Using AI Art Generators for Custom Magic Cards

For years, the biggest barrier to creating great custom Magic cards was finding the right art. You had an idea for a "Cyberpunk Jace," but unless you were a skilled digital painter or had a budget to commission an artist, you were stuck trawling Google Images.

The rise of AI art generators has changed everything. Now, you can generate specific, high-quality fantasy art in seconds. Here’s how to use tools like Midjourney and DALL-E to make your custom cards look professional.

Choosing Your Tool

• Midjourney: Widely considered the king of fantasy art. It excels at painterly styles, textures, and lighting that fit the MTG aesthetic perfectly. It requires a Discord account and a subscription.
• DALL-E 3: Integrated into ChatGPT and Bing, it's very easy to use and follows instructions well, but can sometimes look a bit "plastic" or smooth.
• Stable Diffusion: Free and open-source (if you run it locally), offering the most control, but has a steep learning curve.

Crafting the Perfect Prompt

The key to good AI art is the prompt. Here is a formula that works well for Magic cards:

Example: A Red Dragon

• Bad: "A scary red dragon."
• Good: "A massive red dragon breathing fire, perched on a jagged mountain peak, oil painting style, dramatic lighting, detailed scales, fantasy concept art --ar 4:3"

Tips for Authenticity

1. Aspect Ratio: Magic art boxes are roughly 4:3 (landscape). Generating square images (1:1) often leads to awkward cropping. In Midjourney, use
   --ar 4:3
   or
   --ar 16:9
   .
2. Style Keywords: To match MTG's style, use keywords like:
   • "Oil painting"
   • "Fantasy illustration"
   • "Greg Rutkowski style" (controversial, but effective for the look)
   • "Detailed background"
   • "Dynamic lighting"
3. Inpainting: Did the AI mess up the hands? (It loves to do that). Use "inpainting" or "vary region" features to re-roll just the specific bad part of the image without changing the whole thing.

Ethics and Usage

• Personal Use Only: AI art is great for proxies you play with friends.
• Be Transparent: If you post your cards online, label the artist as "AI" or "Midjourney." Don't claim you painted it.
• Support Real Artists: If you love a specific artist's style, buy their prints or support them on Patreon. AI is a tool for filling gaps, not replacing the human soul of the game's official art.

Putting It Together

Once you have your image:

1. Download the highest resolution version.
2. Upload it to TCGCustom.
3. Use the crop tool to frame the art perfectly.

With AI tools, the only limit to your custom set is your imagination. Go forth and create worlds!