It was a combination. I used more AI generated images on the 3rd upgrade sword (over the top of one of the human paladin campaign sword models), and the backgrounds for the second. The first two are GIMP edits over the top of a screen captures of the high elf swordsman's sword model in the model editor, and the second upgrade is the blood elf lieutenant's sword.
Basically the process is edit an image of the model, use google images as layers, then use AI Image to Image to make more layers, and repeat. So it's a combo.