Creating the perfect prompt for AI image generators can sometimes feel like trying to speak a new language. You know what you want to see, but finding the right words to communicate that vision to the AI can be challenging. That's where prompt templates come in.

Prompt templates provide a structured framework that you can customize for your specific needs, ensuring you include all the essential elements for a successful generation. They're like recipes for AI art—providing the basic ingredients and proportions while allowing you to add your own creative flavors.

In this guide, we'll share 10 proven prompt templates for different types of AI-generated images, complete with examples and customization tips. Whether you're creating portraits, landscapes, product visualizations, or fantasy scenes, these templates will help you achieve more consistent, high-quality results.

Why Use Prompt Templates?

Before diving into the specific templates, let's understand why they're so valuable:

• Consistency: Templates ensure you don't forget important elements that contribute to image quality
• Efficiency: Save time by starting with a proven structure rather than from scratch
• Learning: Templates help you understand what elements make a successful prompt
• Adaptability: Once you understand the structure, you can modify templates to suit your specific needs

Now, let's explore our 10 proven templates for different types of AI-generated images.

Template 1: Portrait Photography

Template:

Portrait of [subject description] with [distinctive feature], [emotion/expression], [pose], [lighting type], [background], [camera details], [style], [quality indicators]

Example:

Portrait of a middle-aged fisherman with weathered skin and a white beard, contemplative expression, three-quarter view facing left, dramatic side lighting creating strong shadows, standing against a misty harbor at dawn, shot on Canon 5D with 85mm lens at f/1.8, shallow depth of field, photorealistic style, highly detailed, professional photography

Customization tips:

• For subject description, include age, profession, ethnicity, or character type
• For distinctive features, mention unique physical characteristics, clothing, or accessories
• For lighting, try: "soft natural light," "dramatic rim lighting," "Rembrandt lighting," or "golden hour glow"
• For camera details, specifying a lens type can influence the look (85mm for portraits, 35mm for environmental portraits)

Template 2: Landscape Photography

Template:

[Landscape type] with [key features], [time of day], [weather/atmospheric conditions], [lighting description], [perspective/composition], [style], [mood], [quality indicators]

Example:

Mountain landscape with snow-capped peaks and a reflective alpine lake, sunrise, thin mist hovering over the water, golden light casting long shadows, wide-angle perspective with foreground wildflowers, photorealistic style, serene atmosphere, 8K resolution, professional nature photography, sharp focus

Customization tips:

• For landscape type, be specific: "coastal cliffs," "desert canyon," "tropical rainforest," "rolling countryside"
• For time of day, consider how it affects mood: dawn (peaceful), midday (vibrant), sunset (romantic), night (mysterious)
• For perspective, try: "bird's eye view," "low angle," "panoramic view," or "intimate close-up of natural details"
• For weather, add drama with: "approaching storm," "clearing fog," "after rain," or "first snow"

Template 3: Character Concept Art

Template:

Character concept art of [character type] wearing [clothing/armor], [distinctive features], [pose/action], [expression/emotion], [lighting], [background/environment], [art style], [rendering technique], [quality indicators]

Example:

Character concept art of a cyberpunk mercenary wearing high-tech armor with glowing blue accents, cybernetic arm, standing in a combat-ready pose, determined expression, neon backlighting creating a silhouette effect, futuristic city alleyway in the background, digital painting style, detailed textures, professional concept art, trending on ArtStation

Customization tips:

• For character type, combine occupation with genre: "steampunk inventor," "elven ranger," "post-apocalyptic survivor"
• For distinctive features, think about what makes your character unique: scars, tattoos, unusual eyes, magical elements
• For art style, try: "painterly," "semi-realistic," "stylized," or reference specific artists or studios
• Adding "character sheet," "turnaround," or "multiple views" can create more comprehensive concept art

Template 4: Product Visualization

Template:

[Product type] with [key features], [material description], [setting/context], [lighting setup], [perspective], [background], [photographic style], [quality indicators]

Example:

Minimalist smartwatch with curved glass display and matte black titanium band, on a marble surface, professional product photography lighting with soft fill and subtle highlights accentuating the curves, 3/4 view showing both face and band, clean white background with soft shadow, commercial photography style, photorealistic, 8K, advertising quality

Customization tips:

• For product photography, emphasize "clean," "professional," and "commercial" in your prompt
• For materials, be specific about textures and finishes: "brushed aluminum," "hand-stitched leather," "frosted glass"
• For lighting, product photos typically use: "studio lighting," "soft boxes," "ring light," or "dramatic spot lighting"
• Consider adding "floating," "exploded view," or "cross-section" for more dynamic product visualizations

Template 5: Fantasy Landscape

Template:

Fantasy landscape featuring [main elements], [magical/unusual features], [time of day/lighting], [weather/atmospheric effects], [color palette], [perspective], [art style], [mood/atmosphere], [quality indicators]

