How to Make Illustrations with Midjourney

Discover how to make illustrations with Midjourney using practical tips, creative prompts, and personal workflow examples for stunning results.

How to Make Illustrations with Midjourney

Creating artwork used to mean having the right tools, years of practice, and plenty of free time. But today, thanks to platforms like Midjourney, anyone can learn how to make illustrations with Midjourney — no brush or stylus required. Whether you’re designing for a client, building a portfolio, or just exploring your creative side, this tool helps you generate detailed, high-quality images through text prompts alone.

Midjourney operates within Discord, which might feel a bit unusual at first, but the results can be impressive once you understand how to guide the system. It’s not just about typing random words — crafting a good prompt is like giving clear directions to a very skilled but literal-minded artist. The more specific you are, the better your outcomes will be.

Still, it’s easy to get overwhelmed when you first try to make something. There are many styles, settings, and keywords involved — but don’t worry. This guide will walk you through everything I’ve learned from trial and error. By the end, you’ll not only know how to make illustrations with Midjourney, but you’ll also have the confidence to experiment on your own.

Here’s why this topic matters for anyone interested in digital art or content creation:

• 🎨 Visual Content Is in High Demand
  Eye-catching illustrations are essential for blogs, social media, websites, and branding.
• 🧠 You Don’t Need Drawing Skills
  Midjourney makes it possible for anyone to create professional-looking art.
• 🧰 It’s a Versatile Creative Tool
  Whether you need portraits, landscapes, or conceptual art, it can do it all.
• 💸 Budget-Friendly Illustration
  Compared to hiring a designer, generating images with AI is cost-effective.
• 🚀 Fast Results for Fast Projects
  You can go from idea to image in just a few minutes.

Let’s dive into how you can get started and improve your results step by step.

📚 Table of Contents

• 💡 Advantages – How to Make Illustrations with Midjourney
• 🧭 Wondering How to Begin?
• ✍️ Effective Prompt Techniques
• 🧷 My Go-To Prompt Picks – How to Make Illustrations with Midjourney
• ⚠️ Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
• ❓ SSS – How to Make Illustrations with Midjourney
• 💬 User Experiences – How to Make Illustrations with Midjourney

💡 Advantages

When I first started using Midjourney, I didn’t expect it to become such a valuable part of my creative workflow. Here are some of the real benefits I’ve experienced while learning how to make illustrations with Midjourney.

🧭 Wondering How to Begin?

When I was new to this, figuring out how to make illustrations with Midjourney felt confusing. But once I got through the setup and learned a few basic techniques, everything started to click. If you’re starting from scratch, here’s a step-by-step guide to get going smoothly.

1. 🧩 Join the Midjourney Server

You’ll need a Discord account. Visit Midjourney’s official site, join the server, and accept the rules.

Once you’re inside, you’ll find “newbie” channels where you can begin. It might feel chaotic at first, but just focus on your own prompts and ignore the rest.

2. 🖊️ Write Simple Prompts First

Before jumping into complex commands, start with basic ideas like “a sunset over a forest” or “a smiling child with a balloon.”

This helps you see how Midjourney interprets your text. Keep prompts short and clear as you get the hang of things.

3. 🛠️ Learn Key Prompt Structures

As you improve, you’ll want to include styles (e.g., watercolor, cyberpunk), aspect ratios (e.g., --ar 16:9), and quality settings (e.g., --v 6).

These small changes make a big difference in how your illustrations turn out. Try adding descriptive adjectives too.

4. 🌈 Explore Artistic Styles

You can guide Midjourney to mimic certain art styles, like “Studio Ghibli” or “Van Gogh.”

Learning how to make illustrations with Midjourney means also understanding how to borrow from traditional influences. This gives your outputs more character.

5. 📐 Adjust Aspect Ratios

Square images are default, but for posters or web banners, try commands like --ar 3:2 or --ar 2:3.

It’s a simple tweak but very useful when you need images to fit specific formats.

6. 🔍 Upscale and Variations

Once Midjourney generates four versions, you can upscale your favorite or ask for variations.

Upscaling makes the image high-resolution, while variations let you tweak without starting over.

7. 📁 Save and Organize Your Work

Download your creations and sort them into folders like “Portraits,” “Fantasy,” or “Marketing.” This keeps things tidy and easy to find.

Eventually, you’ll build a portfolio of AI-generated illustrations tailored to your goals.

✍️ Effective Prompt Techniques

Here are some prompt structures that have helped me get consistent, high-quality results. Each one includes an example you can try right away.

1. 🎠 Dreamy Scene Creation

This type of prompt is great for storytelling, book covers, or fantasy content. It mixes detailed scenery with emotional atmosphere.

• 📥 Prompt: a lonely castle on a mountain under moonlight, cinematic lighting, fantasy art –v 6 –ar 16:9
• 📤 Output Insight: Helps you create mood-heavy, dramatic visuals ideal for narrative content.
• 📝 Sample Output: A misty castle glowing under a full moon with stars shimmering in the sky.

2. 🧙 Character Concept Art

If you’re working on game design or fiction writing, this prompt builds strong, stylized characters.

