
  11. Gothic: Features dark, mysterious, and dramatic scenes, often with medieval or horror elements like castles, gargoyles, and eerie lighting.
  12. Pop Art: Uses bright colors and bold shapes, often incorporating elements of mass culture like advertisements, comic strips, and celebrities.
  13. Fantasy Realism: Blends realistic details with fantastical elements, creating scenes that are both believable and magical.
  14. Pixel Art: Uses small, square pixels to create images, often resulting in a retro, 8-bit video game aesthetic.
  15. Anime/Manga: Features stylized characters with large eyes, exaggerated expressions, and dynamic poses, often in vibrant, colorful settings.