Example:

Fantasy landscape featuring floating islands connected by crystalline bridges, giant luminescent mushrooms, twilight with multiple moons in the sky, wisps of colorful magical mist, vibrant color palette of purples and teals, wide panoramic view showing the scale, digital matte painting style, dreamlike atmosphere, highly detailed, epic fantasy art, professional illustration

Customization tips:

• For magical features, think beyond the ordinary: "levitating rocks," "impossible waterfalls," "sentient plants," "portals to other realms"
• For art style, fantasy works well with: "painterly," "concept art," "matte painting," or specific artist references like "inspired by Roger Dean"
• For mood, consider the emotional tone: "whimsical," "mysterious," "foreboding," "serene," "epic"
• Adding a sense of scale with tiny figures or familiar objects can enhance the fantastical feeling

Template 6: Architectural Visualization

Template:

[Architectural style] [building type] with [key features], [materials], [surrounding environment], [time of day], [lighting conditions], [perspective], [rendering style], [quality indicators]

Example:

Modern minimalist villa with floor-to-ceiling glass walls, cantilevered concrete sections, surrounded by tropical vegetation, late afternoon, golden sunlight casting long shadows, three-quarter aerial view showing both the structure and its relationship to the landscape, architectural visualization, photorealistic rendering, highly detailed, professional, 8K resolution

Customization tips:

• For architectural style, be specific: "brutalist," "mid-century modern," "gothic revival," "futuristic"
• For materials, architects think in terms of: "exposed concrete," "weathered corten steel," "reclaimed wood," "reflective glass"
• For perspective, architectural visualizations often use: "isometric view," "elevation view," "cross-section," or "aerial perspective"
• Adding "architectural photography," "architectural rendering," or "architectural visualization" helps signal the intended style

Template 7: Food Photography

Template:

[Food dish] with [key ingredients/features], [plating description], [surface/table setting], [props/accompaniments], [lighting], [angle/perspective], [photographic style], [mood], [quality indicators]

Example:

Artisanal chocolate cake with layers of dark ganache and gold leaf decoration, plated on a minimalist white ceramic dish, rustic wooden table with scattered cocoa powder, fresh raspberries and mint leaves as garnish, soft natural window lighting with subtle highlights on the glossy surface, 45-degree angle close-up, shallow depth of field, food magazine style photography, warm inviting mood, extremely detailed, professional food photography

Customization tips:

• For food descriptions, use appetizing adjectives: "succulent," "glistening," "artisanal," "freshly baked," "vibrant"
• For lighting, food photography often uses: "soft natural light," "dramatic side lighting," or "bright and airy"
• For perspective, consider: "overhead flat lay," "straight-on," "45-degree angle," or "extreme close-up showing texture"
• Adding "styled food photography," "editorial food photography," or "commercial food photography" helps signal the intended look

Template 8: Sci-Fi Scene

Template:

Science fiction scene of [setting/environment] with [futuristic elements], [characters/robots/vehicles], [lighting effects], [color scheme], [atmosphere/weather], [perspective], [art style], [mood], [quality indicators]

Example:

Science fiction scene of a massive space station orbiting a ringed gas giant, with docking bays filled with interstellar ships, astronauts in advanced spacesuits performing repairs on the exterior, harsh unfiltered starlight creating strong contrasts, blue and orange color scheme, vacuum of space with distant nebula visible, wide establishing shot showing scale, digital concept art style, awe-inspiring mood, highly detailed, cinematic, trending on ArtStation

Customization tips:

• For sci-fi settings, consider different sub-genres: "cyberpunk cityscape," "post-apocalyptic wasteland," "utopian colony," "alien planet surface"
• For futuristic elements, include: "holographic displays," "anti-gravity technology," "neural interfaces," "terraforming machinery"
• For lighting, sci-fi often uses: "neon accents," "bioluminescence," "harsh alien sun," or "multiple moons casting complex shadows"
• Adding references to influential sci-fi artists like "Syd Mead," "John Harris," or "Moebius" can help guide the style

Template 9: Abstract Art

Template:

Abstract [art style] with [shapes/elements], [movement/pattern description], [color palette], [texture], [technique], [influences/artists], [mood/feeling], [quality indicators]

Example:

Abstract expressionist composition with dynamic swirling forms, chaotic yet balanced movement radiating from center, vibrant color palette of deep blues transitioning to fiery oranges and reds, thick textured paint with visible brushstrokes, impasto technique, influenced by Kandinsky and Pollock, emotional and energetic mood, high resolution, gallery quality, professional fine art

Customization tips:

