Create Fantastical Buildings with Midjourney or DALL-E 3
Today we are going to create some fabulously strange and fantastical architecture. The prompt works for Midjourney and DALL-E 3
Fantastical Buildings in Art
Fantastical buildings in art have long been a captivating subject, reflecting the imaginative boundaries artists are willing to stretch in order to convey powerful messages, dreams, or even fears.
One of the earliest instances of such buildings can be found in religious and mythological art. Temples, palaces, and towers that reached the heavens often represented divine power or the aspiration of humanity to connect with the divine. These structures were often ornate, towering, and set in landscapes that defied the natural world.
During the Renaissance, artists began to play with perspective and architectural design in their paintings. This allowed for the creation of buildings that, while based on real architectural principles, were exaggerated or manipulated to fit a particular narrative or emotion. Think of grand cathedrals with impossibly tall spires or palaces with endless corridors that seem to stretch into infinity.
The Romantic era brought a different flavor to fantastical buildings. Artists of this period often painted ruins or imagined structures that represented the passage of time, the might of nature over man-made constructs, or the melancholy of lost civilizations. These structures often appeared broken, overgrown, and were set amidst tempestuous skies or dense forests.
The 20th century and beyond has seen an explosion of fantastical architecture in art, particularly with the advent of surrealism. Artists like Salvador Dalí created dreamlike landscapes populated with bizarre and impossible buildings that defy gravity and logic. These works often delve into the subconscious mind, exploring dreams, fears, and desires.
In contemporary times, digital art and mediums like virtual reality have pushed the boundaries even further. Artists can now create entire cities that float in the sky, underwater palaces, or buildings made of light and sound. These fantastical constructs are often used to comment on modern society, the environment, or the future of humanity.
In conclusion, fantastical buildings in art serve not only as a testament to human creativity and imagination but also as mirrors reflecting societal values, dreams, and anxieties throughout history. Whether they stand tall and proud or lay in ruins, they invite viewers to step into worlds both familiar and utterly alien.
Example Images
Here is what we are going to create….
Midjourney Prompt
So here is the prompt I used:
Base Prompt
an abstract painting with <building> on it, in the style of surrealist automatons, highly detailed illustrations, clockpunk, realistic depictions of everyday life, playfully intricate, vanitas, precarious balance
In art, “vanitas” refers to a genre popular in the 16th and 17th centuries, particularly in Dutch and Flemish painting. Vanitas paintings were symbolic works that depicted objects such as skulls, hourglasses, wilting flowers, and other symbols of mortality. These artworks aimed to convey the transient nature of life, the inevitability of death, and the emptiness of worldly pursuits.
For the example image above, op-to-bottom we have:
Images 1: buildings
Images 2 through 5: island buildings
Image 6: Cathedral
DALL-E 3 + ChatGPT
Using the ‘cathedral’ and ‘island buildings’ prompts, you can see the difference in interpretation. This is almost certainly due to the fact that DALL-E 3 rewrites the prompt it is given.
And using the Bing Creator version of DALL-E 3 we get …
What Next?
Have a play with the subjects. Here are some variations I made:
Enchanted Forest, Railway Station, School, Witches Coven
