Creating effective prompts for AI image generators is both an art and a science. This guide covers proven techniques that will dramatically improve your results across all major AI image platforms in 2025, with examples and practical templates you can use today.
What You’ll Learn
- The fundamental structure of high-performing AI image prompts
- Platform-specific optimization techniques
- Advanced modifier keywords that enhance image quality
- Common mistakes that lead to poor results
The Anatomy of a Perfect AI Image Prompt
The Basic Formula That Works Every Time
The most effective AI image prompts follow this general structure:
[Subject] + [Action/Pose] + [Appearance] + [Setting] + [Lighting] + [Camera Details] + [Style] + [Quality Modifiers]
Let’s break down each component:
1. Subject Definition
Clearly define what or who is the main focus of your image.
Basic Example: “A cat”
Improved Example: “A Maine Coon cat with amber eyes and silver fur”
The specificity helps the AI understand exactly what you’re looking for, reducing misinterpretations.
2. Action and Pose
Describe how your subject is positioned or what they’re doing.
Basic Example: “standing”
Improved Example: “standing on hind legs with paws outstretched, mid-leap”
3. Appearance Details
Add specific attributes about colors, textures, materials, and other visual elements.
Basic Example: “wearing clothes”
Improved Example: “wearing a Victorian-era tailcoat with brass buttons, a burgundy silk waistcoat with subtle floral patterns”
4. Setting and Environment
Define where the scene takes place and any environmental factors.
Basic Example: “in a forest”
Improved Example: “in a misty ancient redwood forest with dappled morning light filtering through the canopy, moss-covered fallen logs in the foreground”
5. Lighting Specifications
Lighting dramatically affects mood and visual quality.
Basic Example: “sunny”
Improved Example: “dramatic rim lighting with golden hour sunlight, subtle blue shadows, volumetric light beams”
6. Camera and Perspective
Technical specifications help achieve specific visual styles.
Basic Example: “close-up”
Improved Example: “35mm lens, f/2.8 aperture, shallow depth of field, shot from a low angle, ultra-wide perspective”
7. Style References
Guide the aesthetic direction through art styles or artist references.
Basic Example: “watercolor style”
Improved Example: “in the style of Studio Ghibli animation, watercolor textures, Hayao Miyazaki character design”
8. Quality Modifiers
Add technical parameters that enhance overall quality.
Examples: “8K resolution, highly detailed, photorealistic, masterful composition, professional photography”
Platform-Specific Prompt Optimization
Different AI image generators respond best to different prompt structures:
DALL-E 3
Optimal Prompt Length: Medium (50-150 words)
Special Considerations:
- Excels with natural language descriptions
- Responds well to emotional and narrative context
- Use “/imagine:” prefix for best results in ChatGPT
Example Prompt:
A serene Japanese garden at dawn with cherry blossoms falling gently onto a reflective koi pond. An elderly gardener in traditional clothing tends to bonsai trees nearby. Soft morning mist hangs in the air. Photographed with a medium format camera, shallow depth of field focusing on a single pink blossom floating on the water surface.
Midjourney
Optimal Prompt Length: Medium to Long (100-200 words)
Special Considerations:
- Responds best to parameter-based prompts with many descriptors
- Benefits from aspect ratio specifications (–ar 16:9)
- Use style weights for better control (–stylize 250)
Example Prompt:
Portrait of a weathered lighthouse keeper with deep wrinkles and sea-blue eyes, standing at the top of a spiral staircase inside an ancient lighthouse, stormy seas visible through windows, dramatic lightning illuminates the scene, cinematic composition, volumetric lighting, Rembrandt lighting, 85mm portrait lens, intricate details, hyperrealistic --ar 2:3 --stylize 100 --q 2
Stable Diffusion
Optimal Prompt Length: Long and detailed (150-300 words)
Special Considerations:
- Benefits from technical parameters and weighted terms
- Supports negative prompts for exclusions
- Responds well to parentheses for emphasis: (subject)
Example Prompt:
(detailed portrait:1.2) of a young female astronaut (in a futuristic NASA spacesuit:1.3), (Mars landscape:1.1) visible through helmet reflection, (intricate details:1.4), golden hour lighting, cinematic, shallow depth of field, 8k, hyperdetailed
Negative prompt: cartoon, anime, drawing, painting, sketch, ugly, deformed helmet, bad proportions, extra fingers, low quality
Advanced Prompt Techniques for 2025
1. Emotional Atmosphere
Modern AI models respond to emotional descriptors that set the mood of an image.