• For abstract styles, be specific: "geometric abstraction," "fluid abstraction," "abstract expressionism," "minimalist abstraction"
• For movement, use descriptive terms: "flowing," "radiating," "fractal," "symmetrical," "chaotic," "rhythmic"
• For texture, consider: "smooth gradients," "rough impasto," "collage-like layers," "digital glitch effects"
• Referencing specific abstract artists helps tremendously: "Mondrian-inspired," "in the style of Rothko," "Kandinsky-esque"

Template 10: Interior Design Visualization

Template:

[Interior style] [room type] with [key features/furniture], [materials/textures], [color scheme], [lighting conditions], [view/perspective], [time of day], [mood/atmosphere], [rendering style], [quality indicators]

Example:

Scandinavian minimalist living room with low-profile modular sofa, natural wood coffee table, large philodendron plant, wool rug on polished concrete floor, neutral color scheme with accents of sage green, morning sunlight streaming through floor-to-ceiling windows, wide-angle view from corner showing the entire space, daytime, cozy yet airy atmosphere, interior design visualization, photorealistic rendering, architectural digest style, 8K resolution

Customization tips:

• For interior styles, be specific: "mid-century modern," "industrial loft," "bohemian eclectic," "Japanese minimalist"
• For materials, include textures: "brushed brass fixtures," "velvet upholstery," "exposed brick wall," "marble countertops"
• For lighting, consider: "warm ambient lighting," "dramatic pendant lights," "soft diffused natural light," "evening mood lighting"
• Adding "interior design photography," "architectural visualization," or "3D rendering" helps signal the intended look

Advanced Template Customization

Once you're comfortable with these basic templates, you can take your prompt engineering to the next level with these advanced techniques:

Combining Templates

Don't be afraid to mix elements from different templates. For example, you might combine aspects of the portrait template with the sci-fi scene template to create a detailed character portrait in a futuristic setting.

Adding Technical Parameters

Depending on which AI generator you're using, you can add technical parameters to your prompts:

• For Midjourney: Add parameters like --ar 16:9 (aspect ratio), --v 5 (version), --q 2 (quality)
• For Stable Diffusion: Use weighting with parentheses like (detailed:1.2) to emphasize certain elements

Using Negative Prompts

Most AI image generators allow you to specify what you don't want to see. Common negative prompts include:

Negative prompt: blurry, low quality, worst quality, deformed, distorted, disfigured, bad anatomy, extra limbs, poorly drawn hands, missing fingers, extra fingers, text, watermark, signature

Prompt Length Considerations

While these templates can produce quite long prompts, different AI systems handle prompt length differently:

• DALL-E 3: Handles long, detailed prompts very well
• Midjourney: Can process long prompts but may prioritize earlier elements
• Stable Diffusion: May need more careful weighting for longer prompts

Template Adaptation for Different AI Platforms

While these templates work across all major AI image generators, here are some platform-specific tips:

For DALL-E

DALL-E 3 excels with natural language and detailed descriptions. You can write your prompts in a more conversational, paragraph-like format:

Create a portrait of an elderly fisherman with weathered skin and a white beard. He should have a contemplative expression and be photographed in three-quarter view facing left. Use dramatic side lighting to create strong shadows on his face. The background should be a misty harbor at dawn. Make it look like it was shot on a professional camera with a portrait lens that creates a shallow depth of field. The style should be photorealistic with highly detailed textures.

For Midjourney

Midjourney works well with comma-separated keywords and specific parameters:

portrait of elderly fisherman, weathered skin, white beard, contemplative expression, three-quarter view, dramatic side lighting, misty harbor background, dawn, professional photography, 85mm lens, shallow depth of field, photorealistic, highly detailed, --ar 4:5 --v 5

For Stable Diffusion

Stable Diffusion benefits from weighted terms and detailed negative prompts:

(portrait:1.2) of (elderly fisherman:1.3), weathered skin, white beard, contemplative expression, three-quarter view, dramatic side lighting, misty harbor background, dawn, professional photography, 85mm lens, shallow depth of field, (photorealistic:1.2), (highly detailed:1.3), 8K

Negative prompt: blurry, low quality, worst quality, deformed, distorted, disfigured, bad anatomy, poorly drawn face, poorly drawn hands, text, watermark, signature

Conclusion: From Templates to Mastery

These templates provide a solid foundation for creating effective prompts across a wide range of image types. As you gain experience, you'll develop an intuitive sense of what works best for your specific vision and preferred AI platform.

Remember that prompt engineering is both an art and a science. While these templates offer structure, don't be afraid to experiment, break the rules, and develop your own unique approach to communicating with AI image generators.

The most successful AI artists view prompts as an ongoing conversation with the AI—a collaborative process of refinement and discovery. Start with these templates, learn from the results, and gradually develop your own prompt engineering style.

Ready to put these templates into practice? Try our AI Image Prompter tool to help you build and refine prompts based on these proven templates!