Nice — here’s a compact, practical recipe you can follow every time you write a prompt.
Step-by-step
Start with the subject — who or what is the focus? (e.g., “young woman”, “rustic cabin”, “futuristic city skyline”).
Add the action or pose — what is it doing? (e.g., “smiling”, “walking along a pier”, “hovering above the city”).
Choose the medium / style — photorealistic, oil painting, watercolor, 3D render, vector, comic, pixel art, etc.
Specify viewpoint & composition — camera angle and framing: “close-up portrait”, “three-quarter view”, “bird’s-eye view”, “wide-angle landscape”.
Describe lighting & color palette — “golden hour backlight”, “studio softbox lighting”, “high contrast, teal & orange”.
Add texture & material details — “wet cobblestones”, “glossy ceramic”, “matte fabric”, “cracked paint”.
Set mood & atmosphere — “melancholic, foggy”, “energetic and vibrant”, “mysterious with drifting particles”.
Include technical/quality hints (optional) — resolution or style tokens your model accepts: “8k, ultra-detailed, hyperrealistic, DOF, bokeh, cinematic”.
Add negative prompts / exclusions — what to avoid: “no watermark, no text, no extra limbs, not blurry”.
(Optional) Add reproducibility params — if supported: seed, aspect ratio, sampler, guidance/CFG scale, steps.
Useful one-line template
[Subject] — [action/pose] — [medium/style] — [viewpoint/composition] — [lighting & color] — [materials/textures & fine details] — [mood] — [quality/tags] — [negative: ...]
Example filled-in:
Elderly fisherman mending nets on a wooden dock — wide-angle, morning light — photorealistic — warm, muted palette — wet reflections, frayed rope detail — calm, nostalgic mood — ultra-detailed, 8k — negative: no watermark, no extra fingers.
Short → Expanded example (photorealistic portrait)
Short prompt: portrait of an elderly man
Expanded prompt: Close-up portrait of an elderly man with deep wrinkles and silver beard, studio softbox lighting, shallow depth of field, Kodak Portra color tones, gentle smile, highly detailed skin texture, cinematic composition, 85mm lens, ultra-realistic, 8k resolution.
Negative prompt: no blur, no watermark, no extra limbs, no heavy noise
More examples (different styles)
Fantasy illustration
Young sorceress floating above a moonlit cliff, casting a glowing rune circle, fantasy illustration, painterly watercolor style, dynamic composition, dramatic rim lighting, purple and teal palette, intricate fabric patterns, highly detailed, cinematic atmosphere, negative: no text, no watermark.
Product shot (e-commerce)
Minimalist product shot of a wireless earbud on a white seamless background, top-down lighting, 45° angle, sharp focus, realistic reflections, soft shadow, high-resolution, studio-grade retouching, negative: no logos, no props.
Logo / vector
Flat vector logo of a stylized fox head, geometric shapes, minimal lines, 2-color palette (orange & charcoal), scalable, clean negative space, export-ready, no gradients, SVG style.
Tips & best practices
Be specific but consistent. Don’t ask for “soft and harsh lighting” in the same prompt — they conflict.
Use commas to separate descriptors. They act like layers the model can prioritize.
Start broad, then refine. Test a simple prompt, then expand the parts you like.
Iterate by changing one element at a time. Swap lighting, then color, then camera — that reveals what matters.
Use negative prompts to remove common artifacts (blurry, deformed hands, watermark).
Avoid contradictory adjectives (e.g., “photorealistic watercolor” — pick one dominant style).
When referencing an artist, be aware some services restrict “in the style of [living artist]” — prefer neutral descriptors or public-domain artists.
Short prompts are fast; long prompts are precise. Start short to explore, then expand to refine.
Common pitfalls
Too vague: “beautiful landscape” → model wonders which landscape. Add specifics: mountain, coast, desert?
Overloaded: 20 conflicting art styles → result can be messy.
Forgetting negatives: common low-quality outputs (watermarks, text, extra fingers) appear unless excluded.
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