Reddit tips for background prompts in Stable Diffusion

Crafting the perfect prompt is key to getting great results with AI image generation tools like Stable Diffusion. The prompt acts as the instructions for the AI, guiding it on what type of image to generate. With the right prompts, you can unlock the full creative potential of Stable Diffusion.

In this article, I share my top tips and plenty of prompt examples to help you become a prompt engineering master.

Prompt Structure

A good prompt generally consists of:

  • Subject – The main focus of the image
  • Style – Artistic style cues
  • Details – Descriptors of elements you want to include
  • Composition – Guidance on image framing and layout

Here is an example prompt structure:

A high detail digital painting of a wizard casting a spell, trending on artstation, by greg rutkowski and alphonse mucha, intricate, highly detailed facial features, extremely detailed, sharp focus, illustration, art by artgerm and greg rutkowski and beksinski

Let’s break this down:

  • Subject: A wizard casting a spell
  • Style: digital painting, trending on artstation, by specific artists
  • Details: high detail, intricate, extremely detailed, sharp focus
  • Composition: illustration

Prompt Engineering Tips

Here are some of my top tips for crafting effective prompts:

Specify Details

Provide as much descriptive detail as possible – this gives the AI more to work with. For example, instead of just “a wizard”, describe the clothing, facial features, pose etc.

Use Style Cues

Referencing well-known artists helps guide the style. For example, adding “by Greg Rutkowski” will cue a certain painterly style.

Set the Tone

Use adjectives to convey the mood and tone you want. For example, “dramatic backlighting” or “soft, peaceful lighting”.

Guide the Composition

Use terms like “portrait”, “full-body”, or “centered” to control framing.

Iterate on Prompts

Start broad and add details incrementally in each test. Review results and tweak prompts to incrementally improve.

Prompt Examples

Here are some prompt examples for common use cases:

Character Portraits

Intricately detailed digital art portrait of a mighty female warrior with long flowing hair, highly detailed intricate armor, by Artgerm and Greg Rutkowski and Alphonse Mucha

Female warrior

Landscape Photography

Ethereal fantasy landscape, misty grassy hills, lone twisted oak tree silhouetted against a vibrant sunset sky of purple and orange, trending on ArtStation

Fantasy landscape

Still Life Painting

Highly detailed still life oil painting by Rembrandt and Caravaggio, of assorted jewels and gold coins spilling out of an ancient leather pouch onto a wooden table

Still life painting

Prompt Websites

Here are some great sites to find and share prompts:

These let you browse prompts by category as well as submit and upvote new prompts.

Final Tips

  • Frame prompts positively – use “a clear blue sky” rather than “no clouds”
  • Strike a balance between being too vague or too specific
  • Use multiple style references to blend styles
  • Pay attention to lighting, tone and mood
  • Iterate incrementally – start broad, then add details
  • Browse prompt sites for inspiration

With these prompt engineering techniques, you’ll be able to create incredible AI-generated art with Stable Diffusion in no time!

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