How to Create Your Own Custom Pitlandia Avatar (AI Tutorial)

AI in the right hands can bring awesome human creativity to life. If you're a subscriber to any of the supporter tiers, you're welcome to make your own custom avatar for Pitlandia.

Why Custom Avatars?

Pitlandia is all about celebrating F1 fandom in an accessible, playful way. Your avatar is how you show up on the leaderboard. While there are great default options, creating your own lets you bring your unique style to the grid. Your character could even be featured on Pitlandia social media.

Want a helmet inspired by your favorite team livery? A character that looks like your first car? A tribute the Marmots of Montreal? Go for it!

Step 1: Download the Example Avatars

Before you start generating, download the reference avatars to understand the style and structure. These examples will help you (and the AI) maintain consistency with the Pitlandia aesthetic.

Download Example Avatars (ZIP)

This zip contains 4 default characters in the signature Pitlandia claymation style. Use these as references. You'll attach one of these images in your AI chat in Step 3.

Step 2: Copy and Edit the Provided Prompt

The key to great AI-generated avatars is a well-crafted prompt. Below is the actual prompt used to create one of the supporter avatars (the Haas-inspired character).

You'll copy this prompt, then modify only the sections marked "Only Changes" to customize your character while keeping the core style consistent.

🤔 AI Prompt

Create a new character in the same friendly, claymation, cartoon racing style. Talking head, piece-to-camera shot. Shoulders square to camera, centered in frame. Green screen background. Matte textures only. No gloss, no reflections, no shine anywhere. Toy-like proportions with soft, cinematic studio lighting. 9:16 portrait framing with head, helmet, and shoulders fully visible.

Only Changes:

Gender / Build: Androgynous human character with balanced facial features and neutral proportions, neither overtly masculine nor feminine.
Skin: Matte neutral grey clay, identical tone and texture to other human Pitlandia characters.
Eyes: Visible, expressive clay eyes. Focused and intense, with a sharp, competitive calm. Confident without being hostile.
Face: Controlled, serious expression. Mouth slightly open mid-sentence, as if explaining a bold setup choice or defending a risky call.
Helmet:
- Color composition strictly 65% white, 20% black, 15% red clay
- Sharp, aggressive color blocking with angular, high-contrast geometry — diagonal cuts, wedges, and jagged transitions (no curves or gradients)
- Two gilled air vents sculpted into the crown — one on each side, parallel slats, recessed and functional
- Sharp triangular fins protruding from each side of the helmet near the temples — aerodynamic, blade-like, and symmetrical
- Helmet silhouette feels engineered and purposeful — slightly boxier and more angular than standard racing helmets
- All surfaces fully matte; vents and fins share the same clay texture (no metallic feel)
Racing Suit:
- Matte white clay base (dominant)
- Black and red angular panels slicing across the torso and shoulders, mirroring the helmet's sharp geometry
- Color ratio matches helmet: white-forward with bold black structure and red used sparingly as aggressive highlights
- Hard edges, straight lines, and triangular breaks — no flowing stripes or soft curves
- Subtle embossed seam lines and panel breaks suggest structural reinforcement rather than decoration
Overall Mood: Ruthless efficiency with quiet confidence. This character looks like they don't need to talk much — but when they do, it's precise, blunt, and unapologetic. Built to fight, not to charm.

What to Modify

Focus your changes on:

Gender/Build: Male, female, androgynous, or unique proportions.
Skin: Stick to matte clay tones (grey, brown, tan, etc.).
Face/Expression: Serious, cheerful, determined, playful. Pick your vibe.
Helmet Colors: Team liveries, animal patterns, abstract designs. Go wild with colors but keep the matte clay aesthetic.
Helmet Details: Fins, vents, stripes, symbols, animal ears.
Racing Suit: Match your helmet or go for contrast. Make sure to keep it matte and stylized.

Pro Tip: Keep the structural parts of the prompt intact (claymation style, 9:16 framing, green screen, matte textures). Only change the creative details.

