The Hook
The image loads.
You lean closer.
Something feels off.
The face looks plastic.
The hands look cursed.
You mutter, “AI can’t draw.”
Stop right there.
That thought is wrong.
AI didn’t fail you.
Your prompt did.
Now don’t blink.
Because this is where most people mess it up.
The Lie People Keep Repeating
People say AI art is random.
They say it has a mind of its own.
They blame the model.
That’s lazy thinking.
AI is dumb in a very specific way.
It does exactly what you say.
Nothing more. Nothing less.
If you give weak words, you get weak images.
Cold truth.
Now, here’s the kicker…
Great AI art is not talent.
It’s clear orders.
How AI Actually Reads Your Prompt
AI doesn’t imagine.
It matches patterns.
Every word you type points it somewhere.
Vague word? Vague result.
Sharp word? Sharp result.
Think of it like this.
You’re not writing poetry.
You’re giving instructions to a worker who never asks questions.
That’s the mindset shift.
The Core Prompt Formula That Works
Forget fancy frameworks.
Use this instead:
Subject + Action + Style + Visual Details + Mood + Technical Hints
Simple.
Brutal.
Effective.
Let’s break it down piece by piece.
1. Subject: Be Painfully Clear
Most prompts die here.
Bad example:
“A girl”
That tells AI nothing useful.
Better:
“A 22-year-old girl with short black hair and tired eyes”
See the difference?
The second one paints a face.
Rule to remember:
If a stranger can’t picture it, AI can’t either.
2. Action: Static Images Feel Dead
Standing. Sitting. Looking.
Boring.
Action adds life.
Bad:
“A man portrait”
Better:
“A man leaning against a brick wall, smoking, rain dripping from his jacket”
Action creates story.
Story keeps images human.
But it gets worse…
No action often leads to stiff poses and lifeless eyes.
3. Style: Tell AI How to Paint
Style is the lens.
Without it, AI guesses.
Use clear English words like:
- realistic photo
- cinematic lighting
- anime style
- oil painting
- digital illustration
Bad:
“beautiful art”
Good:
“cinematic photo with dramatic lighting”
Style words change everything.
4. Visual Details: Small Words, Big Impact
This is where pros win.
Add details people forget:
- clothing texture
- light source
- background objects
- time of day
Example:
“soft morning light coming through a dusty window, muted colors”
Now pause.
You can see that image already.
That’s the goal.
5. Mood: Show It, Don’t Name It
AI doesn’t understand feelings.
It understands signals.
Bad:
“sad woman”
Good:
“downcast eyes, slumped shoulders, cold blue lighting”
Mood is built from clues.
Not labels.
This single change fixes half of bad AI art online.
6. Technical Hints: The Polish Layer
This is optional.
But powerful.
Use sparingly:
- shallow depth of field
- ultra sharp focus
- soft shadows
- 4k
- film grain
Too many tech words make images look fake.
Less is more here.
Full AI Art Prompt Cheat Sheet
MASTER RULE (READ FIRST)
Always write prompts in this order:
Subject → Action → Environment → Style → Camera → Lighting → Mood → Details → Negative
This order tells AI what is most important first.
SUBJECT (WHO OR WHAT)
| What to Write | Examples | What It Does (Use) |
|---|---|---|
| Person Type | man, woman, child, old man | Tells AI who the character is |
| Age | young, middle aged, old | Stops AI from guessing wrong age |
| Body Type | slim, muscular, fat | Controls body shape |
| Face Details | beard, scars, freckles | Makes face unique |
| Hair | long hair, messy hair | Avoids same face again and again |
| Clothing | hoodie, suit, sari, armor | Fixes wrong clothes problem |
| Object | car, sword, book, phone | If subject is not a person |
Bad: beautiful person
Good: young woman with long hair wearing a black hoodie
ACTION (WHAT THEY ARE DOING)
| Action Words | What It Does |
|---|---|
| standing | Simple pose |
| walking | Adds movement |
| running | Adds energy |
| sitting | Calm or sad feel |
| looking back | Emotional or cinematic look |
| holding something | Fixes hand position |
| talking | Story feel |
| smiling | Happy emotion |
| crying | Sad emotion |
Use this when image looks lifeless.
ENVIRONMENT (WHERE IT IS)
| Place | What It Does |
|---|---|
| room | Indoor scene |
| bedroom | Personal, calm scene |
| street | Daily life look |
| rainy street | Emotional, movie look |
| forest | Nature or fantasy |
| desert | Lonely or dramatic |
| city | Modern look |
| market | Busy life scene |
| rooftop | Stylish cinematic shot |
If background looks random, environment is missing.
