If you’ve ever explored the AI art space, you might be aware that it’s now possible to generate avatar images using your likeness across a group of styles. I’m here to walk you through the steps on how I managed to create a series of personalized images using an open-source and free-to-use AI.
Stick around as I demonstrate step by step how I transformed 20 of my photos into a diverse array of AI-generated artworks.
What is Dreambooth AI?
Dreambooth AI is a platform that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to generate images based on provided photos. It’s an open-source and free-to-use tool that allows users to transform their own photos into AI Avatars.
Dreambooth AI operates through a Google Colab link, running code that accesses Google’s GPUs to create AI-generated images, even for users without high-end GPU capabilities.
Users can upload their photos, train the AI data, and generate personalized images using various prompts and settings, making it an exciting tool for creating AI-generated avatars and artwork.
How to Generate AI Avatar using Dreambooth AI?
Taking the Photos:
The first step involves capturing the right set of photos. With a modern smartphone, ensure your capture settings align with a 1:1 aspect ratio.
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Aim for three full-body shots, five images from chest to head, and twelve close-ups of your face. While capturing these, vary your expressions and angles but maintain even lighting without strong shadows.
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You’ll need around 20 photos of yourself. Ensure you capture various angles, emotions, and distances:
- 3 full-body shots
- 5 from your chest to the top of your head
- 12 close-ups of your face
- Try different facial expressions to add variety
Resizing the Photos:
Once you’ve got your photos, it’s essential to resize them to 512 by 512 pixels. While Photoshop works, an easier method is using the provided link for resizing images within a browser.
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Dreambooth Google Colab:
Now, it’s time to dive into the Dreambooth Google Colab link, which might seem complex but is actually user-friendly.
Follow the instructions in the Colab doc, activate the nodes, and run the code. This platform runs code using Google’s GPUs, enabling image generation even without a high-end GPU.
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- Running the code may sometimes result in warnings, particularly if you’re not a paid member. There are workarounds like using a different email or paying for access.
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- Following the instructions step-by-step, install the required elements and set up a Hugging Face account to generate access tokens.
Click on the play button and install the requirements.
Hugging Face Account Setup:
To integrate Dreambooth with Hugging Face, you’ll need to set up an account. It’s a straightforward process:
- Go to Hugginface.co
- After creating an account on Hugginface, go to your profile and click on Tokens. Now generate an access token. Copy the Token.
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- Paste this token into the Google Colab to establish the connection.
Now again Go back to the Google Colab Notebook.
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Dreambooth Continued:
This node involves tweaking settings and specifying prompts, such as class names (“person,” “woman,” or “man”), to train AI data based on the images you’ve provided.
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- Name your input folder containing the resized images.
- Specify the class name (e.g., person, woman, man) for better results.
- Save all training data and models to your Google Drive.
Start Training:
This step requires a bit of patience. Training the data requires adjusting settings like class names and training steps.
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It’s a time-consuming process, taking between half an hour to an hour, where you should avoid leaving the page to prevent data loss.
- Ensure your prompts align with your desired output.
- Run the node and wait for the training process to complete.
Generating Avatars:
Finally, the exciting part – generating images! Input prompts, run the nodes, and generate AI artwork.
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Experimenting with different prompts, using Lexicon for new ideas, and tweaking the guidance scale can refine the generated images.
Note:
- Input prompts and class names to generate images that resonate with your preferences.
- Experiment with Lexicon for interesting prompts and styles.
- Tweak the guidance scale for more abstract or detailed results.
Conclusion
That sums up the comprehensive process of using Dreambooth for AI-generated avatars. If you found this guide helpful, check out my other beginner-friendly AI art tutorials. If you want to train different models or redo the process, simply reset using the runtime tab and start afresh.