Step 3: Generate Your Avatar with AI

Now comes the fun part, bringing your character to life.

Recommended AI Tools

These avatars were created with ChatGPT, but you can use any AI image generator that supports prompts and image references:

ChatGPT - chat.openai.com
Google Gemini - gemini.google.com

How to Generate

Open your AI tool of choice
Attach one of the example avatars as a reference image
Paste your modified prompt
Hit generate and see what you get

You'll likely need to iterate a few times. If something's off (helmet too shiny, wrong angle, etc.), adjust your prompt and try again.

Character Examples with Green Screens

Here are two example avatars showing the style you're aiming for. These are also included in the example avatars from Step 1.

Example 1: Male character with black racing suit

Example 2: Female character with white racing suit

Both show the signature matte claymation style, centered framing, and green screen background that works perfectly in Pitlandia.

Step 4: Submit Your Avatar

Once you've created an avatar you love, email it to me:

📧 mark@pitlandia.com

Include:

Your avatar image (PNG format, 1024×1536)
The phone number you used to sign up
Confirmation that you're a supporter (learn more)

I'll review it, add it to the app, and you'll see your custom character on the leaderboard within a few days!

Rules for Custom Avatars

To keep Pitlandia fun and family-friendly, all custom avatars must follow these guidelines:

Must have a human-shaped face - No abstract faces or completely non-human characters
Must be in the same matte, claymation style - Keep it consistent with existing avatars
Must have a helmet - Safety first on the track! (Plus it's part of the F1 aesthetic)
Must be centered in frame and looking at the camera - Talking-head style, not profile or action shots
Must be 1024×1536 PNG - Portrait orientation, flat, contrasting color background
Must be PG-rated - This is a family-friendly game. No offensive, violent, or inappropriate content

If your avatar doesn't meet these guidelines, I'll reach out with feedback so you can revise it.

FAQs

"There are details I don't like about my avatar. How do I fix them?"

Google's Gemini is excellent for editing AI-generated images. If you want to remove parts, change colors, or tweak small details, Gemini's image editing tool (Nano Banana) is perfect for that. Upload your avatar and ask it to make specific changes.

"Any tips on creating the prompt?"

Yes! Use AI to help you write the prompt. This is called "meta-prompting" and it's incredibly powerful.

Try this:

Paste the example prompt into your AI tool
Ask: "Modify this prompt. I would like to have a helmet like an elephant, but with purple lightning lines on the side. The face still needs to be human."
The AI will rewrite the prompt with your changes
Use that new prompt to generate your avatar

AI is great at writing prompts for itself. You're essentially teaching the AI what you want by giving it examples and asking it to adapt.

"Can I submit multiple avatars?"

Yes, you can create multiple. But please be thoughtful. I'm only one human! I'll indulge your curiosity as much as I can, but don't start sending me daily iterations.

"How long does approval take?"

About 3-5 business days, depending on my bandwidth. I review each avatar personally to ensure it fits the style and guidelines.

"What if my avatar doesn't work in the app?"

I'll test it before adding it to ensure it displays correctly. If there are technical issues (wrong format, resolution problems, etc.), I'll reach out so you can fix them.

"What if I want to create a green character?"

If your character uses a lot of green (racing suit, helmet, etc.), use a red background instead of green. Green characters are hard to separate from the green screen background. Ask your AI to use a "red screen background" or "solid red background" instead. The same applies to any character that matches the background color. Make sure to use a contrasting color for the background.

Get Creative!

The beauty of AI is that you can iterate endlessly until you get something you love. Don't be afraid to experiment, try wild ideas, and have fun with it.

Want a helmet inspired by your cat? A racing suit that matches your hometown team colors? A character that looks like your favorite F1 driver (but legally distinct, of course)? Go for it.

Pitlandia is all about celebrating F1 in a fun, creative, and community-driven way. Your custom avatar is your chance to bring your personality to the grid.

Ready to Race?

Download Pitlandia and start making your picks today. Your custom avatar awaits!