So you've tried AI image generation and gotten... mixed results. Maybe the images were blurry, weird, or just not what you imagined.
The good news: getting better results is mostly about understanding how to communicate with the model. Here are seven practical techniques that actually work.
1. Be Specific About Your Subject
"Cat" is boring. "Fluffy orange tabby cat sitting on a windowsill, afternoon sunlight streaming through the glass, dust motes visible in the light" is interesting.
The more detail you provide about your subject, the more the AI has to work with. Don't describe what you don't want — describe what you do want.
2. Use Style Keywords Intentionally
Style keywords dramatically shift outputs. Try adding:
- Artistic movements: "impressionist," "art deco," "surrealist"
- Mediums: "oil painting," "watercolor," "digital art," "photograph"
- Techniques: "cinematic lighting," "macro lens," "bokeh"
- Artists: "in the style of Studio Ghibli," "like Wes Anderson"
Don't pile too many — one or two strong style references work better than five conflicting ones.
3. Specify Lighting (It Makes a Huge Difference)
Lighting often separates amateur AI art from compelling AI art. Try:
- "golden hour lighting"
- "soft studio lighting"
- "dramatic side lighting"
- "rim lighting"
- "volumetric lighting"
- "bioluminescent"
Even simple additions like "well-lit" or "poorly lit" shift results significantly.
4. Use Negative Prompting
Many generators support negative prompts — telling the model what to avoid. Common uses:
- "no text" (avoids the AI trying to write letters)
- "no watermark"
- "no ugly"
- "no deformed"
This is especially useful for removing common artifacts.
5. Iterate and Refine
The first image from a prompt is rarely the best. Look at what the AI interpreted incorrectly or missed, then adjust your prompt.
Prompt refinement looks like:
- Version 1: "A castle on a hill"
- Version 2: "A Gothic castle on a misty hill, at sunset, dramatic clouds, photorealistic"
- Version 3: "A Gothic castle on a misty hill, at sunset, dramatic clouds, photorealistic, 8k, highly detailed, no text"
Each iteration gets you closer. Think of it as a conversation with the AI.
6. Understand Aspect Ratio's Impact
Square (1:1), landscape (16:9), portrait (9:16) — the shape affects composition. A landscape prompt will compose differently in a portrait aspect ratio. Sometimes changing the aspect ratio gives you a completely different image.
7. Use Weighted Keywords
Some generators let you weight keywords with parentheses or emphasis. For example:
- "a dog:1.5" emphasizes "dog" more
- "(cat, dog)" makes both equally important
- "cat::2" doubles the importance
This is advanced but powerful for getting exactly the balance of elements you want.
A Note on Expectations
AI image generation isn't magic. It won't read your mind (yet). It won't produce perfect text (the technical term is "hallucination of letters"). Sometimes you'll get weird results you couldn't have predicted.
That's part of the fun. Some of the best AI art comes from happy accidents — the prompt that took the AI somewhere you didn't expect.
Now you have the techniques. Time to try them. Head to ArtFelt and put these into practice. Your first masterpiece is just a prompt away.