Stable Diffusion is a powerful AI model that can generate stunning images from text prompts. However, crafting effective prompts can be challenging for new users. This article provides beginner-friendly advice and prompt examples to help you create better Stable Diffusion prompts.
Prompt Structure
A good Stable Diffusion prompt has a clear structure with the key elements:
Subject and Style
Start your prompt by clearly stating the subject you want generated, for example “a painting of a cat” or “a 3D render of a robot”.
Then specify the desired style, like “in Andy Warhol’s pop art style” or “with a cyberpunk aesthetic”. Styles help guide the model.
Details
Add relevant details about the subject to make your vision clearer, such as “a calico cat with green eyes” or “a humanoid robot with exposed wires”. More details typically result in better images.
Composition
Describe the desired composition like “a close-up portrait” or “a full-body shot”. Do you want a specific pose? Background? Framing? Add those details.
Post-Processing
You can also guide the post-processing by specifying things like “cinematic lighting” or “depth of field blur”.
Prompt Examples
Here are some prompt examples to illustrate the structure:
A painting of a calico cat with green eyes, in Andy Warhol's pop art style, a close-up portrait with cinematic lighting
A 3D render of a humanoid robot with exposed wires and rust textures, with a cyberpunk aesthetic, a full body shot outdoors with shallow depth of field Prompt Engineering Tips
Here are some tips to engineer better prompts:
- Iterate on prompts – Start broad, then add details piece by piece
- Limit prompts <75 tokens – Shorter prompts tend to work better
- Weight key terms – Repeat key terms later in the prompt
- Use styles – Styles guide the model significantly
- Add negatives – Specify what you don’t want to avoid it
- Try artistic styles – Leverage movements like impressionism
- Use reference images – Show, don’t just tell
Common Keywords
Here are some common keywords that tend to work well:
Styles: cinematic, photorealistic, impressionist, pop art
Lighting: soft lighting, rim lighting, radiant lighting, golden hour
Textures: smooth, fuzzy, glossy, matte, scratched, weathered
Compositions: portrait, full-body, aerial shot, close-up
Attributes: elegant, powerful, gentle, fiery, somber, joyful
Conclusion
The key to better prompts is clearly conveying your vision through structure, details, and descriptive language. Treat prompts as an art and hone your skills through iteration. Reference the examples and tips in this article when creating your next prompt. Most importantly, don’t be afraid to experiment!