The Ultimate Midjourney Prompt Guide: Create Stunning AI Art
Mastering Midjourney Prompts
Midjourney produces breathtaking AI art, but only if you know how to prompt it effectively. This guide covers everything from basic syntax to advanced techniques that professional AI artists use daily.
Prompt Basics
A Midjourney prompt follows this structure:
/imagine [subject] [style] [details] [parameters]
The Formula That Works
The most effective prompts include these elements:
- Subject: What is the image about? Be specific.
- Medium: Photography, oil painting, digital art, watercolor, etc.
- Style: Cinematic, minimalist, photorealistic, anime, etc.
- Lighting: Golden hour, neon, studio lighting, natural, etc.
- Color: Vibrant, muted, monochrome, pastel, etc.
- Composition: Close-up, wide angle, bird's eye, etc.
- Parameters: --ar, --v, --s, --q, etc.
Essential Parameters
| Parameter | What It Does | Example |
|---|---|---|
| --ar | Aspect ratio | --ar 16:9 (widescreen) |
| --v | Model version | --v 6.1 (latest) |
| --s | Stylize value | --s 750 (high stylization) |
| --q | Quality | --q 2 (high quality) |
| --c | Chaos | --c 50 (more variation) |
| --no | Negative prompt | --no text, watermark |
| --style | Style preset | --style raw |
50 Copy-Paste Prompts by Category
Photography
A photorealistic portrait of an elderly woman, natural lighting, shot on 85mm lens, shallow depth of field, cinematic color grading --ar 4:5 --v 6.1 --s 250Aerial drone photography of a tropical island with turquoise water and white sand beaches, golden hour, ultra high resolution --ar 16:9 --v 6.1Street photography in Tokyo at night, neon reflections on wet pavement, cinematic color grade, Leica M11 --ar 3:2 --v 6.1 --s 200
Digital Art
A futuristic cyberpunk city at sunset, volumetric lighting, concept art style, highly detailed, 8K --ar 21:9 --v 6.1 --s 500A mystical forest with bioluminescent plants and ancient ruins, ethereal atmosphere, fantasy art, intricate details --ar 16:9 --v 6.1An underwater city with merpeople and coral architecture, crystal clear water, fantasy illustration, vivid colors --ar 1:1 --v 6.1 --s 400
Product Design
Minimalist product photography of a smartwatch on a marble surface, soft studio lighting, Apple-style --ar 1:1 --v 6.1 --s 100A sleek electric car concept in a white showroom, dramatic lighting, automotive photography, 8K --ar 16:9 --v 6.1
Advanced Techniques
Multi-Prompting
Use weights to control the importance of elements:
landscape::1.5 with a castle::0.8 and a dragon::0.3 in the sky::0.5
Image Blending
Blend two images by pasting their URLs:
/blend [image1 URL] [image2 URL]
Style References
Use a reference image to match its style:
your prompt --sref [image URL] --sw 1000
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Too vague: "a beautiful landscape" → "a misty mountain landscape at sunrise with a winding river"
- Too many styles: Mixing 3+ art styles creates muddy results.
- Ignoring aspect ratio: Wrong aspect ratio wastes image space.
- Over-stylizing: --s 1000 can make images look artificial.
Conclusion
Great Midjourney art comes from specific, well-structured prompts. Use the formula, study the parameters, and iterate quickly. The more you practice, the better your results will be.