The thread starts in 2023. I think the biggest leaps occurred before, maybe in 2022. When the thread started, it was already "good enough to look at". Quality is improving steadily, but we need to remember that one year before the thread, we were there:
D&D General AI Art for D&D: Experiments
- Thread starter M.T. Black
- Start date
The thread starts in 2023. I think the biggest leaps occurred before, maybe in 2022. When the thread started, it was already "good enough to look at". Quality is improving steadily, but we need to remember that one year before the thread, we were there:
D&D spell illustration challenge, day 48 : Expeditious Retreat
Sometime, you don't need an hyperdetailed model to show that you don't need to outrun the bear, but you need to outrun the dwarf. A lesson that will teach the player not to invest too much time in a background at level 1. Only the party's wizard will live to fight again.
Sometime, you don't need an hyperdetailed model to show that you don't need to outrun the bear, but you need to outrun the dwarf. A lesson that will teach the player not to invest too much time in a background at level 1. Only the party's wizard will live to fight again.
M.T. Black
Hero
Nano Banana 3 is really a breakthrough when it comes to image control. It's the first big leap forward I've seen for a couple of years in this tech.
Here's my reinterpretation of an old Warhammer cover:
Here's my reinterpretation of an old Warhammer cover:
M.T. Black
Hero
Here's the prompt (note that I gave it a copy of Tascha's cover for a style guide)
Usual disclaimers apply - no, I don't use AI in my commercial projects, this is experimentation to understand where the tech is at and what the implication is for folks in my industry (fairly grim), etc.
Draw this fantasy rpg image using the art style of the attached painting
Aspect ratio is 3:4
This image depicts a chaotic, close-quarters battle scene set within a stone corridor or dungeon. It is crowded, with the characters filling the scene. There is a sense of dynamic motion.
* The ogre: Dominating the center is a massive, muscular ogre with mottled skin and a black and white mohawk. He is shirtless but wears a spiked metal pauldron on his left shoulder and a studded leather wristband. He is wielding a large flail in one hand and has spiked knuckledusters in the other. the ogre is facing left and is looking down at his gut and is screaming in pain.
* The warrior: To the left, a human warrior with dark, shoulder-length hair is wielding a longsword in two hands, which he has stabbed into the ogres gut up to the hilt. the warrior wears plate armor on his shoulders and arms and is grinning fiercely.
* The Dwarf: To the bottom left, a dwarf with a bright orange, spiked mohawk and beard is locked in combat, facing right. He features blue spiral tattoos on the side of his head and a nose ring. He wears a studded tunic over chainmail. He is lunging forward, burying his great battle axe in the chest of a green goblin to his right. the goblins head is thrown back in a rictus of pain.
* The Spellcaster: On the right side in the background behind the ogre, a man with long dirty blonde hair and a middle-aged face stands wearing dark blue robes adorned with gold chains and a large medallion. He holds a rolled scroll in one hand and hold up a glowing ball of yellow and orange magical energy in the other.
* In the foreground are several green-skinned, goblins, wearing dirty mail and rusty spiked helmets and wielding jagged, serrated scimitars in one hand and small metal bucklers with deaths head emblems in the other.
* One is prominent in the bottom right corner.
* Other green limbs and faces are visible at the bottom and edges of the fray, indicating a swarm.
The Setting
* The background consists of grey stone blocks. On the left wall, there is a vertical stone pillar carved with stacked skulls.
* A small rat is visible running along a stone ledge on the left side behind the human warrior.
* The lighting highlights the center of the combat and the magical fire held by the spellcaster.
Usual disclaimers apply - no, I don't use AI in my commercial projects, this is experimentation to understand where the tech is at and what the implication is for folks in my industry (fairly grim), etc.
Draw this fantasy rpg image using the art style of the attached painting
Aspect ratio is 3:4
This image depicts a chaotic, close-quarters battle scene set within a stone corridor or dungeon. It is crowded, with the characters filling the scene. There is a sense of dynamic motion.
* The ogre: Dominating the center is a massive, muscular ogre with mottled skin and a black and white mohawk. He is shirtless but wears a spiked metal pauldron on his left shoulder and a studded leather wristband. He is wielding a large flail in one hand and has spiked knuckledusters in the other. the ogre is facing left and is looking down at his gut and is screaming in pain.
* The warrior: To the left, a human warrior with dark, shoulder-length hair is wielding a longsword in two hands, which he has stabbed into the ogres gut up to the hilt. the warrior wears plate armor on his shoulders and arms and is grinning fiercely.
* The Dwarf: To the bottom left, a dwarf with a bright orange, spiked mohawk and beard is locked in combat, facing right. He features blue spiral tattoos on the side of his head and a nose ring. He wears a studded tunic over chainmail. He is lunging forward, burying his great battle axe in the chest of a green goblin to his right. the goblins head is thrown back in a rictus of pain.
* The Spellcaster: On the right side in the background behind the ogre, a man with long dirty blonde hair and a middle-aged face stands wearing dark blue robes adorned with gold chains and a large medallion. He holds a rolled scroll in one hand and hold up a glowing ball of yellow and orange magical energy in the other.
* In the foreground are several green-skinned, goblins, wearing dirty mail and rusty spiked helmets and wielding jagged, serrated scimitars in one hand and small metal bucklers with deaths head emblems in the other.
* One is prominent in the bottom right corner.
* Other green limbs and faces are visible at the bottom and edges of the fray, indicating a swarm.
The Setting
* The background consists of grey stone blocks. On the left wall, there is a vertical stone pillar carved with stacked skulls.
* A small rat is visible running along a stone ledge on the left side behind the human warrior.
* The lighting highlights the center of the combat and the magical fire held by the spellcaster.
M.T. Black
Hero
It's available under google gemini. I think you get a few free renders a day.
