#656 Atmospheric Storytelling

Following Whistler's Path

Crafting mood and narrative art using AI 🌆

Hey there 👋

Today, we're talking about atmosphere creation - that elusive quality that transforms a simple scene into a moment frozen in time.

The art of atmospheric painting has always been about more than just depicting a scene. John Singer Sargent and Whistler showed us that atmosphere emerges from the careful orchestration of light, shadow, and environmental conditions. With AI prompting, we're bringing their masterful techniques into the digital age.

AI seems pretty good at combining natural and artificial lighting - much like Whistler did in his Thames nocturnes - creates that sought-after sense of depth and mood.

The Prompts

Here's how to achieve these atmospheric scenes.

City Nocturne

Oil painting, brushstroke style, a man sitting on a bench in a park with red tree leaves, a woman wearing a hat and coat walking past him at night, people walking around the city buildings in the background, a gray sky, city lights, street lamps, gray buildings, white flowers on the ground, benches along the path, gray and black colors, dark, cinematic, digital art, high resolution, detailed

Coastal Meditation

Oil painting, brushstroke style, an elderly couple sitting on a weathered wooden bench facing the ocean at sunset, a surfer carrying a board walking past them, beachgoers dotting the shoreline in the background, a purple-orange sky, coastal lights, beach pier lamps, sandy dunes, seashells scattered on the ground, benches along the boardwalk, warm earth tones, atmospheric, cinematic, digital art, high resolution, detailed

Dawn Transit

Oil painting, brushstroke style, a student sitting on a metal bench at the train platform reading a book, a conductor in uniform walking past checking tickets, commuters rushing around the station terminal in the background, a misty morning sky, station lights, platform lamps, brick buildings, fallen cherry blossoms on the ground, benches along the platform, cool blues and grays, moody, cinematic, digital art, high resolution, detailed

Prompt Breakdown

Let's break down the common style elements that make these work:

"Oil painting, brushstroke style"

• Creates texture depth like Sargent's technique

• Allows for subtle color transitions

• Builds layers of atmospheric depth

"Environmental lighting"

• Establishes time and mood

• Creates depth through layered illumination

• Defines focal points and narrative emphasis

Tweaks to try

For Evening Scenes:

• Add gas lamps for Whistler-style points of light

• Layer moonlight with artificial lighting

• Include reflected light from windows

For Natural Settings:

• Incorporate filtered sunlight

• Add atmospheric perspective

• Layer multiple natural light sources

For Urban Scenes:

• Vary building lights

• Add weather effects

• Adjust crowd density

What Next?

Tomorrow, we'll create some amazing Gothic architecture illustrations. Until then, carry on experimenting with light and shadow!

Cheers

Andy

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