• 📥 Prompt: steampunk female inventor with goggles and gears, full-body, concept art style –v 6
• 📤 Output Insight: Produces detailed character models ready for storytelling or visual branding.
• 📝 Sample Output: A confident woman in brass gearwork standing in her lab filled with steam.

3. 🏞️ Landscape Visualization

Perfect for background assets, environmental art, or meditative pieces.

• 📥 Prompt: tranquil Japanese garden in spring, cherry blossoms, pond reflections, 4K –v 6 –ar 3:2
• 📤 Output Insight: Provides peaceful, well-balanced imagery ideal for mood boards or decor.
• 📝 Sample Output: A softly lit garden with pink blossoms falling over a still pond.

4. 🧸 Illustration for Children

Useful for children’s books, learning materials, or playful branding.

• 📥 Prompt: colorful baby elephant flying with balloons in a blue sky, children’s illustration –v 6
• 📤 Output Insight: Generates warm and joyful images suitable for young audiences.
• 📝 Sample Output: A smiling elephant soaring with multicolored balloons above the clouds.

5. 📚 Infographic-Friendly Icons

These small, focused images are ideal for UI design, educational slides, or apps.

• 📥 Prompt: flat design icon of a light bulb with sparkles, white background, vector style –v 6
• 📤 Output Insight: Delivers clear, minimalistic illustrations that scale well in digital formats.
• 📝 Sample Output: A bright yellow bulb with tiny star-shaped sparkles, clean and modern.

🧷 My Go-To Prompt Picks

These are the three prompts I use most often when I want fast, reliable results. They’ve served me well in many projects where I needed visual assets quickly.

1. 🌌 Atmospheric Concept Scene

Whenever I need a stunning visual for a website header or blog background, this one never fails.

• 📥 Prompt: mysterious forest glowing with blue lights, soft fog, cinematic composition –v 6
• 📤 Output Insight: Produces rich, immersive imagery perfect for high-impact visuals.
• 📝 Sample Output: A forest covered in fog, glowing mushrooms lighting the path ahead.

2. 🐉 Epic Creature Design

For fantasy projects or storytelling pieces, this helps bring mythological ideas to life.

• 📥 Prompt: dragon curled on a mountain peak at sunrise, golden scales, fantasy painting –v 6
• 📤 Output Insight: Creates dramatic creature-focused illustrations with striking details.
• 📝 Sample Output: A massive dragon silhouetted by the rising sun, its wings stretching wide.

3. 👩‍💻 Business-Themed Portrait

When working on LinkedIn graphics or entrepreneur branding, I often use this format.

• 📥 Prompt: modern businesswoman at laptop, digital art style, minimalist background –v 6
• 📤 Output Insight: Generates clean and professional character visuals for digital use.
• 📝 Sample Output: A focused woman typing on a sleek laptop in a minimalist office space.

⚠️ Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

It took me a few rough starts to learn some of these lessons. If you’re just starting to learn how to make illustrations with Midjourney, avoiding these mistakes will save time and frustration.

❓ FAQ – How to Make Illustrations with Midjourney

🎨 Can I use Midjourney without design experience?
• Yes, anyone can use it — prompts replace traditional drawing skills.

🔧 How do I improve image quality?
• Use upscaling and add --v 6 or --q 2 for clearer results.

💬 Can I edit the images later?
• Yes, you can download and touch them up in other tools like Photoshop.

🔗 Do I need to install anything?
• No, it runs entirely in Discord, so just join the server and start.

📁 Where should I save my illustrations?
• Organize them by category on your computer or cloud storage for easy access.

📐 Can I set image dimensions?
• Yes, use aspect ratio commands like --ar 3:2 for control.

📚 Are there copyright issues?
• Midjourney offers commercial licenses depending on your plan — always check the terms.

🖌️ What’s the best style for realism?
• Try prompts with terms like “photo-realistic,” “cinematic lighting,” or “4K details.”

💬 User Experiences

I’ve used Midjourney for all my social media visuals. It saves me so much time without compromising quality.
— Clara, Digital Marketer

As someone who can’t draw, this tool helped me bring my children’s book ideas to life.
— James, Writer

Learning how to make illustrations with Midjourney gave me a creative outlet I didn’t know I needed.
— Eliza, UX Designer

🌟 Final Thoughts

Learning how to make illustrations with Midjourney opens doors to creativity that used to feel closed to many of us. You don’t have to be an artist to create stunning visuals — just someone with an idea and the curiosity to try. It’s a tool that grows with you, and the more you use it, the better your results become.

🗣️ What Do You Think?

You’re definitely not alone in this journey. If anything feels unclear or you want help with your prompts, feel free to share your questions or progress in the comments.

📚 Related Guides

• How to Create Storyboards in Midjourney
• How to Generate Abstract Art with Midjourney
• How to Use Midjourney with Discord
• How to Create Product Mockups Using Midjourney

📢 About the Author

At AIFixup, our team brings over 5 years of hands-on experience in conceptualizing, developing, and optimizing AI tools. Every piece of content you see on this platform is rooted in real-world expertise and a deep understanding of the AI landscape.

Beyond our public content, we also share exclusive insights and free prompt collections with our subscribers every week. If you’d like to receive these valuable resources directly in your inbox, simply subscribe to our Email Newsletter—you’ll find the sign-up form at the bottom right corner of this page.