Stable Diffusion is an AI system that generates images from text descriptions, known as “prompts”. Crafting effective prompts is key to producing high-quality AI art with Stable Diffusion. This article will provide an overview of Stable Diffusion prompts, tips for writing better prompts, and include numerous examples across different categories.
What Makes a Good Prompt?
A good Stable Diffusion prompt should:
- Be detailed and descriptive – Provide enough detail so the AI can render what you want
- Use stylistic references – Refer to artists, genres, art movements to guide the style
- Avoid ambiguity – Be as clear and unambiguous as possible
- Specify image attributes – Details like resolution, framing, lighting etc.
Prompt Structure
Stable Diffusion prompts generally follow this basic structure:
[Subject] [Style Cues] [Details] [Attributes]
- Subject: The main focus of the image
- Style Cues: Artistic styles, mediums, artists etc.
- Details: Descriptions of the subject, scene, colors etc.
- Attributes: Image specifications like size, framing etc.
Prompt Examples
Here are some examples of effective prompts across different categories:
Portraits
A high resolution digital painting portrait of a beautiful elf princess with long golden hair braided with flowers, looking thoughtful, soft lighting, intricate details, by Alphonse Mucha
Breakdown:
- Subject: beautiful elf princess
- Style cue: Alphonse Mucha
- Details: long golden braided hair, flowers, thoughtful expression
- Attributes: high resolution digital painting portrait, soft lighting, intricate details
Landscapes
Matte painting of a lush green valley with a crystal blue lake and waterfalls flowing from snowy mountains, dramatic lighting, trending on ArtStation
Breakdown:
- Subject: lush green valley, lake, waterfalls, snowy mountains
- Style cue: matte painting, trending on ArtStation
- Details: crystal blue lake, waterfalls flowing from mountains
- Attributes: dramatic lighting
Still Life
Intricate pencil drawing still life study of various musical instruments on a wooden table with sheet music, by Daniel Sprick, sharp focus, detailed, high resolution
Breakdown:
- Subject: musical instruments still life
- Style cue: Daniel Sprick
- Details: various musical instruments, wooden table, sheet music
- Attributes: intricate pencil drawing, sharp focus, detailed, high resolution
Advanced Prompting Techniques
In addition to basic prompts, you can use more advanced techniques like:
Style Cues
Refer to art movements, individual artists, mediums etc. to influence style:
cubist style, art deco style, impressionist style, in the style of Picasso, oil painting, vector art
Image Attributes
Specify image details like size, perspective, focus etc:
8k resolution, 1:1 aspect ratio, low angle perspective, soft focus background, cinematic colour grading
Textual Inpainting
Use textual inpainting to edit parts of an existing image:
A beautiful sunset landscape, add more vibrant colours and dramatic clouds
Image Collaging
Combine elements from multiple images:
A wolf howling at the moon, collage with a starry night sky, van Gogh style
Prompt Keywords
Here are some useful keywords to incorporate into prompts:
Style Cues:
- painterly, impasto, glitch art, art nouveau, ukiyo-e, chiaroscuro
Lighting:
- soft lighting, rim lighting, cinematic lighting, high key lighting, low key lighting
Details:
- highly detailed, intricate details, photorealistic details
Attributes:
- shallow depth of field, rule of thirds, aerial perspective, high resolution, uncropped
Quality:
- masterpiece, visually appealing, beautiful, stunning
Medium:
- digital painting, pencil sketch, vector art, 3D render
Prompt Websites
There are many websites dedicated to sharing and discovering new prompts. Some great resources:
- PromptHero – User submitted and rated prompts
- PromptMania – Prompt generator with categories
- Stable Diffusion Search – Search engine for top prompts
By studying these prompts and applying prompt engineering techniques, you can create truly breathtaking AI art with Stable Diffusion. With practice, you will be able to craft unique prompts tailored to your artistic vision.