7 Essential Tips for Writing Midjourney & Stable Diffusion Prompts (Beginner’s Guide to AI Art)

You don’t need to be an artist or a coder to get stunning AI images. With a few prompt habits, Midjourney and Stable Diffusion will deliver consistently better results. Use these 7 beginner‑friendly tips-with simple examples you can try today.

Tip 1: Be Specific about Subject + Style

Bad:

cool landscape

Good:

epic alpine landscape, dramatic snow‑capped peaks, winding river, golden hour
style: photo‑realistic, ultra‑wide, high dynamic range

Why it works: Clear subject + style cues steer composition and aesthetics.

Tip 2: Add Composition & Camera Cues

Useful phrases: “wide angle,” “close‑up portrait,” “rule of thirds,” “overhead,” “macro,” “35mm film.”

Example:

close‑up portrait, centered, shallow depth of field, 85mm lens, bokeh background

Tip 3: Specify Lighting & Color

Lighting drastically changes mood.

Examples: “soft diffused light,” “golden hour,” “neon rim light,” “studio softbox,” “moody chiaroscuro.”

cinematic still, teal‑and‑orange color grade, backlit haze, volumetric light

Tip 4: Use Negative Prompts (filter unwanted elements)

What is a negative prompt? Text that tells the model what to avoid.

Starter negatives:

text, watermark, logo, low quality, blurry, extra digits, deformed hands

Stable Diffusion example (prompt + negative):

prompt: futuristic city skyline at dusk, ultra‑detailed, reflections on water
negative: text, watermark, lowres, noisy, oversaturated

Tip 5: Mind Aspect Ratio and Size

• Midjourney: add --ar 16:9 (or 1:1, 9:16, 4:5)
• Stable Diffusion: set width/height (e.g., 1024×1536 for verticals)

Landscape example (Midjourney):

sunset over lavender fields, aerial perspective, soft haze --ar 16:9

Tip 6: Iterate in Small Steps

Workflow:

1. Generate a baseline
2. Tweak one variable (style, lighting, color)
3. Compare outputs

Example iterations:

v1: portrait, natural soft light
v2: portrait, golden hour backlight
v3: portrait, neon edge light, moody shadows

Tip 7: Use References and Style Hints (responsibly)

Describe inspirations (genre, era, medium) rather than naming living artists.

Examples: “baroque oil painting,” “1920s travel poster,” “cyberpunk neon,” “studio fashion editorial,” “isometric pixel art.”

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Midjourney vs Stable Diffusion: Quick Notes

• Midjourney
  • Use parameters like --ar, --stylize, --v (version)
  • Descriptive phrases work well; keep structure simple
• Stable Diffusion
  • Strong effect from negative prompts and weights
  • You can use emphasis like (keyword:1.2) in some UIs

Starter Stable Diffusion prompt:

prompt: elegant product photo on white background, soft studio light, subtle shadow, high detail
negative: watermark, text, reflection, harsh shadow, lowres

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Bad → Good Prompt Transformations

Logo (generic → useful)

Bad:

make a cool logo

Good:

minimalist logo for a coffee roastery named "Peak Roast"
style: geometric mark + modern sans‑serif wordmark
colors: charcoal, warm copper accent
output: vector‑like, flat background, centered
negative: gradients, bevels, busy details

Character (generic → useful)

Bad:

fantasy character

Good:

fantasy ranger, leather cloak, ash‑blonde hair, green eyes, woodland setting
style: cinematic portrait, shallow depth of field, 85mm lens, bokeh
lighting: soft rim light, cool ambient
negative: extra fingers, distorted hands, watermark, text

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Try These Starters

Landscape:

misty rainforest valley at sunrise, low clouds, saturated greens, birds in distance
style: photo‑realistic, wide lens, rule of thirds, high detail
negative: text, watermark, oversharpened, washed out

Product:

wireless earbuds, macro hero shot, white cyclorama, soft gradient, subtle reflection
style: e‑commerce studio lighting, high clarity
negative: dust, fingerprints, watermark, text

Poster:

retro travel poster of Kyoto in spring, limited palette, screen‑print texture
style: 1920s art deco poster, bold shapes, clean typography area
negative: photo texture, gradients, busy background

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Use PromptBuilder to Speed This Up

• Add negative prompts with a click
• Choose aspect ratios and style presets without memorizing syntax
• Save and reuse your best prompts for consistency

🎨 Try it free: /free-tools/chatgpt-prompt-generator and explore our image‑prompt templates inside the app.

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