How to Give the Best Prompts for AI Image Creation

AI image generators like DALL·E, MidJourney, Stable Diffusion, and Sora have revolutionized digital creativity. With just a few words, you can generate artworks, product designs, concept art, or realistic photos.

But not all prompts produce the same results. A poorly written prompt may give blurry, irrelevant, or generic images. Learning how to craft perfect prompts is key to unlocking AI’s full potential.

This blog explains everything about writing prompts that give the best AI images.

1. Understand How AI Interprets Prompts

AI image generators use text prompts to understand:

Subject: What the image should be about
Style: Realistic, cartoon, anime, painting, etc.
Composition: Framing, angle, perspective
Lighting: Natural, cinematic, neon, sunset
Mood: Happy, eerie, dramatic, futuristic

The more specific you are, the better results you get.

2. Start With the Main Subject

Always begin your prompt with the main subject of the image.

Examples:

“A futuristic city skyline”
“A golden retriever puppy in a meadow”
“A fantasy warrior riding a dragon”

This ensures the AI knows the focus before adding styles or details.

3. Add Descriptive Details

Details improve realism and creativity. Include:

Colors: red, neon, pastel, monochrome
Environment: forest, space, medieval town
Time of day: morning, sunset, night
Materials or textures: metallic, wooden, glass, cloth

Example:

“A golden retriever puppy in a sunlit meadow, soft fur, playful expression, flowers around, warm morning light.”

4. Specify the Art Style

AI can mimic hundreds of styles. Adding a style tag produces better results:

Realistic / Photorealistic
Oil painting / Watercolor / Sketch
Anime / Cartoon / Comic
Cyberpunk / Futuristic / Vintage
Concept art / 3D render / Cinematic lighting

Example:

“A futuristic city skyline, cyberpunk style, neon lights reflecting on wet streets, cinematic wide-angle, 8K render.”

5. Control Composition and Perspective

Specify how the image should be framed:

Camera angle: top view, close-up, wide-angle, low-angle
Focus: foreground, background, depth of field
Orientation: portrait, landscape, square

Example:

“Fantasy warrior riding a dragon, low-angle perspective, flying above mountains, dynamic motion blur, cinematic composition.”

6. Include Lighting and Mood

Lighting sets the mood of an image:

Soft / Hard / Dramatic / Neon / Natural
Time of day: sunset, sunrise, night
Mood: eerie, joyful, dark, romantic, mysterious

Example:

“A haunted castle on a cliff, dark clouds, moonlight, foggy atmosphere, cinematic lighting.”

7. Use Reference Keywords or Artists

Referencing styles or artists can drastically improve output:

“In the style of Van Gogh”
“Pixar animation style”
“Studio Ghibli inspired”
“Greg Rutkowski concept art”

Example:

“A futuristic robot samurai, in the style of H.R. Giger, cyberpunk neon lighting, ultra-detailed.”

8. Experiment With Prompt Weight

Some AI generators support weights:

Use :: to emphasize parts:

“A majestic lion::2 in a savannah::1”
Higher numbers give more importance to specific elements.

9. Negative Prompts

To avoid unwanted elements, use negative prompts (supported in MidJourney, Stable Diffusion):

Example:

Prompt: “A serene mountain lake, sunrise”
Negative Prompt: “No humans, no buildings, no cars”

This prevents clutter or wrong objects from appearing.

10. Start Simple, Then Refine

Begin with a short prompt, check output, then refine by adding:

Style
Lighting
Composition
References

Iterative improvement leads to the best results.

11. Common Mistakes to Avoid

Too vague: “A dog in a field” → could be any dog, any field
Overcrowded prompt: 20+ conflicting keywords
Wrong style reference: incompatible combinations
No mood or lighting: results look flat

Always balance clarity with creativity.

12. Examples of Excellent Prompts

Realistic Portrait:

“A photorealistic portrait of a young woman, curly hair, green eyes, soft sunlight, studio background, 8K ultra-detailed.”

Fantasy Scene:

“A dragon flying over a medieval city at sunset, cinematic lighting, dynamic clouds, epic scale, in the style of concept art.”

Sci-Fi Environment:

“Futuristic cyberpunk city, neon lights reflecting on rain-soaked streets, flying cars, wide-angle, cinematic atmosphere, 8K render.”

13. Tools to Try

DALL·E 3 (OpenAI) – easy for realistic and artistic images
MidJourney – excels in fantasy and cinematic art
Stable Diffusion – highly customizable, open-source
Sora – cinematic, AI video + stills generation
Leonardo.ai – concept art and illustrations

14. Tips for Professionals

Always use high-resolution prompts for print or digital use
Combine multiple references (e.g., “Van Gogh + cyberpunk”)
Keep a prompt library for reuse
Test different AI engines for style variation
Use post-processing tools like Photoshop or Canva for final touches

15. Final Thoughts

Mastering AI image prompts is a skill. The better your prompts, the more impressive your AI-generated images. By understanding:

Subject
Style
Composition
Lighting
Mood
References

…you can generate images that are professional, cinematic, and highly creative.

Start simple, refine iteratively, and experiment boldly.