Midjourney Prompt Guide: Advanced Techniques for Stunning AI Art
Midjourney has become the go-to platform for creating breathtaking AI art. With the right prompt techniques and parameters, you can achieve professional-quality results that stand out.
Understanding Midjourney Parameters
Parameters are special commands that modify how Midjourney generates images. They’re added to the end of your prompt with two dashes.
Essential Parameters:
--ar 16:9 - Sets aspect ratio (common: 16:9, 1:1, 9:16, 3:2)
--style raw - Reduces Midjourney’s default artistic enhancement for more literal interpretations
--stylize 500 - Controls artistic interpretation (0-1000, default 100)
--chaos 50 - Adds variety to results (0-100)
--quality 2 - Increases rendering quality (.25, .5, 1, 2)
--seed 12345 - Use same seed for consistent results across variations
Advanced Prompt Techniques
Multi-Prompts: Use :: to assign weight to different concepts
ethereal forest::2 mystical creatures::1 glowing mushrooms::1
Image Prompts: Start with an image URL to influence the generation
https://example.com/image.jpg fantasy castle, dramatic lighting --ar 16:9
Negative Prompts: Use --no to exclude elements
beautiful garden --no people, cars, buildings
Style Keywords That Work
For Photorealism:
- “shot on Canon EOS R5”
- “professional photography”
- “National Geographic style”
- “85mm portrait lens”
For Artistic Styles:
- “studio ghibli style animation”
- “art nouveau poster”
- “cyberpunk aesthetic”
- “watercolor illustration”
For Quality Boost:
- “highly detailed”
- “intricate details”
- “masterpiece”
- “trending on artstation”
Pro Prompt Formula
[Image Weight] [Main Subject], [Environment/Background], [Artistic Style], [Lighting], [Camera/Perspective], [Mood/Atmosphere], [Quality Modifiers] --[parameters]
Example:
A lone astronaut standing on alien planet surface, bioluminescent plants, cinematic sci-fi concept art, volumetric lighting, wide angle shot, sense of wonder and isolation, ultra detailed, 8k --ar 16:9 --stylize 250
Style Reference Feature
Use --sref with an image URL to match a specific artistic style consistently across multiple generations.
fantasy warrior --sref https://example.com/style-reference.jpg --ar 2:3
Common Midjourney Patterns
Fantasy Characters:
epic [character type], [clothing/armor details], [pose/action], fantasy art, dramatic lighting, detailed face, dynamic composition --ar 2:3 --stylize 300
Landscapes:
breathtaking [location type], [time of day], [weather/atmosphere], landscape photography, vivid colors, wide angle --ar 16:9 --quality 2
Product Design:
sleek [product type], [material], [design style], product photography, studio lighting, white background, sharp focus --ar 1:1 --style raw
Iterating for Perfection
Use the Vary Region tool to edit specific parts of your image after generation.
Try Remix Mode to modify prompts while keeping the general composition.
Save successful prompts and experiment with small variations to refine your style.
Avoiding Common Pitfalls
Don’t: Use too many conflicting styles in one prompt
Do: Focus on 1-2 compatible artistic styles
Don’t: Overuse parameters - they can fight each other
Do: Start with basic parameters and add more as needed
Don’t: Copy prompts exactly - AI models evolve
Do: Use prompts as inspiration and adapt them
Testing Your Skills
Browse our Midjourney prompt collection to see what parameters and techniques create different effects. Experiment with variations to develop your unique artistic voice.
Remember: The best Midjourney artists iterate constantly. Your first attempt rarely produces the perfect image, so embrace the creative process!