Example: “evocative, melancholic atmosphere with a sense of nostalgic longing, emotional resonance”
2. Material Properties
Specifying physical properties creates more realistic textures.
Example: “brushed aluminum with subtle oxidation, semi-translucent frosted glass with subsurface scattering”
3. Compositional Theory
Incorporate design principles for more balanced images.
Example: “following rule of thirds, dynamic diagonal composition, foreground framing elements, leading lines toward subject”
4. Color Harmony
Define color relationships for more cohesive results.
Example: “complementary color scheme of teal and copper, limited palette with accents of crimson, analogous cool tones”
5. Lexica Prompt Research
Study successful prompts from Lexica.art’s database of millions of AI-generated images to identify effective patterns.
Common Prompt Mistakes to Avoid
- Contradictory Elements: “Cartoon style, photorealistic quality” confuses the AI
- Vague Descriptions: “Nice looking, good, beautiful” are too subjective
- Overloaded Prompts: Including too many different ideas creates confused output
- Copyright Issues: Avoid requesting specific living artists’ styles without permission
- Insufficient Specificity: “A person in a room” gives the AI too much freedom to interpret
Effective Prompt Templates
Portrait Template
Portrait of [person description] wearing [clothing], [pose/expression], in [setting], [lighting condition], [photography style], [camera specifications]
Example: Portrait of a 40-year-old South Asian female botanist wearing a linen field shirt and wide-brimmed hat, examining a rare orchid with a magnifying glass, expression of focused curiosity, in a humid tropical greenhouse, dappled natural lighting through foliage, documentary photography style, Canon EOS R5, 85mm f/1.2 lens
Landscape Template
[Weather/Time] landscape of [location], [foreground elements], [midground details], [background features], [lighting effects], [atmosphere], [perspective], [photography specifications]
Example: Misty dawn landscape of Scottish highlands, wildflowers and rocky outcroppings in foreground, winding river through valley in midground, ancient castle ruins on distant hill in background, golden sunlight breaking through clouds, ethereal atmosphere with subtle fog, wide-angle perspective, captured with large format camera on Fujifilm Velvia
Conceptual Art Template
[Concept/Abstract idea] represented as [visual metaphor], in the style of [artistic movement/artist], [color scheme], [medium], [composition notes], [emotional quality]
Example: The concept of digital privacy represented as a crystalline maze with transparent walls reflecting distorted human silhouettes, in the style of surrealism meets cyberpunk, electric blue and deep purple color scheme, mixed media digital artwork, asymmetrical composition with focal point in upper right third, evokes feeling of unease and fascination
Platform-Specific Resources
For deeper platform-specific guidance, visit these official resources:
- DALL-E 3 Prompt Guide
- Midjourney Documentation
- Stable Diffusion Wiki
- Leonardo AI Prompt Guide
- Runway Gen-3 Prompt Tips
FAQ
Q: Why do my AI-generated faces often look distorted?
A: Focus on detailed facial descriptions and add “perfect anatomy, realistic facial proportions, symmetrical features” to your prompt.
Q: How can I achieve consistent characters across multiple images?
A: Create a detailed character prompt “template” and reuse it with minimal modifications. Some platforms also support “prompt anchoring” or character storing features.
Q: Is it better to use short or long prompts?
A: For beginners, longer detailed prompts typically yield better results. As you gain experience, you’ll learn which details matter most for your specific vision.
Q: How do I avoid copyright issues with my prompts?
A: Avoid directly referencing living artists’ names. Instead, describe the visual characteristics you admire: “digital painting with bold color blocking, geometric simplification of forms, vibrant complementary color scheme” instead of “in the style of [Artist Name].”
Q: How can I keep improving my prompting skills?
A: Study the Prompt Engineering Guide and join communities like r/StableDiffusion or the Midjourney Discord to learn from others.
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Last updated: March 2025 | AI Basics – Your AI Learning Hub