Update Jan 12: Due to popular demand, I’ve posted 3 new advanced prompt styles (Dark Walnut, Folk Art, and Rough Hewn). [Read Part II here].
Check out the image below, which features a wood carving of my friend Doug and me. I made it from a photo we took during a workshop in Paris ten years ago.
The image is the result of a fun prompt for Google Gemini 3 Pro and Nano Banana. You upload a photo with a person or a couple of people then enter this prompt:
Create an image of a hand-carved wooden miniature figure of the people in the attached image, shaped with visible knife marks, natural grain texture, and smooth unfinished edges. Placed on a workshop table with carving tools, wood shavings, and soft warm directional lighting. 1080×1080.
I wish I could remember where I got this particular prompt – I’ve been collecting a lot of them when they show up in my feed on X but fail to note the source. This was definitely one of the better creative image prompts that I’ve come across.