The Universal Formula for AI Painting Prompts#
I have also broken down hundreds of AI painting prompts and summarized a universal formula for painting prompts. It allows you to express your creative ideas according to a certain visual logic, enabling AI to better understand your intentions and produce a high-quality image.
Universal Formula#
High-quality AI painting prompt = Style/Art Form + Subject Description + Layered Description of Visual Elements (Composition, Color and Tone, Light and Shadow, Texture and Detail) + Background/Environment + Atmosphere + Detail Depiction + Quality Requirements
Note: The elements that come first are more important; style and subject are mandatory.
Example Effects#
Here are a few illustrations I created last week, which I also made into a video. Feel free to watch the healing little video. You can see my generation information: its prompts are written as follows:
- Ultra HD Illustration
- Exquisite Details
- Cinematic Lighting
- Rich Indoor Details
- Extremely Comfortable, Pleasant, Quiet, Lazy, Warm, Full of Home Comfort
Scene Description:
A charming girl enjoying a peaceful afternoon: a young delicate woman is comfortably lying on a white fluffy carpet, with a sofa behind her. She is smiling with her eyes closed, wearing a white fitted short-sleeve top and pink overalls, with long reddish-brown hair, fully in the frame. Beside her is a whole large watermelon and a plate of fresh lychees. The background features a large window with blue sky, white clouds, and green trees outside. On the right, a television is playing cartoons, and an excited jumping puppy is nearby.
Atmosphere: Extremely comfortable, quiet, lazy, warm.
Color: Bright and fresh, with the main colors being white/pink/gentle green, accented with yellow/pink.
Lighting: Natural soft afternoon sunlight.
Structural Breakdown#
- Style
- Main Subject
- Visual Elements of the Entire Image
- Atmosphere Words
- Tone
- Light and Shadow
Written according to the formula. Why is this formula useful? The reason is simple; it aligns with common sense. When we draw a picture, we first think about what to draw, which is the subject + style, and how to draw, which is the conceptualization of visual elements. What feeling or emotion does this painting convey, plus a quality requirement.
Prompt Detail Sharing#
Detail One: Style Prompts#
I categorize styles into four types:
-
Film
- Cinematic Quality
- Hong Kong Film
- Comedy Style
- Epic Film
-
Photography
- Fisheye Shot
- Documentary Photography
- Portrait Photography
- Commercial Photography
- Street Photography
- Product Photography
- Outdoor Photography
- Light Film Feel
- Night Photography
- Hasselblad Photography
- Kodak Photography
- Polaroid
- Fresh and Simple
- Studio Style
- Hong Kong Style
- Old Photos
-
Animation
- Fresh Illustration
- Acrylic Illustration
- National Style Illustration
- Picture Book Style
- Children's Drawing
- Crayon Drawing
- Japanese Manga Style
- American Comic Style
- Chinese Animation Style
- Ancient Style Illustration
- Hayao Miyazaki
- Stop Motion Animation
-
Others
- Surreal Still Life Photography
- Hyper-Realistic Style
- Sculpted Oil Painting with Paint
- Fluid Oil Painting
- Relief Mural
- Van Gogh Style
- Non-Traditional Composition Art
- Surrealism
- Industrial Design
- Product Design
- Rock Color Painting with Matte Texture
- Minimalism
- Sketch Poster
- Pencil Drawing Sketch
- Hayao Miyazaki Comic Style
- Vintage Old Photos
- Playful and Vibrant 3D Rendered Images
- Paper Cutting
- Paper Cutting Art
- Paper Illustrations
- Retro
- Ink Wash Style
- Geometric Style
- Mecha Style
- Wabi-Sabi Style
- Bauhaus Style
- Minimalism
- Ukiyo-e
- Symbolism
- Renaissance
- Landscape Painting
- Impressionism
- Fauvism
- Rococo Style
- Master Prints
- Hyper-Realism
- Surrealism
- Constructivism
- Abstract Art
- Memphis
Detail Two: Layered Description of Visual Elements#
First is composition, simply put: from what perspective and distance you are viewing.
Perspective Prompts:
- Bird's Eye View
- Low Angle Shot
- 30 Degree Upward Shot
- Eye Level Perspective
- Upward Perspective
- Low Angle Perspective
Shot Type Prompts:
- Macro Shot
- Extreme Close-Up
- Close-Up Shot
- Close Range
- Medium Range
- Long Range
- Wide Shot
Next is light and shadow; I have organized the following prompts:
- Soft Light and Shadow
- Colorful Light and Shadow
- Tyndall Effect
- Dark Light Effect
- Window Light
- Dramatic Light
- Dappled Light and Shadow
- Candlelight
- Underwater Light Effect
- Morning Light
- Sunset
- Studio Light
Detail Three: Image Quality Description#
This is the most useful; each time you can mindlessly choose three to five from the following prompts:
- 8K
- Ultra HD
- 32k
- Ultimate Detail
- Masterpiece
- High-Quality Detail
- Ultra HD Resolution
- Best Quality
- 8K Wallpaper
I won't elaborate on other prompts for now; I have organized a prompt mind map at the end of the article, so take a look.
Conclusion#
AI transforms some chaotic noise into a specific creative image based on your prompts. In other words, the advantage of AI painting is surreal creation and style imitation.
If you are not a particularly creative person, do not obsess over describing the details of an image clearly. Clearly describe the core of the image, which is the subject and style; styles can be mixed and matched, and that’s enough. When iterating prompts, do the same, continuously iterate around the core, and adding more details to the image will only confuse the large model; it won’t know what to draw. Focus on the core, and let AI expand the creativity in the details.
A universal formula, how to apply the universal formula, and how to make good use of AI's capabilities—these three points are enough to guide you in the right direction to evolve your AI painting skills.