STYLE (HOW IT SHOULD LOOK)
| Style Name | What It Does |
|---|---|
| cinematic film still | Movie-like image |
| realistic photo | Looks like real camera photo |
| oil painting | Classic art style |
| watercolor | Soft painting look |
| pencil sketch | Drawing style |
| anime style | Japanese animation look |
| comic book | Bold illustrated look |
| cyberpunk | Neon, future city vibe |
| fantasy art | Magic, epic style |
Use only 1–2 styles. Too many styles confuse AI.
CAMERA (VERY IMPORTANT)
| Camera Word | What It Does |
|---|---|
| close-up | Focus on face |
| medium shot | Half body |
| full body shot | Shows full person |
| wide shot | Shows background |
| low angle | Makes subject powerful |
| high angle | Makes subject weak or small |
| eye level | Natural human view |
| 35mm lens | Cinematic natural look |
| 85mm lens | Best portrait look |
| shallow depth of field | Background blur |
| sharp focus | Fix blur problem |
Camera words change image more than colors.
LIGHTING (FEELING CONTROL)
| Lighting Type | What It Does |
|---|---|
| soft light | Smooth skin, natural |
| natural light | Real photo feel |
| harsh shadows | Drama and tension |
| golden hour | Warm sunset look |
| moonlight | Night emotional feel |
| neon lights | City, cyberpunk vibe |
| candle light | Soft romantic look |
| window light | Real indoor photos |
Wrong lighting = wrong mood.
MOOD (EMOTION)
| Mood Word | What It Does |
|---|---|
| happy | Joyful image |
| sad | Emotional image |
| lonely | Isolation feel |
| calm | Peaceful look |
| dark | Serious tone |
| tense | Thriller feeling |
| dreamy | Soft fantasy look |
| gritty | Raw realistic feel |
| peaceful | Relaxed scene |
Use only 1 or 2 mood words.
DETAILS (FINAL POLISH)
| Detail Words | What It Does |
|---|---|
| high detail | Sharper image |
| realistic texture | Removes fake AI look |
| film grain | Cinematic realism |
| natural skin texture | Removes plastic skin |
| soft background | Focus on subject |
| clean edges | Neat image |
| subtle noise | Photo realism |
Always write details at the end.
NEGATIVE PROMPT (MUST USE)
| Negative Words | What It Fixes |
|---|---|
| blurry | Removes blur |
| low quality | Avoids cheap images |
| pixelated | Fixes low resolution |
| extra fingers | Hand problems |
| extra limbs | Body problems |
| distorted face | Face issues |
| bad anatomy | Wrong body shape |
| plastic skin | Fake AI look |
| cartoonish | Too fake look |
Without negative prompts, image quality drops.
COMPLETE PROMPT TEMPLATE (COPY THIS)
Subject, Action, Environment, Style, Camera, Lighting, Mood, Details,
Negative prompt: blurry, low quality, extra fingers, distorted face
FULL EXAMPLE (PERFECT PROMPT)
Young man wearing a black hoodie, walking slowly on a rainy street at night,
cinematic film still, close-up shot, 85mm lens, shallow depth of field,
soft street light, lonely mood, film grain, realistic texture,
Negative prompt: blurry, low quality, extra fingers, distorted face, plastic skin
QUICK PROBLEM FIX GUIDE
| Problem | What to Add |
|---|---|
| Image blurry | sharp focus, lens |
| Face wrong | negative anatomy words |
| Looks fake | natural light, texture |
| Pose wrong | clear action |
| Flat image | lighting + camera |
| Bad hands | extra fingers (negative) |
GOLDEN RULES (VERY IMPORTANT)
- Long prompt ❌
- Clear prompt ✅
- Order matters more than words
- Camera + Light control everything
- Reuse good prompts again and again
FAQ
There is no perfect length. Write enough words to remove guesswork.
Both work. Clarity matters more than grammar.
Yes, but only a few. Overuse makes images look fake.
Because hands need clear action and position. Be specific.
Mostly yes. Small tweaks help, but the core stays the same.
The Bottom Line
AI art is not magic.
It’s communication.
Bad input creates bad output.
Every time.
Stop blaming the tool.
Start fixing your words.
Next time an image looks wrong, don’t curse AI.
Read your prompt again.
That’s where the real problem lives.