An object we can take out of the picture
A tower on one layer, a moon on another, your own lettering in front. That approach to building an illustration caught our attention in Qwen-Image-2.1. According to its maker, the model generates transparent images, edits transparent layers and extracts objects from photographs. We can then put them on our own background or move them separately.
The model launched on September 20, 2026. Promptowy returned to it on October 2 in an article about image-model rankings. Here, we are looking at working with a single object, especially when the illustration will later come to life.
Imagine building a paper observatory
We suggest a research sketch for the cover of a fictional astronomy zine. A paper tower with an enormous telescope stands on a navy canvas; the moon moves behind it while the title stays still. We have not made this illustration or animation yet — it is an idea to try.
Start with just the tower on a transparent background. Set the scale and room for lettering. A separate moon lets you adjust its movement without regenerating the tower. If the dome should rotate too, separate it as well. A transparent background does not automatically cut the drawing into every part you need.
A checkerboard is not proof of transparency
RGBA includes an alpha channel alongside color: information about pixel transparency. A checkerboard can indicate it in an editor, but it can also simply be painted into the picture. Open the file and place light, dark and brightly colored rectangles behind it in turn. You will see what actually shows through.
A pale fringe around an antenna, railing or scrap of paper is easy to spot against navy. Look at the shadow too; it might suit only one background. Qwen’s model card also describes up to ten reference images and editing an area indicated by a mask or annotation.
Check the license before taking it into a client project
The model files and startup instructions are in the repository, but file availability does not mean unrestricted use. The Qwen Research License permits noncommercial research and evaluation. Commercial use needs a separate license from the manufacturer. A research sketch, client material and a paid service are different situations here.
For your own trial, keep the file with its alpha channel, the composition and generation settings. You can put later versions on the same canvas and compare them before starting to animate.
Sources and further reading
The sources behind this article. Instructions and example scenarios are suggestions from our editorial team.
- Qwen: official model card — RGBA, editing and reference images (opens in a new tab)huggingface.co
- Qwen: repository and September 20, 2026 release date (opens in a new tab)github.com
- Qwen Research License: research, evaluation and commercial-use conditions (opens in a new tab)huggingface.co
- Topic inspiration: Promptowy, Qwen-Image-2.1 in the rankings — October 2, 2026 (opens in a new tab)promptowy.com