Leonardo AI

## What it does Leonardo AI is an AI image generation platform built for creative professionals who need more control and consistency than simple text-to-prompt generators provide. The platform offers multiple fine-tuned models optimized for different styles — photorealism, illustration, anime, concept art, game assets, and more — alongside a base model that handles general generation well. Beyond basic text-to-image generation, Leonardo AI includes a real-time canvas for iterative image editing and inpainting, model training for creating custom fine-tuned models from your own reference images, image-to-image transformation, and upscaling tools. The platform also hosts a community gallery where users share generations and custom models, creating a library of specialized models for specific use cases. The combination of generation quality, control features, and model training makes it one of the most capable image generation platforms available for professional creative work. ## Who it's for Leonardo AI is designed for creative professionals who use AI image generation as part of a production workflow rather than for occasional fun. Game designers are a core audience — the ability to train custom models on character sheets or environment concept art and then generate consistent variations is directly useful for game asset production. Concept artists use it for rapid ideation, generating dozens of visual directions in minutes that would take hours to sketch manually. Marketing teams that need custom visual content — product mockups, campaign imagery, social media visuals — benefit from the style control and batch generation capabilities. The platform is less suited for casual users who just want to generate an occasional image for social media, where simpler tools like DALL-E or the free tier of Midjourney offer a more streamlined experience. Photo editing is also outside Leonardo AI's scope — it generates and transforms images, but it is not a photo editor. ## Image generation and model training The image generation quality is what sets Leonardo AI apart from most competitors. The fine-tuned model library means you can select a model specifically optimized for the style you need — a photorealistic portrait model produces different results than an environment concept model or an anime character model — and the output quality from the best models is competitive with Midjourney. The real-time canvas is a powerful feature for iterative work: you generate an image, then selectively regenerate portions of it through inpainting, extend the canvas through outpainting, or refine specific elements while preserving the rest. This iterative workflow is essential for professional use where you need to refine a concept rather than just generate and hope. Model training is the feature that unlocks the most value for production teams. You upload 10-30 reference images of a character, product, or style, and Leonardo AI trains a custom model that generates new images maintaining consistency with your references. This means a game studio can generate a hundred variations of a character in different poses and environments while maintaining visual consistency, or a brand can generate product imagery that matches their established visual style. ## The bottom line Leonardo AI is one of the strongest AI image generation platforms for users who need quality, control, and consistency. The combination of fine-tuned models, real-time canvas, and custom model training creates a workflow that is meaningfully more capable than simple text-to-image generators. The Apprentice plan at $12 per month provides access to all models and priority generation, which is sufficient for individual creators exploring the platform. The Artisan plan at $30 unlocks model training and private models, which is where the professional value sits. The Maestro plan at $60 adds API access for teams integrating generation into production pipelines. The token system is the main source of confusion — understanding how many tokens different operations consume takes experimentation, and running out mid-project is frustrating. The free tier with 150 tokens per day is enough to evaluate the platform but not enough for regular work. For creative professionals who need AI image generation as a reliable production tool rather than a novelty, Leonardo AI delivers the depth and quality that simpler generators lack.