You can now create weirdly majestic optical illusions with AI
Thanks to this new text-to-image generator.
A new AI image generator has dropped, allowing users to effortlessly create their own optical illusions at the click of a button. The simple-to-use generator combines pre-selected illusion templates to create a work of art based on a custom prompt – and the results are oddly majestic.
The generator is available via AI community Hugging Face and is free to use, so as long as you can dream it up, the mind-bending possibilities are endless. (If you'd like to create your own custom illusions from scratch, why not check out our guide on how to download Photoshop).
The origins of this AI generator appear to stem from r/StableDiffusion user Ugleh, who shared their artwork to the subreddit, alongside a tutorial on how to achieve the look via a QR code creator.
Inspired by their work, developer Angry Penguin created a streamlined version of the process to let users easily create their own optical illusion designs. The 'Illusion Diffusion' generator is available on Hugging Face and uses Stable Diffusion to easily create unique op art pieces, without being an AI wizard. The generator was shared by X user Alvaro Cintas, who posted a simple tutorial on how to use the 'Illusion Diffusion' generator.
✍️ TUTORIAL (You can skip this if you just want to see the examples)This could be a lengthy process but @angrypenguinPNG built a Hugging Space and now it takes seconds! 1) Go to https://t.co/YnyWbp4rG12) Enter your image mask/illusion3) Write a prompt4) Click “Run” pic.twitter.com/Ltj1kAKdUgSeptember 17, 2023
The process is fairly similar to other AI art generators, requiring a simple custom prompt alongside one of the illusion templates. With a number of customisable settings for more advanced users, the AI generator can be modified to create a host of different illusion styles (which makes churning out your own custom illusions dangerously addictive).
The illusions, which feature various medieval-inspired landscapes and village scenes, seem to draw inspiration from Escher, a Dutch artist whom Ugleh said they were a fan of. It seems that the inspiration has only spread, as X users shared their own illusions on the site. Here are a few of our favourites.
These were some contenders/experiment gens I made on the same day. pic.twitter.com/UVbijSBsu5September 13, 2023
Cliffs by the seaside pic.twitter.com/TCR1OtSyjtSeptember 17, 2023
Feeling inspired by the spiral AI Art takeovers Decided to give it a go and try myself👨💻🎨 pic.twitter.com/4tP6n11RJmSeptember 17, 2023
pic.twitter.com/u1D5Nz7njPSeptember 15, 2023
If you're after some more inspiring AI art, check out the hidden AI optical illusions that are going viral on X, or put your new artwork to the test with this AI art checker.
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Natalie is Creative Bloq's staff writer. With an eye for trending topics and a passion for internet culture, she brings you the latest in art and design news. A recent English Literature graduate, Natalie enjoys covering the lighter side of the news and brings a fresh and fun take to her articles. Outside of work (if she’s not glued to her phone), she loves all things music and enjoys singing sweet folky tunes.
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