Best Prompting Practices for Best AI Images
Prompts

Best Prompting Practices for Best AI Images

July 25, 2025
AI, Seedream, Imagen 4 +2 more

Introduction

Modern AI image generation models have revolutionized digital art creation with their speed and quality, but getting the best results requires more than just typing a few words. The key to creating stunning, accurate images lies in understanding how to communicate effectively with AI models through well-crafted prompts.

This guide will walk you through proven techniques to transform your basic prompts into detailed instructions that produce exceptional results across various image generation models.

Whether you're a digital artist, content creator, or simply exploring AI art, mastering these prompting practices will improve your image generation outcomes with any AI image model.

1. Be Specific and Descriptive

The Problem with Vague Prompts

The foundation of great AI image generation is specificity. Vague prompts lead to unpredictable results, while detailed descriptions give image models clear direction.

❌ Bad Prompt:
An image of a cat
✅ Good Prompt:
A fluffy orange tabby cat with green eyes sitting on a vintage wooden windowsill, golden hour lighting streaming through lace curtains, photorealistic style

Why it works: The improved prompt provides specific details about the cat's appearance, setting, lighting conditions, and desired style, giving the AI image model clear parameters to work with.

2. Include Style and Medium Information

Style Makes All the Difference

AI image generation models can emulate various artistic styles and mediums. Always specify your desired aesthetic approach.

❌ Bad Prompt:
A portrait of a woman
✅ Good Prompt:
Portrait of an elegant woman in her 30s, oil painting style, Renaissance technique, warm earth tones, dramatic chiaroscuro lighting, painted by a master artist

Why it works: By specifying 'oil painting style' and 'Renaissance technique,' you're guiding the image model toward a specific artistic tradition with established visual characteristics.

3. Control Composition and Framing

Framing Your Vision

Use photography and cinematography terms to control how your image is composed and framed.

❌ Bad Prompt:
Image of a mountain landscape
✅ Good Prompt:
Majestic snow-capped mountain range, wide-angle shot, rule of thirds composition, foreground with wildflowers, dramatic cloudy sky, golden hour lighting, landscape photography

Why it works: Terms like 'wide-angle shot' and 'rule of thirds composition' give image models specific compositional guidelines, while 'foreground with wildflowers' adds depth and visual interest.

4. Specify Lighting and Mood

Setting the Mood with Light

Lighting dramatically affects the mood and quality of generated images. Be explicit about your lighting preferences.

❌ Bad Prompt:
A scary forest
✅ Good Prompt:
Dark enchanted forest with twisted ancient trees, misty atmosphere, moonlight filtering through branches creating dramatic shadows, eerie purple-green color palette, cinematic horror lighting

Why it works: The prompt establishes mood through specific lighting conditions ('moonlight filtering through branches') and color palette, creating a cohesive atmospheric effect.

5. Use Technical Photography Terms

Technical Precision

Incorporate camera settings and photography terminology to achieve more professional-looking results.

❌ Bad Prompt:
close-up image of a flower
✅ Good Prompt:
Macro photograph of a red rose with water droplets, shallow depth of field, f/2.8 aperture, 100mm macro lens, soft natural lighting, blurred bokeh background

Why it works: Technical terms like 'shallow depth of field' and 'f/2.8 aperture' help image models understand the exact photographic effect you want to achieve.

6. Specify Colors and Materials

Color and Texture Control

Don't leave color choices to chance. Specify your desired palette and material properties.

❌ Bad Prompt:
futuristic building in 2053
✅ Good Prompt:
Futuristic skyscraper with sleek glass and steel construction, deep purple and silver color scheme, reflective metallic surfaces, LED accent lighting, cyberpunk aesthetic, nighttime urban setting

Why it works: The prompt provides specific materials ('glass and steel'), colors ('deep purple and silver'), and surface properties ('reflective metallic') for consistent results.

7. Add Negative Prompts When Necessary

Avoiding Unwanted Elements

While not always required, knowing what you don't want can be just as important as knowing what you do want.

❌ Bad Prompt:
An image of a beautiful woman
✅ Good Prompt:
Portrait of a beautiful woman with natural makeup, soft smile, professional headshot, natural lighting, avoiding: distorted features, excessive makeup, unnatural proportions

Why it works: The 'avoiding' section helps prevent common AI generation issues while the main prompt establishes positive attributes.

8. Consider Aspect Ratio and Resolution if not specified in other settings

Format for Purpose

Think about the final use of your image and specify appropriate dimensions.

❌ Bad Prompt:
A good looking logo design
✅ Good Prompt:
Minimalist logo design for tech startup, clean geometric shapes, modern sans-serif typography, monochrome black and white, square format 1:1 aspect ratio, vector-style illustration

Why it works: Specifying 'square format 1:1 aspect ratio' and 'vector-style' ensures the output is suitable for logo use across different applications.

9. Layer Multiple Concepts Strategically

Organized Complexity

When combining multiple elements, structure your prompt to prioritize the most important aspects first.

❌ Bad Prompt:
A fire dragon in a castle with a magic knight
✅ Good Prompt:
Medieval knight in shining armor facing a majestic red dragon, ancient stone castle in background, dramatic fire breathing scene, fantasy art style, epic cinematic composition, detailed textures on armor and scales

Why it works: The prompt establishes a clear hierarchy (knight as main subject, dragon as secondary, castle as background) and connects all elements through a cohesive narrative.

10. Use Artistic References Appropriately

Drawing from Art History

Reference well-known artistic styles or movements to achieve consistent aesthetic results.

❌ Bad Prompt:
Beautiful, colorful abstract art
✅ Good Prompt:
Abstract expressionist painting in the style of color field painting, bold geometric shapes, vibrant primary colors with deep purples and warm oranges, large canvas composition, museum-quality artwork

Why it works: Referencing 'abstract expressionist' and 'color field painting' provides image models with established artistic vocabularies to draw from.

Advanced Tips for Power Users

Prompt Structure Template

For consistently good results, structure your prompts using this template:

[Main Subject] + [Setting/Environment] + [Style/Medium] + [Lighting] + [Color Palette] + [Composition] + [Technical Details]

Quality Enhancers

Add these terms to improve overall image quality:

  • "High resolution"
  • "Detailed"
  • "Professional quality"
  • "Award-winning"
  • "Masterpiece"

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

1. Overcomplicated prompts

Too many conflicting elements can confuse the AI

2. Inconsistent style references

Mixing "photorealistic" with "cartoon style"

3. Ignoring aspect ratios

Not considering the final use case

4. Generic descriptors

Words like "nice" or "good" don't provide useful guidance

Conclusion

Mastering AI image model prompting is an iterative process that improves with practice. Start with these fundamental techniques and gradually develop your own style of prompt crafting. Remember that the best prompts are clear, specific, and aligned with your creative vision.

The key is to think like a director giving instructions to an incredibly talented but literal-minded artist. The more precise and thoughtful your instructions, the closer your results will match your imagination.

Happy prompting, and may your AI-generated images exceed your wildest creative expectations!

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