Here’s a detailed breakdown of the Image Prompt Structure — Subject + Style + Details + Lighting — which is widely used in generative AI tools like Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, and DALL·E to create high-quality images.
1. Subject
- Definition: The main object, scene, or concept you want the AI to generate.
- Purpose: Gives the AI a clear focus for the image.
- Examples:
- “A cyberpunk cityscape”
- “A Bengal tiger in a rainforest”
- “A futuristic sports car”
- Tips:
- Be specific: Instead of “a car”, say “a 1967 Ford Mustang, cherry red”
- Include context: “in the rain,” “on Mars,” “underwater,” etc.
2. Style
- Definition: The artistic or design style in which the subject is portrayed.
- Purpose: Guides the AI to follow a visual aesthetic.
- Common Styles:
- Art movements: impressionism, cubism, surrealism, minimalism
- Media types: watercolor, pencil sketch, oil painting, 3D render, pixel art
- Famous artists: “in the style of Van Gogh” or “Ghibli-style”
- Example: “A Bengal tiger in a rainforest, digital painting style”
3. Details
- Definition: Extra descriptive elements to enhance realism or creativity.
- Purpose: Adds richness, complexity, and depth to the prompt.
- Types of Details:
- Environment: foggy, snowy, sunset, tropical
- Accessories: wearing a crown, holding a sword
- Mood: mysterious, joyful, dramatic
- Example: “A Bengal tiger in a rainforest, digital painting style, with glowing eyes, surrounded by fireflies”
4. Lighting
- Definition: How light is depicted in the image.
- Purpose: Sets the mood, depth, and atmosphere of the image.
- Lighting Types:
- Natural: sunlight, golden hour, moonlight
- Artificial: neon lights, studio lighting
- Mood-based: dramatic shadows, soft light, cinematic lighting
- Example: “A Bengal tiger in a rainforest, digital painting style, with glowing eyes, surrounded by fireflies, illuminated by moonlight”
Final Prompt Example
“A Bengal tiger in a dense rainforest, digital painting style, with glowing amber eyes and fireflies swirling around, illuminated by soft moonlight.”
This follows:
- Subject → Bengal tiger in a rainforest
- Style → Digital painting
- Details → Glowing eyes, fireflies
- Lighting → Soft moonlight
Practical Activity
A vast floating island city with towering crystal spires and lush green terraces, in a Studio Ghibli-inspired style, intricate details of bridges and waterfalls cascading into the clouds below, soft golden hour lighting with warm glows reflecting off the crystals and mist. generate image
Try below prompts to generate images
1. Sci-Fi Space Scene
Prompt:
A colossal alien space station orbiting a vivid purple gas giant, in ultra-detailed concept art style, with fleets of spacecraft docking, glowing energy shields, and swirling planetary storms in the background, lit by intense rim lighting from the distant sun.
2. Historical Portrait
Prompt:
A regal Mughal queen sitting on a carved marble throne, wearing elaborate gold jewelry and a richly embroidered silk saree, in hyperrealistic oil painting style, with ornate palace arches in the background, illuminated by soft candlelight casting gentle shadows.
3. Futuristic Cyberpunk Street
Prompt:
A bustling neon-lit street in a futuristic Tokyo, with holographic billboards, flying cars, and cybernetically enhanced pedestrians, in a cinematic Blade Runner style, rain-soaked streets reflecting colorful lights, dramatic low-angle lighting with a moody, smoky atmosphere.
4. Wildlife Photography
Prompt:
A close-up of a Bengal tiger walking through tall grass in the Sundarbans, photorealistic wildlife photography style, capturing every strand of fur and whisker detail, with sunlight breaking through the dense forest canopy creating dappled light patterns.