AI Drawing for Beginners: From Prompt to Finished Image
This avatar is so beautiful – what was it drawn with?
"This avatar is so beautiful – what was it drawn with?"
"How was this style generated?"
"Why are the images I generate always so weird?"
Do you also want to try AI drawing but don't know where to start?
Or you've tried a few times, but the images you generate always turn out like a "buyer's photo vs seller's photo" situation?
Don't worry – this article will help you master AI drawing from scratch!
1. AI Drawing Tool Recommendations
1. Midjourney — The Most Stunning Results
Features:
- Best results, strong artistic feel
- Requires English prompts
- Free quota available
- Relatively fast generation speed
Best for: Those who want high-quality, artistic images
Price: Free trial / from $10/month
2. Tongyi Wanxiang — Best Domestic Choice
Features:
- Friendly to Chinese prompts
- Generous free quota
- Simple to use
- Very fast
Best for: Chinese-speaking users and those who don't want to pay
Price: Completely free
3. Dream Diary — Beginner-Friendly
Features:
- Built-in style templates
- Chinese interface
- Extremely easy to use
- Free uses every day
Best for: Complete beginners with zero experience
Price: Free trial
4. Stable Diffusion — Free and Locally Deployable
Features:
- Completely free
- Can be deployed locally
- Highly controllable
- Requires some technical skill
Best for: Users who have a computer and are willing to tinker
Price: Free
5. Qiyu — Eastern Aesthetics
Features:
- Focused on Eastern aesthetics
- Ink wash, embroidery, and traditional Chinese style themes
- Great community atmosphere
Best for: Those who love Chinese style and want to generate traditional Chinese-style images
Price: Free trial
2. Prompt Basics
What is a Prompt?
A prompt is the description you give the AI to tell it "what you want to draw".
The more detailed and accurate your description, the closer the image is to your vision.
Basic Structure of a Prompt
[Subject] + [Scene] + [Style] + [Lighting] + [Color Tone] + [Other Details]
Example:
A young girl wearing Hanfu, standing under a cherry blossom tree, anime style, soft lighting, pink tones, 8K ultra HD
Common Prompt Categories
| Category | Common Words |
|---|---|
| Subject | People, animals, buildings, landscapes |
| Scene | Indoor, outdoor, seaside, forest, city |
| Style | Realistic, anime, watercolor, oil painting, ink wash, sketch |
| Lighting | Soft, harsh, backlit, sunset, neon |
| Color Tone | Warm, cool, black-and-white, Morandi tones |
| Quality | 8K, HD, hyper-realistic, rich in details |
| Composition | Close-up, overall, front view, side view, top view |
3. Prompt Templates
Template 1: Portrait
Please generate an image of [character description]:
Subject: [describe appearance, expression, clothing]
Scene: [background environment]
Style: [realistic/anime/watercolor/...]
Lighting: [soft/natural/backlit/...]
Color Tone: [warm/cool/...]
Composition: [close-up/half-body/full-body/...]
Quality: [8K/HD/...]
Other: [specific requirements]
Example:
Please generate a girl's profile picture:
Subject: An Asian girl around 20 years old, with flowing long hair, wearing a white dress and a small flower crown
Scene: Garden background with pink flowers
Style: Anime illustration style
Lighting: Backlit, soft and warm
Color Tone: Warm, pink and orange tones
Composition: Close-up of the face
Quality: 8K ultra HD, rich in details
Template 2: Landscape
Please generate an image of [type of scenery]:
Subject: [main scenery]
Scene: [specific environment]
Season: [spring/summer/autumn/winter]
Weather: [sunny/rainy/foggy/snowy/...]
Style: [realistic/watercolor/oil painting/...]
Lighting: [sunrise/sunset/noon/...]
Color Tone: [warm/cool/...]
Quality: [8K/HD/...]
