60 images SEPTEMBER 2026 TIPS & TECHNIQUES: AI IN THE ART ROOM www.images-magazine.com One of the most underutilised methods of brainstorming an art concept is to use video, says Marshall Atkinson. It is not underutilised because it doesn’t work, he says – it’s underutilised because nobody is talking about it Let’s say you are working on a logo concept. In our example, it is a tiger head. Flat, sharp, with bold lines and just two colours, orange and black. The challenge is that you don’t know if you want the mouth open, fangs bared, and if you do, what that might entail. Here’s the original concept idea in Midjourney [see figure 1]. Prompts: Sports team logo, tiger bold black outlines, clean lines, high contrast, minimalist, vector style, in the style of sport team logos, vivid color, isolated, flat white background --chaos 15 --stylize 150 The video trick The great thing about Midjourney is that it can make a video with any image. On the left control panel near the bottom, you’ll find the ‘Animate Image’ controls. This is where the secret power lives. Just Weekly help Need help with getting the most from Midjourney? Then be sure to subscribe to the Midjourney Experience Newsletter. This is the number one resource for creative professionals using this tool. Issues are delivered to your inbox weekly at only $12 per month (approximately £10). Subscribe to the Midjourney Experience Newsletter at imagesmag.uk/MJ-newsletter click ‘Animate Manually’, and retype in a prompt for what you want to see. In our case, we want to see the same tiger, but have the mouth open and show some teeth. So, the original prompt was deleted, and “Tiger Logo, snarling, growling, opening mouth and baring teeth” was used instead [see figure 2]. Tiger logo video prompt In a few moments, Midjourney will create a short 5.2-second animated video based on your prompt. Whatever you typed into the prompt for the video, Midjourney will use those instructions to build that video. If you want to rotate something, see the other side, morph into something withadifferent texture, or, in this case, open a tiger’s mouth to see what it might look like for a logo, this is a simple and quick way to check out the different options. That’s because as it is a video, you can control the animation and pause it at various points. Take screenshots Because we’re iterating on an idea, we just want to see what something might look like. We’ll worry about final resolution and perfection later. Just pause the video whenever you like something and take a screenshot. Crop it. Save it and send it to your client, or try to work it into the project and see what you like best [see figure 3]. This is a really easy way to iterate on an idea and see what, or if, that idea will work. In this case, should the tiger have the mouth open? With this technique, we have five variations of the same idea, and have spent only about five minutes generating these. So, if you are working up some concept ideas and want to see where it takes you, using a tool like Midjourney to help might just save you some time on your next project.Try it! Videostar Marshall Atkinsonis a leading expert in the decorated apparel industry, renowned for delivering practical education that drives effective change. His coaching spans artificial intelligence adoption, workflow optimisation, cost management, business strategies, and marketing tactics, making a profitable impact on shops worldwide. marshallatkinson.com Scan the code to watch the short animation Figure2 Figure3 Figure1
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