M.T. Black
Hero
Here's a re-imaging of Tyler Jacobson's epic cover for the PHB 2014.
M.T. Black
Hero
That image was done by pure prompt - no reference images. Here is the prompt:
The image depicts a high-stakes, violent clash between two humanoid adventurers and a massive, supernatural giant in a cavernous, volcanic setting. Aspect ratio is 3:2. Dutch angle.
The Fire Giant
Scale & Physique: Dominating the right-hand frame is a colossal Fire Giant. He is muscular and broad, dwarfing the human figures. He is kneeling down and leaning forward. His skin is charred and grey.
Headgear: He wears headdress made of a bleached white animal skull with horns. A long mantle of white fur and chitin is attached to the headdress and draping over his shoulders.
Expression: His face is contorted in a roar of rage. His eyes glow a menacing red.
Equipment: He holds a massive scimitar in one and wears heavy, dark metal gauntlets. He has just swung his scimitar and the blade has cut into the ground. His other hand is reaching for the elf (below).
The Heroes
The Spellcaster (Center-Left): An elven figure is jumping in mid-air. She is very close to the giants face - just a few feet away. She is dressed in wintery, fur-lined leathers and heavy boots. She has her back mostly to the viewer, extending an arm toward the giant. A burst of brilliant, blinding blue-white magical energy erupts from her hand. She has a staff in the other hand.
The Warrior (Bottom-Right): In the lower right corner, next to the giants sword, a male human fighter stands on a rocky outcrop. He wears scale armor with a tattered red sash. He is wielding a straight, single-edged sword. He is looking upward, poised to strike at the giant.
The Setting & Background
Architecture: The battle takes place in a monumental hall with high, vaulted ceilings and massive cylindrical columns, suggesting a temple or a fortress built by giants.
Atmosphere: The air is thick with smoke and ash. The ground is uneven stone, with cracks glowing with volcanic heat.
The Hell Hounds: In the background, between the columns, you can see two Hell Hounds—demonic, fire-breathing dogs. They are chained up but straining toward the fray. Their bodies are wreathed in flames, and their eyes glow yellow-orange.
Painting Style & Artistic Technique
1. High-Fantasy Realism
The style is quintessentially "modern fantasy art, grounding the fantasy elements in realistic lighting and anatomy. The textures of the fur, metal, and stone are rendered with high fidelity.
2. Dynamic Composition
It uses a strong diagonal composition.
3. Color Temperature Contrast
The image relies heavily on the juxtaposition of warm vs. cool colors:
Warm: The dominant palette is an oppressive, hellish orange, red, and yellow, representing the heat of the fire giant and the environment.
Cool: The magical spell introduces a sharp, piercing electric blue. This not only draws the eye immediately to the point of impact but visually represents the "heroic" element cutting through the "villainous" environment.
4. Painterly Texture
While digital, the piece mimics traditional oil painting techniques. You can see "brushstrokes" in the smoke and the blurring of the background elements, which adds motion and keeps the focus sharp on the combatants.
The image depicts a high-stakes, violent clash between two humanoid adventurers and a massive, supernatural giant in a cavernous, volcanic setting. Aspect ratio is 3:2. Dutch angle.
The Fire Giant
Scale & Physique: Dominating the right-hand frame is a colossal Fire Giant. He is muscular and broad, dwarfing the human figures. He is kneeling down and leaning forward. His skin is charred and grey.
Headgear: He wears headdress made of a bleached white animal skull with horns. A long mantle of white fur and chitin is attached to the headdress and draping over his shoulders.
Expression: His face is contorted in a roar of rage. His eyes glow a menacing red.
Equipment: He holds a massive scimitar in one and wears heavy, dark metal gauntlets. He has just swung his scimitar and the blade has cut into the ground. His other hand is reaching for the elf (below).
The Heroes
The Spellcaster (Center-Left): An elven figure is jumping in mid-air. She is very close to the giants face - just a few feet away. She is dressed in wintery, fur-lined leathers and heavy boots. She has her back mostly to the viewer, extending an arm toward the giant. A burst of brilliant, blinding blue-white magical energy erupts from her hand. She has a staff in the other hand.
The Warrior (Bottom-Right): In the lower right corner, next to the giants sword, a male human fighter stands on a rocky outcrop. He wears scale armor with a tattered red sash. He is wielding a straight, single-edged sword. He is looking upward, poised to strike at the giant.
The Setting & Background
Architecture: The battle takes place in a monumental hall with high, vaulted ceilings and massive cylindrical columns, suggesting a temple or a fortress built by giants.
Atmosphere: The air is thick with smoke and ash. The ground is uneven stone, with cracks glowing with volcanic heat.
The Hell Hounds: In the background, between the columns, you can see two Hell Hounds—demonic, fire-breathing dogs. They are chained up but straining toward the fray. Their bodies are wreathed in flames, and their eyes glow yellow-orange.
Painting Style & Artistic Technique
1. High-Fantasy Realism
The style is quintessentially "modern fantasy art, grounding the fantasy elements in realistic lighting and anatomy. The textures of the fur, metal, and stone are rendered with high fidelity.
2. Dynamic Composition
It uses a strong diagonal composition.
3. Color Temperature Contrast
The image relies heavily on the juxtaposition of warm vs. cool colors:
Warm: The dominant palette is an oppressive, hellish orange, red, and yellow, representing the heat of the fire giant and the environment.
Cool: The magical spell introduces a sharp, piercing electric blue. This not only draws the eye immediately to the point of impact but visually represents the "heroic" element cutting through the "villainous" environment.
4. Painterly Texture
While digital, the piece mimics traditional oil painting techniques. You can see "brushstrokes" in the smoke and the blurring of the background elements, which adds motion and keeps the focus sharp on the combatants.
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