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The Ultimate AI Image Prompt Guide

Master the art of prompt writing. Learn how to craft prompts that produce stunning, consistent results with any AI image model.

Prompt Basics

A great prompt gives the AI model clear, layered instructions. The more specific and structured your prompt, the closer the output will be to your vision. Every effective prompt addresses five core elements:

Subject

The main focus of your image -- a person, object, scene, or concept.

Style

The artistic medium or visual aesthetic -- photography, oil painting, anime, etc.

Lighting

The type, direction, and mood of light -- golden hour, neon, dramatic shadows.

Composition

Camera angle, framing, and spatial arrangement -- close-up, wide angle, symmetrical.

Details

Textures, colors, atmosphere, and finishing touches that refine the result.

Prompt Structure

Follow this recommended format to build consistently strong prompts:

[Subject] + [Style] + [Lighting] + [Details]

Example

A lone astronaut walking through a desert of red sand dunes, cinematic concept art, warm golden hour backlight with long shadows, dust particles in the air, distant mountains, muted earth tones, 8K detail

Example

A glass jar filled with fireflies on a wooden porch railing, soft watercolor illustration, twilight ambient glow with warm bokeh, summer evening, delicate brushstrokes, dreamy atmosphere

Style Keywords

Photography

CinematicMacroPortraitStreet photographyAerialLong exposureFilm grainBokeh

Art Styles

Oil paintingWatercolorDigital artAnimeConcept artPixel artArt nouveauMinimalist

Lighting

Golden hourStudio lightingNeonDramaticRim lightingVolumetricBacklitSoft diffused

Composition

Close-upWide angleBird's eye viewSymmetricalRule of thirdsDutch anglePanoramicCentered

Example Prompts

A weathered lighthouse on a rocky cliff during a thunderstorm, dramatic lighting, cinematic composition, oil painting style

Why it works: Combines a clear subject with environment context, specific lighting, composition direction, and an art style -- giving the model rich detail to work with.

Macro photograph of morning dew on a spider web, golden hour sunlight, shallow depth of field, nature photography

Why it works: Specifies the photography type (macro), a precise time of day for lighting, a lens effect (shallow DOF), and the genre -- all reinforcing one cohesive vision.

A cozy Japanese tea house interior in autumn, warm lantern light, watercolor illustration, soft muted colors

Why it works: Sets a season for color palette context, defines the light source, names the art medium, and adds a color mood -- layering cues that guide the aesthetic.

Cyberpunk street market at night, neon signs reflecting in rain puddles, wide angle lens, hyper-detailed digital art

Why it works: The setting and time of day establish mood, reflective surfaces add visual interest, and the lens type plus detail level push the model toward a specific look.

Portrait of an elderly craftsman in his workshop, Rembrandt lighting, 85mm lens, film grain, black and white

Why it works: Names a classic lighting setup (Rembrandt), a specific focal length for portrait rendering, and a film treatment -- each term is precise and well-known to AI models.

Aerial view of a turquoise glacier lagoon in Iceland, symmetrical composition, ultra-wide angle, landscape photography, 8K

Why it works: Specifies viewpoint, a real-world location for grounding, composition style, lens type, and a resolution keyword that signals high detail.

A biomechanical dragon perched on a Gothic cathedral, concept art, dramatic rim lighting, highly detailed scales and metallic textures

Why it works: Blends two distinct visual worlds (organic and mechanical), names the art genre, specifies lighting that emphasizes edges, and calls out texture detail.

Still life of vintage astronomy instruments on a mahogany desk, soft window light, Dutch Golden Age painting style, warm tones

Why it works: References a specific art historical period for style, describes a natural light source, and sets a color temperature -- creating a cohesive, painterly result.

Tips & Tricks

Do

  • +Be specific about your subject -- "a tabby cat sitting on a windowsill" beats "a cat"
  • +Include lighting direction and quality for mood control
  • +Mention art style or medium to guide the visual aesthetic
  • +Add composition details like camera angle or framing
  • +Use descriptive adjectives for textures, colors, and atmosphere
  • +Reference specific time of day or season for natural color palettes
  • +Combine multiple style cues that reinforce one another

Don't

  • -Use vague one-word prompts like "landscape" or "portrait"
  • -Overload with contradictory styles (e.g., "minimalist hyper-detailed")
  • -Include long narrative paragraphs -- keep it structured and concise
  • -Rely on negative prompts alone to define what you want
  • -Repeat the same keyword multiple times expecting stronger effect
  • -Forget to specify aspect ratio when composition matters
  • -Assume the model knows brand names or very niche references

Try your prompts now

Put your new prompt skills to the test. Generate stunning images with Nano Banana Pro and see the difference great prompts make.

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