Most AI-generated images look unnatural. Incorrect lighting. Weak textures. No rhythm. In this article, we’ll fix that. Here’s how to write AI art prompts that produce results on a completely different level.
But don’t trust our word, here’s a before and after:
👆These two images were generated by the same neural network — GPT Images. We only changed the prompt.
In the first case, we asked GPT to generate an image of a blonde woman:
Prompt: Please generate an image of a 28-year-old blonde woman in a wooden cabin.
In the second case, we still told the AI to generate an image of a 28-year-old blond woman, But then we gave it the stylistical and technical details to work with.
Here’s a template you can use to get similar results, in 8 steps:
How to Write a Good Prompt for AI Art (8 Steps)
1. Introduction: the Who and the What
Start with a clear description of the main character and their action.
Example: A 28-year-old blonde woman with tanned skin sits at a small wooden table in a beach cabin, biting into a toast with peanut butter and bright red jam.
2. Camera and Composition: Angle and Frame Format
Describe the camera angle and shooting perspective. Add the image format.
Example: Shot from a low diagonal angle, as if the camera is right on the table, vertical format 1080x1350.
3. Facial Expression and Character’s Mood
Convey the emotion and describe the character's facial expression and how they are looking into the camera.
Example: Her eyes look directly into the lens — half-closed, confident, with a sly smile, as if she knows exactly how good she looks and knows you know it too. One corner of her lips is slightly lifted, jam glistening on her lips.
4. Clothing, Pose, and Gestures
Describe how the character is sitting, what they are wearing, how they are holding objects, and any small movements.
Example: She is wearing a loose linen shirt slipping off one shoulder. One leg is tucked under her on the chair.
5. Background and Surroundings
Describe the setting — where the action takes place, what’s outside the windows, in the depth of the scene.
Example: Behind her is an open wooden window; sun-bleached curtains flutter, and the ocean glimmers in the distance.
6. Lighting and Technical Details
Add a description of the lighting, shooting effects, and overall atmosphere.
Example: A flash from above creates sculptural shadows and glossy highlights on her cheekbones and collarbones. Warm film grain, soft glow on the jam, and slight dust in the frame.
7. Repeating Details and Textures
Specify unique elements that make the scene memorable.
Example: A spoon on the table reflects her face, bite marks are visible on the toast, jam drips down the side of the jar.
8. Final Touches, the Vibe
Wrap up with a description of the mood the scene conveys.
Example: It feels like a spontaneous moment of a perfect summer — candid, sensual, slightly cheeky, and completely in control.
Putting it all Together
A 28-year-old blonde woman with tanned skin sits at a small wooden table in a beach cabin, biting into a toast with peanut butter and bright red jam. Shot from a low diagonal angle, as if the camera is right on the table, vertical format 1080x1350. Her eyes look directly into the lens — half-closed, confident, with a sly smile, as if she knows exactly how good she looks and knows you know it too. One corner of her lips is slightly lifted, jam glistening on her lips. She is wearing a loose linen shirt slipping off one shoulder. One leg is tucked under her on the chair. Behind her is an open wooden window; sun-bleached curtains flutter, and the ocean glimmers in the distance. A flash from above creates sculptural shadows and glossy highlights on her cheekbones and collarbones. Warm film grain, soft glow on the jam, slight dust in the frame. A spoon on the table reflects her face, bite marks are visible on the toast, jam drips down the side of the jar. It feels like a spontaneous moment of a perfect summer — candid, sensual, slightly cheeky, and completely in control.
The result:
How long should an AI art prompt be?
You can make the prompt as long as it needs to be to fit all the details. For example, the prompt used to generate the image above is ~150 words-long. GPT 4o and later have long-enough context windows to follow long prompts, as do other top AI image generators.
Advanced Tips for Next-Level AI Art
Here are a few advanced methods that will help you get even better results:
1. Use Image-to-Prompt to Study Other People's Work
If you see an AI-generated image you like, why not reverse engineer how it was made? Overchat AI Image to prompt tool allows you to upload an image and get an approximate prompt that could have generated it.
This is a quick way to learn how others write prompts: how they describe lighting, textures, and composition.
2. Generate and Analyze Reference Images
By uploading reference photos through image-to-prompt tools, you can learn what details make a scene feel alive.
Pay attention to what the AI highlights first: the mood? the angle? the textures?
This will help you give more precise instructions in the future.
3. Fine-Tuning Models
If you need something that standard prompts can't achieve — like your own unique character style or a branded color palette — you can take it a step further.
Fine-tuning is when you train your own model using your examples: you upload hundreds of images in the desired style, and the AI starts to "think" in that visual code. It’s a complex process that requires technical skills (and powerful hardware), but the results go far beyond regular generation.
Example AI Art Prompts
A good prompt sets the scene so clearly that the AI almost “sees” the shot even before generating it.
Here are a few ready-made examples you can use as templates or adapt for your own ideas:
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Atmospheric Portrait
A 25-year-old woman with short chestnut hair wearing an oversized sweater sits by a café window on a rainy day, shot in a close-up through fogged-up glass, soft diffused lighting, light vintage grain, gazing thoughtfully toward the street.
A Painting
An elderly man stands against a wall, holding a large clay jug from which a drop of water trickles down. His face is lit from below by candlelight, casting dancing shadows on the wall. His heavy-lidded eyes look straight into the camera, as if staring through us in deep thought. Warm tones, style of 16th-century classical painting, oil brushstroke effect.
Product Photography
An Apple Watch with a yellow rubber strap suspended in the air, minimalist style, focus on the metal texture and reflections of light. Bright image, high contrast. Clean background, shot in a 1:1 square format.
Anime
A young sorceress with violet hair stands atop a blooming hill, holding a magical staff, her cloak billowing in the wind, sunset sky filled with pink clouds, bright saturated colors, 90s anime style.
A short recap
Most AI photos look artificial because of lighting, poor texture, and no rhythm — but better prompts can solve this.
To create a strong prompt:
- Start by clearly describing the character and their action
- Set the camera angle and format
- Show emotion through facial expression and mood
- Describe clothing, pose, and gestures
- Describe the environment and background
- Define lighting and technical effects
- Highlight textures and small memorable detail
- Finish off with the emotional atmosphere of the scene