I regularly speak with artists who have finally decided to dip their toes into the waters of artificial intelligence. They upload a photo of their latest painting, type a quick prompt, and wait for the magic to happen. A few seconds later, the screen fills with text describing their simple landscape as a “symphony of transcendent hues dancing upon the canvas of eternity.”
They immediately close the laptop, completely turned off. “I would never speak about my art this way,” they think. And they are absolutely right.
When left to its own devices, AI loves to get flowery. It defaults to a mechanical, robotic melodrama that alienates buyers and makes you sound pretentious. But this isn’t a failure of the technology—it is a failure of the instructions you gave it.
Here is my golden rule for using AI in your art business: You must treat the AI like a literal-minded assistant who needs concrete facts, strict boundaries, and a firm editor.
1. Stop Letting the AI Invent from Whole Cloth
The biggest mistake I see artists make is expecting the software to be a mind reader. If you give an AI tool a vague instruction, it will fill the void with clichés.
It will start using vocabulary you would never use in a real conversation with a collector. It leans on abstract fluff because it doesn’t have the specific details of your creative process.
To fix this, you have to stop giving it a blank check. You must provide the guardrails to keep the description grounded in reality.
2. The Formula for Feeding Facts
The AI is not great at pulling facts out of thin air, but it is phenomenal at reorganizing the facts you provide. Before you hit generate, you need to build a prompt that gives the software strict parameters.
Give the AI a structured list of inputs to work from:
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The Core Inspiration: Briefly state exactly what prompted the piece. “I was inspired by the sharp shadows cast during a desert dusk.”
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The Physical Specs: Include the size, medium, and framing. “This is a 24×36 inch oil on canvas, framed in maple.”
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The Price and Availability: Tell the AI if the piece is available and what it costs. “The painting is available for $1,200.”
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The Desired Tone: Explicitly state how you want it to sound. “Write this in a conversational, professional tone. Do not use flowery or dramatic language.”
3. The Art of the Pushback
Even with a great initial prompt, the first draft might still be a little too dramatic. You do not have to accept the first thing the AI spits out.
Think of this as a conversation. If the text comes back sounding robotic, push back and command it to adjust.
Type a direct prompt to refine the output:
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Make it concise: “This is too long. Rewrite it in three simple sentences.”
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Simplify the vocabulary: “Remove the pretentious jargon and make it sound like an artist talking to a friend.”
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Focus on a specific element: “Focus more on the geometric shapes and less on the emotional meaning.”
You will be amazed at how quickly the AI learns your preferences if you keep refining the output.
Final Takeaway
Using AI for your marketing copy isn’t about putting writers out of work, and it isn’t about turning your creative brain to mush. It is simply a tool to help you overcome the blank page.
If you struggle to write social media captions or website descriptions, use these tools to pull your own ideas out of your head. Feed the AI concrete facts, edit the output ruthlessly, and claim your time back.
Question for Readers
Have you tried using AI to write descriptions for your artwork? What specific prompts have you found helpful to keep the tone natural and authentic?