15 Midjourney and DALL-E Art Prompts, by Style
Ready-to-use image generation prompts organized by visual style, for Midjourney, DALL-E and Ideogram -- copy, drop in your subject, and adjust the modifiers.
Image prompts work differently from chat prompts: no “act as,” no instructions — just a dense, specific description of what you want to see, plus style modifiers that push the result in a direction. These are organized by style. Everywhere you see [subject], replace it with whatever you’re actually generating; everything else is the part doing the stylistic work.
Photorealistic
Studio portrait, photorealistic
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[subject], photorealistic studio portrait, soft key light from the left, subtle rim light, shallow depth of field, 85mm lens look, neutral grey background, natural skin texture, shot on a full-frame camera --ar 4:5Cinematic outdoor scene
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[subject], cinematic photograph, golden hour lighting, slight lens flare, shallow depth of field, shot on 35mm film, warm color grade, atmospheric haze in the background --ar 16:9Product photography, clean
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[subject], professional product photography, clean white seamless background, soft even studio lighting, subtle shadow beneath the product, high detail, commercial catalog style --ar 1:1Illustration and flat design
Flat vector illustration
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[subject], flat vector illustration, bold simple shapes, limited color palette of three complementary colors, clean outlines, minimal shading, modern editorial illustration styleIsometric icon style
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[subject], isometric illustration, soft gradient shading, rounded edges, pastel color palette, small scene with subtle depth, clean background, app icon styleChildren’s book illustration
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[subject], warm children's book illustration, soft watercolor texture, gentle rounded shapes, bright but not garish colors, whimsical and friendly moodPainterly and traditional media
Oil painting, classical
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[subject], oil painting in the style of a 17th-century Dutch master, rich dark background, dramatic chiaroscuro lighting, visible brushstrokes, warm earthy paletteLoose watercolor
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[subject], loose expressive watercolor painting, visible paper texture, soft bleeding edges, muted natural palette, light and airy compositionCharcoal sketch
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[subject], charcoal sketch on textured paper, expressive loose linework, strong contrast between light and shadow, unfinished sketchbook feelDark, moody and surreal
Dark fantasy
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[subject], dark fantasy concept art, moody atmospheric lighting, desaturated color palette with one strong accent color, intricate detail, ominous mood, painterly digital art style --ar 2:3Surreal and dreamlike
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[subject], surreal dreamlike scene, impossible scale and perspective, soft diffused lighting, muted pastel palette, quiet unsettling atmosphere, in the style of contemporary surrealist paintingCyberpunk night scene
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[subject], cyberpunk cityscape at night, neon signage reflecting on wet pavement, dense atmospheric fog, cool blue and magenta color grade, cinematic wide shot --ar 21:9Minimalist and modern
Minimalist poster style
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[subject], minimalist poster design, large areas of negative space, one bold color accent against a neutral background, simple geometric shapes, modern graphic design sensibility --ar 2:3Clean line art
Abstract geometric
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[subject reimagined as abstract shapes], abstract geometric composition, bold flat colors, sharp angular forms, balanced asymmetric layout, modern art gallery aestheticFrequently asked questions
Why don’t these prompts say “generate an image of…”?
Most image models respond better to dense description than to instructional phrasing — you’re describing the final image directly rather than asking for it to be made. This is the actual convention used across Midjourney, DALL-E, and Ideogram, not a stylistic choice specific to this list.
What do the –ar tags mean, and should I keep them?
They set the aspect ratio (–ar 16:9 is widescreen, –ar 1:1 is square, and so on) and are Midjourney-specific syntax. Drop them if you’re using DALL-E or Ideogram, which handle aspect ratio through their own separate settings rather than in the text prompt.
Can I combine two styles from this list?
Yes, and it’s often where the most interesting results come from — try appending part of one prompt’s modifiers to another’s subject and lighting description, rather than treating each as fixed.