Prompt Engineering

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Prompt Engineering 101

Master the art of writing prompts that get results. Learn techniques, formulas, and examples that will transform your AI generations.

9 min read•Last updated: December 2025

TL;DR - The Prompt Formula

Subject + Style + Details + Mood + Technical

Example: "A cyberpunk samurai (subject) in anime style (style) with glowing neon armor and katana (details) atmospheric and dramatic (mood) cinematic lighting, 8K detail (technical)"

The Basics

A prompt is your way of communicating with the AI. The more clearly and specifically you describe what you want, the better your results will be. Think of it like giving directions — vague directions lead to getting lost, specific directions get you exactly where you want to go.

Golden rules of prompt writing:

  • 1.Be specific — "red sports car" beats "car"
  • 2.Include style — tell the AI HOW to render
  • 3.Set the mood — emotional words guide tone
  • 4.Add technical details — lighting, angle, quality

The Prompt Formula

Follow this structure for consistently great results:

1

Subject — What is in the image?

Start with your main subject. Be specific about what, who, or where.

❌ Bad: "a woman"
✅ Good: "a young woman with silver hair and blue eyes wearing medieval armor"
2

Style — How should it look?

Describe the artistic style, medium, or visual approach.

• Digital painting
• Anime style
• Photorealistic
• Oil painting
• Watercolor
• 3D render
3

Details — What makes it unique?

Add specific elements, colors, textures, and distinguishing features.

Example details:"intricate golden filigree, flowing crimson cape, ancient runes glowing on the sword"
4

Mood — What feeling should it evoke?

Emotional and atmospheric descriptors that set the tone.

Dramatic
Peaceful
Mysterious
Energetic
Melancholic
Epic
Cozy
Ethereal
5

Technical — Camera & Quality

Photography terms, lighting, quality indicators.

• Cinematic lighting
• Golden hour
• Close-up shot
• Wide angle
• 8K, ultra detailed
• Soft focus

Example Prompts

🏰 Fantasy Portrait

"A majestic elven queen with long silver braided hair and emerald eyes, wearing an intricate crown of living vines and flowers, digital painting, fantasy art style, ethereal and regal, soft magical glow, highly detailed, artstation trending"
Majestic Elven Queen example

🌃 Cyberpunk Scene

"A rain-soaked neon-lit street in a cyberpunk megacity, holographic advertisements reflecting on wet pavement, flying cars in the misty sky, anime style, moody and atmospheric, volumetric lighting, blade runner inspired"
Cyberpunk Megacity example

🌿 Nature Photography

"A hidden waterfall in a lush tropical rainforest, sunbeams filtering through the canopy creating god rays, crystal clear pool with smooth stones, photorealistic, peaceful and serene, national geographic style, 8K ultra HD"
Hidden Waterfall example

🎮 Game Character

"A fierce warrior mage wielding a staff of crackling lightning, wearing battle-worn robes with glowing runes, determined expression, dynamic action pose, digital art, epic fantasy, dramatic storm clouds, cinematic lighting"
Warrior Mage example

Do's and Don'ts

Do This

  • •Use specific, descriptive adjectives
  • •Include multiple style references
  • •Describe lighting and atmosphere
  • •Use commas to separate concepts
  • •Iterate and refine based on results
  • •Save prompts that work well

Avoid This

  • •Single-word or very short prompts
  • •Conflicting descriptions in one prompt
  • •Using negatives like "not ugly" or "no blur"
  • •Overly complex run-on sentences
  • •Expecting exact text to appear in images
  • •Repeating the same word many times

Power Words Library

Keep these useful terms handy for enhancing your prompts:

🎨 Quality Boosters

masterpiece, highly detailed, intricate, 8K, ultra HD, professional, award-winning, stunning, breathtaking, exquisite

💡 Lighting Terms

cinematic lighting, golden hour, blue hour, volumetric, rim light, soft glow, dramatic shadows, ambient occlusion, god rays

📷 Camera & Composition

close-up, wide angle, bird's eye view, dutch angle, bokeh, depth of field, portrait, full body, rule of thirds

✨ Style References

artstation trending, concept art, digital painting, matte painting, illustration, unreal engine, octane render, studio ghibli

Related Guides

Iterate Mode
Using Reference Images

Last updated: December 2025 • Found an error? Contact us at support@pinkninjas.art