How to Use Leonardo AI Realtime Canvas for Rapid Concept Art Iteration
Concept art iteration traditionally involves sketching, reviewing, refining, and repeating — a cycle that can consume hours per design. Leonardo AI‘s Realtime Canvas collapses this cycle into seconds by transforming your live sketches into polished images as you draw. This tutorial shows you how to harness this feature for blazing-fast concept art workflows.
Step 1: Open Realtime Canvas and Configure Style
Launch Leonardo AI and select the “Realtime Canvas” tab. Choose your target model — this determines the visual style applied to your sketches. If you’ve trained a custom Phoenix model, select it for brand-consistent output. Otherwise, pick a Leonardo model that matches your project’s aesthetic (e.g., “Anime” for character concepts, “3D Render” for game environments, “Sketch” for rough ideation). Set the creativity slider — lower values produce outputs closer to your sketch strokes; higher values give the AI more interpretive freedom.
Step 2: Set Up Your Canvas Workspace
Configure the canvas size and background. For character concepts, use a portrait-oriented canvas (800×1000px) with a neutral gray background. For environments, use landscape orientation (1200×800px) with a dark background that won’t interfere with generated lighting. Enable the “Instant Generation” toggle so images update as you draw rather than on-demand. This real-time feedback is the core of the workflow — you see results immediately, allowing continuous creative steering.
Step 3: Sketch and Steer in Real Time
Begin sketching your concept with rough strokes. Draw a character silhouette, an architectural outline, or a landscape horizon. As your strokes appear, the AI immediately transforms them into a styled rendering. Watch the output evolve as you add more detail. This is where the magic happens — you’re not waiting for generations, you’re painting with AI as your live collaborator. If the AI interprets your strokes differently than intended, adjust your drawing or modify the creativity slider to give more or less interpretive freedom.
Step 4: Refine with Selective Generation
When you’ve established a promising direction, switch from continuous real-time mode to selective generation. Highlight specific areas of your sketch (e.g., just the character’s face, just the building’s entrance) and generate refinements for those regions only. This selective approach lets you iterate on specific elements without disrupting the overall composition — far more efficient than regenerating the entire image each time you want to adjust one detail.
Step 5: Export and Continue in Your Pipeline
Once you’re satisfied with a concept direction, export the Realtime Canvas output as a high-resolution image. Import it into Photoshop, Procreate, or your preferred painting tool for manual refinement — adding details the AI missed, correcting anatomy, enhancing lighting. The Realtime Canvas output serves as a strong foundation that eliminates hours of initial sketching time, letting you focus your manual effort on the finishing touches that define professional concept art quality.
