Tag: Nano Banana

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AI Google Google Gemini

Fun with Nano Banana 2

Google just released a new version of its image creation tool Nano Banana. It’s pretty amazing at creating all kinds of images.

On X a prompt was shared that I wanted to try out:

I need a flowchart for how to scramble eggs, make it as wacky and over the top and complicated as possible.

So I gave it a try:

Here are a couple of additional examples:

What a McKinsey partner does to prepare for a client’s board meeting presentation

The credit and debit card systems in the U.S.

David Allen’s Getting Things Done methodology

Pretty amazing! Conceiving and drawing one of these “flowcharts” would take me many hours!

Categories
AI AI: Prompting

Carving Away: Part II

Well, that escalated quickly.

It looks like the wood carving prompt from my recent post struck a chord. I’ve seen some incredible results floating around, and since traffic is still high, I wanted to share a few “remixes” of the original prompt that I’ve been experimenting with this weekend using Gemini 3 Pro.

If you mastered the basic “hand-carved miniature” look, here are three ways to push the aesthetic in different directions.

1. The “Dark Walnut” Aesthetic

The original prompt tends to produce a light, pine-like wood. Use this variation if you want something moodier, richer, and more polished. It works exceptionally well for portraits or architectural subjects where you want a high-end feel.

The Prompt Addition:
Append this to your subject line: ...carved from dark polished walnut wood, rich deep grain texture, rim lighting, subsurface scattering, mahogany tones, smooth finish.

2. The “Painted Folk Art” Look

Sometimes raw wood is a bit too monochromatic. This variation pushes the model to apply a distressed paint job, making the image look like a vintage toy or traditional folk art found in an attic.

The Prompt Addition:
Append this to your subject line: ...faded hand-painted wooden figurine, chipped paint revealing wood underneath, vintage folk art style, muted primary colors, distressed texture.

3. The “Rough Hewn” Sketch

This is my personal favorite. It forces the AI to leave “tool marks,” making the object look like a work-in-progress rather than a finished product. It adds a tactile, human imperfection that many AI images lack.

The Prompt Addition:
Append this to your subject line: ...rough hewn unfinished wood, visible chisel marks, splintered edges, raw timber texture, sawdust specs, harsh directional lighting.

A Note on Models

I am still finding that Gemini 3 Pro handles the texture mapping better for the “Rough Hewn” look, capturing the jagged edges convincingly. However, Nano Banana seems to prefer the polished “Dark Walnut” style, producing really nice specular highlights on the wood grain.

If you are getting results that look too “plastic,” try lowering the guidance scale slightly or adding varnish to your negative prompt.

Let me know what you carve out of the latent space next.

Categories
AI AI: Large Language Models AI: Prompting

Carving Away

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.
Wood carving of the likenesses of Doug Kaye and Scott Loftesness​
Doug Kaye and Scott Loftesness

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.