Stable Diffusion is a powerful AI image generation model that creates images based on text prompts. Crafting effective prompts is key to guiding the model to produce high-quality and creative images.
This article provides prompt examples and tips to help you get started with Stable Diffusion prompting.
What is a Stable Diffusion Prompt?
A Stable Diffusion prompt is a text description that instructs the AI model on what type of image to generate. It includes details like:
- Subject matter
- Artistic style
- Composition
- Lighting
- Other elements
For example:
A scenic photograph of a winding path through a lush green forest in the Pacific Northwest, digital art by Greg Rutkowski and Thomas Kinkade
Prompt Crafting Principles
Here are some key principles for crafting effective Stable Diffusion prompts:
- Simplicity – Start with a basic description of the core concept.
- Style – Incorporate stylistic elements like artist names.
- Negative prompts – Use these to steer away from unwanted elements.
- Test and refine – Experiment to find the best prompts.
Techniques for Detailed Prompts
Here are some key techniques you can use to craft detailed and effective prompts.
Describe the Subject Matter
Focus first on clearly describing the subject or content you want generated. For example landscapes, portraits or abstract concepts.
Specify Artistic Style
Reference art styles and artists to convey the visual style you’re aiming for.
Examples:
- Oil painting by Rembrandt
- Digital art by Greg Rutkowski
- Impasto texture
- Ghibli-style
Add Relevant Details
Include key details like colors, lighting, expressions and other elements that define the image.
Example details:
- A girl with red hair
- Dramatic shadows
- Smiling faintly
- Purple and blue tones
Set the Composition
Describe the desired composition like angle, perspective, balance and layout.
Examples:
- Foreground, midground and background elements
- Rule of thirds composition
- Centered symmetrical abstract design
Specify Image Properties
Define details like:
- Output dimensions (512×512)
- Level of realism or abstraction
Handling Common Issues
Here are some tips for handling common prompt issues:
Unexpected Outputs
If outputs don’t match prompts, simplify prompts and use more references. For portraits, add age, gender or ethnicity to steer the model.
Repetition
Vary wording and details in each prompt to create diversity.
Need More Control
Use negative prompts to exclude unwanted elements by adding (-keyword)
after the main prompt.
Useful Stable Diffusion Resources
Here are some useful resources for crafting better prompts:
- Stable Diffusion Prompt Book – Prompt templates
- Stable Diffusion Paper – Original academic paper
- Automatic1111 Webui – Popular web UI
With an understanding of key prompting principles and techniques, you can start crafting prompts that produce impressive, creative images with Stable Diffusion. The examples and tips in this guide provide a starting point, but further experimentation and practice will lead to truly masterful prompt engineering.