Example:
Please generate a landscape image:
Subject: Ancient Chinese architecture, pavilions and towers
Scene: By a lake, with weeping willows
Season: Spring
Weather: Clear with light mist
Style: Chinese ink wash painting style
Lighting: At dusk
Color Tone: Cyan and green tones
Quality: 4K ultra HD
Template 3: Product Image
Please generate a product image:
Product: [product name and appearance]
Usage Scenario: [show the usage scenario]
Style: [commercial photography/minimal/...]
Lighting: [softbox/natural light/...]
Background: [solid color/gradient/scene/...]
Composition: [front view/45 degrees/...]
Quality: [commercial-grade/...]
Example:
Please generate a coffee cup product image:
Product: White ceramic coffee cup with a minimalist logo, placed on a wooden table
Usage Scenario: A cozy coffee shop scene
Style: Commercial photography style
Lighting: Natural light, soft and warm
Background: Light wooden background
Composition: 45-degree top-down shot
Quality: Commercial photography grade
Template 4: Logo/Icon
Please generate a [type] logo:
Brand Name: [name]
Brand Concept: [what it represents]
Style: [minimalist/flat/skeuomorphic/...]
Colors: [specified colors or color palette]
Usage: [app icon/brand identity/...]
Requirements: [specific requirements]
4. Advanced Prompt Techniques
Technique 1: Negative Prompts
Tell the AI "what you don't want to appear":
Positive prompt: beautiful girl, high definition
Negative prompt: blurry, low quality, deformed, ugly, distorted
Technique 2: Weight Adjustment
(beautiful girl:1.5) // emphasize beautiful girl
beautiful (girl:1.3) wearing (dress:0.8) // adjust the weight of each part
Technique 3: Artist Style
in the style of [artist name] // mimic an artist's style
References: Hayao Miyazaki, Picasso, Monet, Van Gogh, ukiyo-e style
Technique 4: Control Aspect Ratio
--ar 16:9 // landscape 16:9
--ar 9:16 // portrait 9:16
--ar 1:1 // square
Technique 5: Quality Booster Words
masterpiece, best quality, ultra detailed, 8k, high resolution
5. Troubleshooting Common Problems
Problem 1: Generated images look weird (deformed face, extra hand, etc.)
Solutions:
- Use negative prompts to exclude
- Try different seeds
- Use inpainting to repair
Problem 2: The result is far from what you imagined
Solutions:
- Make the prompt more specific
- Generate step by step (first a rough sketch, then refine)
- Try more times and use a seed to maintain consistency
Problem 3: Copyright Issues
For AI-generated images:
- Midjourney: Paid users own the copyright
- Tongyi Wanxiang: Can be used commercially
- Dream Diary: The paid version can be used commercially
Be sure to check each platform's user agreement before commercial use!
6. Application Scenarios for AI Drawing
| Scenario | Specific Uses |
|---|---|
| Social media | Avatars, covers, supporting images |
| Content creation | Images for WeChat Official Accounts / Xiaohongshu |
| E-commerce | Product images, posters |
| Design | Logos, icons, UI references |
| Art | Illustrations, wallpapers, custom avatars |
| Education | Teaching visuals, science illustrations |
7. Ways to Monetize AI Drawing
1. Custom Avatars
Create custom avatars for others, charging 20-100 RMB per image
2. Wallpapers/Illustrations
Sell wallpapers/illustrations on platforms, or take custom commissions
3. Stock Image Libraries
Upload AI-generated images to stock image platforms
4. Teaching and Training
Teach others to use AI drawing through recorded courses or live streaming
5. Taking Orders
Open a shop on Xiaohongshu / Xianyu / Taobao to take orders
Key Takeaways
- Tool recommendations: Midjourney (best results), Tongyi Wanxiang (free domestic)
- Prompt structure: subject + scene + style + lighting + color tone + quality
- Beginner templates: templates for portraits, landscapes, product images, and logos
- Advanced techniques: negative prompts, weight adjustment, artist style
- Common problems: use negative prompts to fix deformities, try more times to adjust
AI drawing isn't that hard – the key is to practice more!
Remember: A good prompt is half the battle.
Now go ahead and try generating your first AI image!
