AI Image Styles: My Top Picks and Why I Love Them
From cinematic to origami to anime, discover different AI image styles, which platforms to use them on, and why they stand out.
AI | Software | By Ana Mireles
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As you probably know, all artistic and creative forms can have styles.
Paintings can be impressionist, cubist, or abstract, for example. The same is true of photography. Here at Shotkit, we’ve talked about wedding photography styles that range from documentary to editorial, and about how portraits can be conceptual, fine art, lifestyle, or studio-based.
Well, AI-generated images also have styles based on a technique, a historical period, an art movement, or another discipline.
In short, the styles of AI image generators determine the visual characteristics that define how the image should look.
You can include the characteristics in the prompt to determine the image style you want to generate. Some AI image generators also have built-in style options you can choose from.
It’s also possible to combine both by typing one style in the prompt and choosing a different one from the list of options – for example, you can ask for a cyberpunk aesthetic and choose Anime from the style options to combine visual characteristics from both.
In this article, I’ll share with you some of my favorite styles from popular AI image generators. You can recreate these styles in any software or app using the keywords in the prompt.
Please consider that each engine will interpret the concept differently. This is why I may prefer a particular style of one generator over another or why your images may look different from those I’ll show you here.
To find out the best free AI image generators, visit this post.
What is the Best AI Image Style in 2024?
Moody (Canva)
Dark and moody is a style commonly used in still life and food photography. Of course, it’s also possible to use this style in portraits, products, or landscapes.
The main characteristics of this style are the muted colors, intense shadows, and low-light environments. If you want to recreate this type of scene, I recommend using the Moody style on Canva.
This AI image style is perfect for creating intimate scenes or evoking moods like introspection or mystery.
Minimalist (Canva)
Opposite to dark and moody, there’s light and airy. To create these types of images, I use the AI style Minimalist.
Minimalism is a style that favors clean lines and shapes, allowing the viewer to focus on the main subject without distractions. It usually has neutral tones in harmonic color palettes.
I love using this style when creating digital backgrounds for my photographs. My favorite generator for this style is Canva – both on the desktop version and as an app.
Check out Shotkit’s dedicated article to learn more about minimalist photography.
Cinematic (Pixlr)
Since the cinematic look is so popular in photography, I find this AI style particularly useful for planning shots and giving clients an idea of how their images could look.
Pixlr also has multiple settings that allow you to choose the lighting, composition, and color palette, giving you more control and plenty of inspiration.
For example, you can choose to have a cinematic style during the golden hour with your subject backlit and shot from below. All of these elements are determined by a combination of settings without you having to specify any of them on the prompt.
This way, you can focus on typing the details of what you want in the scene and then try out different variations.
Long Exposure (Canva)
Whenever I want a more dynamic image that conveys movement, I like to use the long exposure style from Canva. Using this style, you can mimic a panning or zoom burst effect.
It’s also ideal to recreate an intentional camera movement effect for more conceptual images.
While ‘long exposure‘ is a photographic term that refers to the time in which the film or sensor is exposed to light, you can use this style with other types of images.
Try using the long exposure style with cartoons or anime designs. Type this extra style in the prompt, and you’re good to go!
Analog Film (Pixlr)
This AI style is for those who love the nostalgic vibe of film photography. Of course, part of the appeal of film photography is that it’s not digital – but this may serve as inspiration or a reference.
In my case, I do love the dark room, which I can’t get with this technique, but I also love that slight element of the unknown that you won’t see until you develop the film.
With the randomness of the iterations, I may get a light leak somewhere or a small vignette, and that’s what I like about this style.
Plus, not everyone who loves the look of film photography has the means to shoot film constantly. So, this AI style is a great alternative offered by Pixlr.
Steampunk (GenZArt)
If you’re into science fiction, you’ve probably heard of Steampunk. This sub-genre of science fiction combines an old Victorian style with modern industrial-style elements.
This look can be expensive to recreate in real life, but you can quickly get it in AI-generated images to create photo composites and other types of digital art.
I like to use the Steampunk from GenZart because it offers excellent results with this genre’s typical aesthetics and is free to use. GenZArt is available for iPhone and Android devices.
Tattoo Art (Fotor)
The Tatto Art style from Fotor is a great way to get inspired for your next body art if you’re a tattoo artist or want to get a tattoo. However, I mainly use it to add a unique element to a model.
Using the Fotor AI generator, I can choose between the three tattoo styles and use them on a composite later in Photoshop.
You can also ask the generator to create the tattoo directly on a body part. Of course, you don’t get to choose the model in this case – it will generate a deepfake.
Comic (DALL-E)
The comic style is very versatile. You can use it to create anything from promos, social media posts, event invitations, and even storyboards to plan your next shoot.
I like to use the comic style from DALL-E because it’s one of the most accurate. This is especially handy when I’m doing a storyboard or I want to pitch an idea to a client.
People don’t always look great in more realistic or 3D styles. So, whenever you want to show how a scene with models or actors would look, the comic style is a great way to go.
Aesthetic Anime (Fotor)
Another illustration style I like to use is the Aesthetic Anime from Fotor. The harmonious colors and clean lines are perfect for soothing images for landscapes and lifestyle scenes.
Using elements from traditional Japanese animation, you can create a world where fantasy and reality mix perfectly. It also renders people and animals well.
If you like storytelling with 2D designs, this may be the perfect AI image style. You can try it out on Fotor for free and keep using it by earning rewards. Of course, you can also subscribe and get more credits and other perks.
Pixel Art (DALL-E)
Another style I really like from DALL-E is the Pixel Art. I don’t have a particular use for this style in my professional practice, but I love to use it on my creative projects.
The characteristics of this style are the visible pixels as building blocks of the artwork, a limited color palette, and a grid-based design. It has a retro vibe, like the computer graphics of the ’80s and ’90s.
I think you can have a lot of fun with this style, and if you’re willing to watch some ads, you can use DALL-E on your phone for free.
Origami (Pixlr)
The origami style from Pixlr is another style I love to get inspired by or use to simply make a beautiful card. The great thing about Pixlr is that you can also select the color, lighting, and composition on top of the style.
This way, you can generate multiple variations with complete control without typing everything out. This will give you infinite iterations where you can create different moods and scenarios.
As a plus, if you enjoy doing origami in real life like I do, you can use this style to plan your next masterpiece.
Frequently Asked Questions about AI Image Styles
Which AI style is the best?
Well, there isn’t a single style that’s better than the others – it all depends on what you want to create. I’ve listed my favorites above, but other people may have completely different preferences. Popular AI styles mimic art movements such as impressionism or design techniques like comics or manga.
Is AI image an art style?
No, when people talk about AI images, they refer to how they’re created and not to a specific style. This is because an AI-generated image can have many different styles – therefore, each picture may look very different from another.
What are the different AI styles?
AI images can have many styles that mimic a technique, an aesthetic, or a material. AI image styles include watercolor, photograph, render, retro, abstract, etc.
Each AI image generator may include different styles as options in the settings. However, you can ask for any style by including it in the prompt. It’s also possible to combine more than one style.
Is it legal to generate images using an art style?
You can legally generate images using multiple styles, including some art-inspired ones. For example, watercolor is an artistic technique that’s perfectly legal to mimic in your AI images. However, generating an image with the style of a specific artist may be copyright infringement.
Many AI image generators won’t work when the prompt has a legal or ethical issue. However, they aren’t foolproof. It’s ultimately up to the user to stay informed about the ethical and legal boundaries of what they can create and how they can use it.
Ana Mireles is a Mexican researcher that specializes in photography and communications for the arts and culture sector.