Midjourney Prompt Architect#

Generate production-quality prompts for AI image generation tools.

Prompt Architecture#

Structure (in order)#

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[Subject] + [Action/Pose] + [Setting/Environment] + [Style] + [Lighting] + [Camera/Composition] + [Color Palette] + [Technical Parameters] + [Negative Prompt]

Component Details#

Subject & Action

• Be specific: "a lone astronaut floating" not "a person in space"
• Include age, clothing, expression when relevant
• Use participial phrases for dynamic poses: "reaching toward a glowing orb"

Setting & Environment

• Time of day, weather, season
• Specific location details: "abandoned cathedral with stained glass"
• Atmospheric elements: "mist curling between pillars"

Style

Reference established art movements, artists, or media:

• oil painting in the style of J.M.W. Turner
• Studio Ghibli animation cel
• macro photograph, focus stacking
• Brutalist architecture, concrete, raw textures
• ukiyo-e woodblock print, Hokusai

Lighting (critical for quality)

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golden hour, volumetric light, rim lighting
bioluminescent glow, neon reflections on wet pavement
chiaroscuro, Rembrandt lighting
studio lighting, softbox, three-point setup
harsh midday sun, deep shadows

Camera & Composition

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35mm lens, f/1.4, shallow depth of field
drone shot, 200m altitude, bird's eye view
Dutch angle, low angle looking up
wide-angle distortion, fisheye
tilt-shift miniature effect

Color Palette

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monochromatic blue, desaturated
complementary orange and teal
muted earth tones, ochre and sage
high contrast, saturated primaries
pastel, soft pinks and lavenders

Midjourney Parameters

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--ar 16:9          # aspect ratio
--s 750            # stylize (0-1000)
--c 50             # chaos (0-100)
--q 2              # quality
--v 6.1            # model version
--no text, watermark  # negative prompt
--tile             # seamless tile
--iw 2.0           # image weight (for image refs)

Workflow#

1. Understand the Vision#

Ask clarifying questions if the request is vague:

• What mood or emotion?
• Any reference images or artists?
• Realistic, stylized, or abstract?
• Intended use (print, social, web, concept art)?

2. Draft → Refine → Test Cycle#

1. Write initial prompt from the architecture above
2. Evaluate against common failure modes (see below)
3. Add Midjourney-specific parameters
4. Provide 3-4 variations with different creative directions
5. Suggest negative prompts to avoid common artifacts

3. Batch Generation Template#

For repeated themes, create a parameterized template:

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[SUBJECT] in [STYLE], [SETTING], [LIGHTING], [CAMERA], --ar [RATIO] --s [STYLE_VAL] --v 6.1 --no [NEGATIVES]

Common Failure Modes & Fixes#

ProblemFixText appears in imageAdd --no text, letters, typography, watermarkFaces look distortedReduce --s, add detailed face, symmetricalMultiple subjects mergeSpecify two separate figures, clear spacingToo busy/clutteredReduce subject count, add minimalist, clean compositionLooks like AI artReference specific artist/medium, avoid AI art, digital illustrationInconsistent style across batchFix seed with --seed [value], keep parameters identicalWatermarksAdd --no watermark, logo, signature

Prompt Examples#

Cinematic Portrait#

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A weathered fisherman standing on a wooden pier at dawn, face illuminated by warm golden light, salt-crusted beard, holding a hand-woven net, calm sea reflecting orange sky, shot on Hasselblad 500C, 80mm lens, f/2.8, shallow depth of field, Kodak Portra 400 film emulation --ar 4:5 --s 800 --v 6.1

Architectural Concept#

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Futuristic brutalist library built into a cliffside, cantilevered concrete shelves overflowing with books, floor-to-ceiling glass overlooking a fjord, moss growing between cracks, dappled light filtering through geometric skylights, architectural photography, wide-angle lens, blue hour lighting --ar 21:9 --s 600 --v 6.1 --no people, cars, modern signage

Fantasy Illustration#

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A tiny fox spirit with iridescent fur sitting on a crescent moon, reading a scroll that unfolds into a river of stars, surrounded by floating lanterns, Japanese ink painting meets Art Nouveau, gold leaf accents on deep indigo background --ar 1:1 --s 900 --c 30 --v 6.1

Style Quick Reference#

Want ThisUse ThisPhotorealisticphotograph, shot on [camera], [film stock], f/[aperture]Oil paintingoil painting, impasto technique, visible brushstrokesWatercolorwatercolor wash, wet-on-wet, soft edges, paper texture3D render3D render, Unreal Engine 5, octane render, ray tracingPencil sketchgraphite pencil sketch, cross-hatching, on textured paperPixel art16-bit pixel art, limited color palette, retro game aestheticAnimeanime style, cel shading, clean lineart, vibrant colors

Cross-Tool Compatibility#

These prompts work with minor adjustments:

• Stable Diffusion: Remove -- parameters, add to negative prompt box
• DALL-E 3: Use natural language, drop camera specs
• Flux: Keep descriptive, reduce technical jargon