I peaked artistically at stick figures and the kind of doodles that suggested I never looked at the paper while I drew them. I’ve always admired those who can put pen to paper and create something that looks even vaguely like what they intended it to be, but I never pursued it myself.
But with AI tools like Google Gemini boasting visual analysis and feedback capabilities, I decided to see if that translated to being a useful art teacher. I’m at the most basic beginner level, but Gemini can parse composition, anatomy, color, lighting, perspective, and style. It adapts to whatever you upload, as I found when testing it on far better artwork than my own mad scribbles.
Here are five ways you can make Gemini the private art tutor you’ve always wanted.
### 1. AI Art Critic
Calling my first uploaded sketches rough would be far too generous. I asked Gemini to guide me in redoing them to be better, and it laid out very helpful and simple instructions. I wouldn’t say the first results were fantastic, but I appreciated that I didn’t just get compliments on my one-year-old’s efforts with the new attempts.
One of the most helpful prompts has been to set up Gemini as a character and ask, “If you were my art teacher, what three things would you tell me to improve before redrawing this?” It gives me clear, manageable tasks. When I return with the updated drawing, the AI remembers its previous suggestions, pointing out where I’ve improved.
A friend who is genuinely amazing with pen and paintbrush let me upload a more sophisticated piece, so I could ask Gemini to “Give me a professional art critique of this painting and ideas on improving technique.” The thorough response went through each element of the painting, offering suggestions on framing and technique, which my friend found valuable.
Gemini also handled more specific questions well, like “What’s working and what isn’t about the shading and lighting in this drawing?” It pointed out things like inconsistent shadows or shading that didn’t align with the light source, highlighting areas for improvement.
### 2. Technique Teaching
I don’t know much about even the fundamentals, such as “How to draw a nose.” While feedback was helpful, what I really needed was guidance for starting from a blank sheet of paper. Gemini came through with step-by-step support — from making noses that aren’t just circles to drawing faces at different angles.
It offered a week-long practice plan starting with basic head construction using the Loomis method. Then it moved on to drawing heads in profile, three-quarter view, extreme angles, and finally full character expressions.
I may need a lot longer than a week to improve, but even learning how to shade a picture led to detailed explanations about light logic and core shadows.
### 3. Style Play
One of the most fun parts of using Gemini as an art teacher is exploring different styles. This isn’t just about copying Van Gogh or doodling in manga form; it’s about stretching your own visual vocabulary by seeing your work through new lenses.
Though my drawings are basic, I found entertainment and inspiration by asking Gemini how to adapt any drawing to different style schools — from Renaissance churches to pointillism, to cubism, and more.
Even restricting suggestions to what could evolve from a simple line drawing generated fresh and inspirational ideas, along with tips on how to achieve these styles.
### 4. Visual Storytelling
While still working on basic ideas of what humans look like, I’d love to get to the point of using visuals to help tell stories. Gemini had advice here too.
Imagining a time when I’m much better at drawing, I asked the AI for suggestions on making a scene dynamic and emotionally expressive. It suggested techniques like low-angle shots from behind one character to put the viewer in the middle of an argument, overlapping shapes to imply depth, and details such as how a character leans or avoids eye contact to show avoidance.
For example, Gemini showed me how to make a character appear determined and tense. My attempts so far, however, are better left unviewed!
### 5. Crossover Appeal
Learning about art doesn’t always mean drawing things yourself. Anything can be interpreted using artistic criticism, and not always in the same medium.
For example, I gave Gemini a photo of a rainbow I took recently and asked for feedback — not as a photo, but as if it were a painting. It suggested making the rainbow more colorful, lowering the horizon, adding dramatic lighting, and better integrating objects like power lines.
I then asked it to create a painting following those suggestions. The result applied its own ideas, offering a creative reinterpretation of the original photo.
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I won’t ever be a great artist, but I know I can start moving beyond stick figures. Most of us want to get better at something creative, but life doesn’t always leave room for structured classes or dedicated studio time. Gemini can fill in some of those gaps.
So yes, I may always be the person who occasionally draws a horse that looks like a haunted potato, but now I know why it looks like that. More importantly, I know what to try next time.
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https://www.techradar.com/ai-platforms-assistants/gemini/5-ways-to-make-gemini-your-everyday-ai-art-teacher