Part 2: How to Write Effective AI Image Prompts
One of the most exciting (and sometimes frustrating) parts of AI image creation is writing prompts—the short text descriptions you give the AI to generate your image. A prompt is like a magic spell. The clearer and more intentional it is, the better the results.
But don’t worry—writing good prompts isn’t about being a poet or programmer. It’s simply about learning how to describe your vision in a way the AI understands. In this part 2, you’ll learn exactly how to write prompts that give you beautiful, detailed, and accurate images—whether you want realistic portraits, dreamlike landscapes, or fantasy characters.
Writing effective prompts is the key to unlocking accurate and visually striking results in AI image generation. A good prompt is clear, descriptive, and specific—it tells the AI exactly what you want, including the subject, style, mood, setting, and any desired details. Start with the main subject (e.g., “a female astronaut”), then add context (like “floating in deep space”) and stylistic cues (such as “in a retro comic book style” or “realistic lighting”). Avoid vague terms and instead use vivid language and concrete descriptors. The more intentional and well-structured your prompt, the better the image outcome will be.
🔹What Is a Prompt, and Why Does It Need to Be Strong?
A prompt is the short description you give an AI image generator to tell it what picture to create. It’s like giving directions to a friend who’s driving to your house—if your instructions are clear and specific, they’ll get there easily; if they’re vague, they might end up lost. A strong prompt helps the AI understand exactly what you want, leading to better, more accurate images. For beginners, crafting a good prompt is the key to getting awesome results without frustration.
Anatomy of a Strong Prompt
A strong prompt is like a well-built sandwich: each layer adds something important to the final result. Here are the key parts, explained in simple terms, along with why they matter and how to use them.
1. The Subject (What’s the Main Focus?)
What It Is: This is the star of your image—the main thing you want the AI to draw. It could be a person, animal, object, or even a concept, like “a warrior,” “a fluffy cat,” or “a spaceship.”
Why It Matters: The subject is the heart of your image. If you don’t specify it clearly, the AI might guess and give you something random.
How to Do It: Be specific about what you want. Instead of just “a dog,” say “a golden retriever puppy.” If it’s a person, mention details like “a medieval knight” or “a futuristic astronaut.”
Tip for Beginners: Start with one clear subject. Avoid vague terms like “something cool” because the AI won’t know what you mean.
2. Descriptive Details (What Does It Look Like?)
What It Is: These are the details that make your subject unique, like colors, sizes, textures, or specific features. For example, “a red dragon with glowing green eyes” or “a small wooden cabin covered in snow.”
Why It Matters: Details help the AI paint a picture that matches your vision. Without them, you might get a generic version of your subject.
How to Do It: Add adjectives or phrases that describe appearance. Think about size (tiny, massive), colors (vibrant, pastel), textures (smooth, rusty), or specific traits (spiky tail, cracked windows).
Tip for Beginners: Imagine describing your subject to a friend who’s never seen it. What details would you include to make it vivid?
3. Setting or Environment (Where Is It?)
What It Is: This is the place or background where your subject exists, like “in a lush forest,” “on a stormy ocean,” or “inside a neon-lit city.”
Why It Matters: The setting gives context and makes the image feel complete. Without it, the AI might plop your subject on a plain or random background.
How to Do It: Describe the location clearly. Include things like time of day (day, night, twilight), weather (rainy, foggy), or specific places (a desert, a castle).
Tip for Beginners: If you’re not sure about the setting, try something simple like “on a mountain” or “in space.” It’s okay to keep it basic at first.
4. Style or Artistic Direction (How Should It Look?)
What It Is: This tells the AI what kind of art style you want, like “a watercolor painting,” “a 3D render,” or “in the style of a comic book.”
Why It Matters: The style controls the vibe of the image—whether it’s realistic, cartoonish, abstract, or inspired by a famous artist. Without this, the AI picks a default style, which might not be what you want.
How to Do It: Choose a style that fits your vision. Some easy options for beginners:
“Photorealistic” (looks like a real photo)
“Cartoon” or “anime” (fun, exaggerated)
“Oil painting” or “watercolor” (classic art vibes)
“Cyberpunk” or “steampunk” (specific genre aesthetics)
“In the style of [famous artist, like Van Gogh or Picasso]”
Tip for Beginners: If you’re unsure, try “photorealistic” or “cartoon” to start, as these are straightforward. Experiment with artist names later for fun.
