AI concept art
Concept art with AI, from thumbnail to 3D
Root runs the image models a concept artist needs in one project: cheap thumbnails to explore a look, a sketch developed into a finished painting, a large final, and a 3D model of the design. A thumbnail costs from $0.02 with Krea 2 Turbo. Every take is kept, so nothing you liked is lost.
Updated
First month free on the Beginner plan, with 650 credits to try any model.
Made in Root
Concept art jobs and what they cost
For each job, the tool, or how many of the 14 image models compared in the best AI image generator guide can do it, and the lowest price. 100 credits is $1.
| Job | What does it | Lowest price | With |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thumbnails, to explore a look fast | 14 image models | $0.02 | Krea 2 Turbo |
| Develop your sketch or a photo into a finished painting | 11 image models | $0.04 | Seedream 4.0 |
| Borrow the look of a picture you like | 11 image models | $0.04 | Seedream 4.0 |
| A wide keyframe in a cinema ratio | 7 image models | $0.04 | Seedream 4.0 |
| A large final for a pitch deck or print, at 4K | 6 image models | $0.04 | Seedream 4.0 |
| A prop or creature as a 3D model | Image to 3D | $0.29 | Trellis.2 |
From brief to approved design
- Pin up the references. Add the pictures that set the mood as Reference nodes. Wire one into an Image Gen node's style input to borrow only its look (for example Nano Banana Pro or Nano Banana), or into ref to keep a subject.
- Explore wide and cheap. Run many quick thumbnails with Krea 2 Turbo, changing one idea at a time: the time of day, the shape, the palette. Every take stays on the node, so you can line them up and choose.
- Push the chosen one. Wire the best thumbnail, or your own sketch, into the init input of a model that edits, such as Nano Banana Pro or Nano Banana, and say what to change. Once the design is settled, make the final at 4K with a model that makes it, such as Seedream 4.0.
- Lock the design. For a character, wire the approved image into the ref input of every later image so the design holds; the consistent characters guide has more ways. For a prop, a vehicle or a creature, turn it into a 3D model you can turn round and light.
- Hand it on. The same images feed storyboard frames and the first frame of video shots in the same project, so the look carries through.
Tips for concept art prompts
- Start with the subject and what it is for: “a cargo hauler for a desert planet, side view, for a vehicle design sheet”.
- Name the medium you want it to look like: pencil, gouache, digital paint, a 3D render.
- Say the light and the time of day, and keep those words the same across a set so the images sit together.
- Ask for a plain background when the design is the point, so the shape reads clearly.
- For a sketch you drew, say what to keep: “keep the shapes and the pose, paint it in full colour”.
Related guides
AI concept art questions
Can AI make concept art?
Yes. In Root you explore with image models, develop the best idea, and turn the final design into a 3D model, all in one project. A thumbnail costs from $0.02 with Krea 2 Turbo.
Which AI model is best for concept art?
It depends on the stage. For many quick thumbnails, the cheapest model in the table, Krea 2 Turbo. To develop a sketch, a model that edits from a picture, from $0.04 with Seedream 4.0. For a large final, a model that makes 4K, such as Seedream 4.0. Try two on the same prompt and keep the better take.
Can I turn my own sketch into concept art with AI?
Yes. Upload the sketch, wire it into the init input of an image model that edits, and say how to finish it: the colours, the light, the material. Of the 14 image models compared in the best AI image generator guide, 11 take a picture to work from.
Can I keep a character design the same across concepts?
Yes. Wire the approved design into the ref input of each new image and describe only what changes: the pose, the place, the light. The consistent characters guide covers the other ways, for video too.
Can I turn concept art into a 3D model?
Yes. Wire the design into a 3D Model node and you get a textured 3D model you can turn round, download or put in a 3D scene, from $0.29 with Trellis.2. The image to 3D guide compares the three models.
Can I change one part of a concept and keep the rest?
Yes. Paint over the part in the Edit Image node, such as a helmet or the nose of a ship, and describe the new version. FLUX.1 Fill (inpaint) redraws only the painted area, for $0.06.
Can I try AI concept art for free?
For a month, yes. The first month of Root's Beginner plan is free and comes with 650 credits, enough for 325 thumbnails with Krea 2 Turbo. After that the plan is $9 a month, and you can cancel whenever you like.
Try Root free for a month
The first month of the Beginner plan is free and comes with 650 credits to spend on any model. After that it's $9 a month, and you can cancel whenever you like.