I’ve been playing with ChatGPT and AI image generation for quite a while now, but only recently did I learn what’s turned out to be a very helpful tip when creating an image:
Add these sentences to your prompt to help it create an image that’s closest to what you want and on fewer tries: “Ask me clarifying questions to better understand my needs. One question at a time, keep going until you’re confident you have enough to give a complete answer.”
Here’s an example of how that manifests. I wanted to create an image to go with my exercise check-in: “My main form of exercise is walking my plate back to the kitchen.”
My prompt:
Create an image of a person running into a kitchen and to the kitchen sink to put down their plate. Ask me clarifying questions to better understand my needs. One question at a time, keep going until you’re confident you have enough to give a complete answer.
Copilot AI follow-ups and my [responses]:
Got it, John! Let’s start shaping this visual together. First up—what kind of style are you imagining? Photorealistic, cartoony, painterly, minimalist, or something else entirely? [Photorealistic]
Great choice—photorealistic will capture the motion and emotion with stunning clarity. Next detail: what kind of person is running into the kitchen? You can guide me on age, gender, clothing, hairstyle, expression—anything that matters for the scene. [a 50-year-old man]
Nice! That gives us a solid start. Let’s flesh him out a bit—what’s his vibe? Is he dressed casually after work, in pajamas on a weekend morning, or maybe in athletic gear like he just came back from a jog? [dressed casually at home after work]
Perfect—he’s just unwinding after the day. Now, let’s zoom in on the kitchen itself. Is it modern and sleek, cozy and rustic, slightly messy, or something else entirely? Think about colors, lighting, and layout too—whatever helps set the mood. [modern and sleek]
On it! You’re about to get a crisp, photorealistic scene of a 50-year-old man, casually dressed after work, dashing into a modern, sleek kitchen to drop his plate at the sink. 🏃♂️🍽️ Let me know if you’d like to tweak anything once you see it. [Make the plate dirty from unfinished food.]
Got it—your scene is about to get even more true-to-life, complete with a dirty plate showing some leftover food still clinging to it. Perfect finishing touch. Let’s bring it to life.
The image generated was exactly in line with what I was hoping for:
A complete, creepy aside:
Eerily, the image generated looks a lot like our actual kitchen sink area, complete with the white cabinets and backsplash!