5. Mood or Atmosphere (What’s the Feeling?)
What It Is: This describes the emotional tone of the image, like “mystical,” “cheerful,” “dark and eerie,” or “serene.”
Why It Matters: The mood sets the vibe and helps the AI decide how to use colors, lighting, and composition to make the image feel a certain way.
How to Do It: Add words that describe the emotion or atmosphere, like “peaceful,” “dramatic,” “futuristic,” or “cozy.” You can also tie it to lighting, like “lit by moonlight” or “glowing warmly.”
Tip for Beginners: Think about how you want the image to make you feel. If you’re stuck, try simple moods like “happy” or “mysterious.”
6. Optional Extras (Fine-Tuning for Precision)
What It Is: These are extra details to make your prompt even sharper, like camera angles (“close-up,” “wide shot”), specific lighting (“backlit,” “soft glow”), or composition (“centered,” “off to the side”).
Why It Matters: These tweaks give you more control over the final image, especially if you have a very specific vision in mind.
How to Do It: Add phrases like “from a bird’s-eye view,” “with dramatic shadows,” or “highly detailed.” You can also specify what not to include, like “no people in the background” or “no bright colors.”
Tip for Beginners: You don’t need these at first, but they’re great for refining your results once you get the hang of prompting.
Tips for Writing a Strong Prompt
Keep It Clear and Concise: Aim for a sentence or two that covers the main parts (subject, details, setting, style, mood). Too many words can confuse the AI.
Be Specific, But Not Overloaded: Include enough details to guide the AI, but don’t write a novel. For example, “a blue dragon in a forest, photorealistic, at night” is better than a vague “dragon” or an overly long description with every detail imaginable.
Experiment and Tweak: If the first image isn’t perfect, change one part of your prompt (like the style or setting) and try again. The AI is flexible!
Use Commas for Clarity: Separate parts of your prompt with commas to make it easy for the AI to parse, like “a fluffy white cat, sitting on a velvet cushion, in a sunlit room, watercolor style, peaceful.”
Avoid Contradictions: Don’t say things like “a dark, bright scene” because it confuses the AI. Pick one clear direction.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Vague Prompts: “Something pretty” or “a cool scene” gives the AI too much freedom, and you might get random results.
Overcomplicating: Throwing in too many details, like “a dragon with red scales, blue wings, green eyes, a spiky tail, wearing a hat, holding a sword, in a forest, on a mountain, at night, in the rain, in a cyberpunk style” can make the AI struggle to balance everything.
Ignoring Style: If you don’t specify a style, the AI might pick one that doesn’t match your vision, like a cartoon when you wanted a photo.
Forgetting the Setting: Without a background, your subject might float in a blank or weird space.
Write Detailed Prompts
Here are three examples of prompts and how to improve them for text-to-image generation using more detail:
Example 1: Original Prompt
"A cat in space"
Improved Prompt
"A curious orange tabby cat floating in zero gravity, surrounded by stars and a faint nebula in the background, with a playful expression on its face"
The improved prompt adds more specific details about the cat's appearance, environment, and expression, which will help the model generate a more interesting and detailed image.
Example 2: Original Prompt
"A fantasy castle"
Improved Prompt
"A majestic medieval-style fantasy castle made of gray stone, with tall spires, towers, and battlements, set amidst a misty forest with a serene lake in the foreground, and a warm sunset glow"
The improved prompt adds more descriptive language about the castle's architecture, surroundings, and lighting, which will help the model generate a more vivid and immersive image.
Example 3: Original Prompt
"A futuristic cityscape"
Improved Prompt
"A sleek and modern futuristic cityscape at dusk, with towering skyscrapers, neon lights reflecting off wet pavement, and flying cars zipping through the air, set against a backdrop of a purple and pink sky"
The improved prompt adds more specific details about the time of day, lighting, and atmosphere, as well as specific elements like flying cars, which will help the model generate a more dynamic and futuristic image.
In general, good prompts for text-to-image generation should include:
Specific details about the subject's appearance, environment, and atmosphere
Descriptive language that evokes a particular mood or style
Clear and concise language that avoids ambiguity
By adding more detail and specificity to your prompts, you can help the model generate more interesting and accurate images.
Read the next follow-up article: Part 3: Choosing the Right Image Generating AI Platform.
For additional learning on this topic, also read about Positive and Negative Prompts: What They Mean in AI Art
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