Learn how to use styles in Midjourney to shape the mood, tone, and artistic feel of your AI-generated images with ease and precision.
How to Use Styles in Midjourney
The first time I used Midjourney, I typed a simple prompt, waited a few seconds, and got an image that looked… okay. It wasn’t bad, but it also wasn’t what I pictured. It lacked mood, tone, or that special “feel” I had in mind. That’s when I discovered the power of styles.
When you learn how to use styles in Midjourney, you gain control over the overall aesthetic of your images — whether you’re going for photorealism, oil painting, comic book art, or something surreal and dreamy. Style isn’t just decoration; it’s the heart of how your prompt is interpreted and visualized.
Using styles in Midjourney is about choosing the right artistic direction. It’s about saying “I want this scene to feel dramatic,” or “this should look like a vintage watercolor.” And with just a few added words in your prompt, you can guide Midjourney to create visuals that match your creative intent much more closely.
Here’s why this matters when generating art:
- 🎨 Visual Identity – Styles help you create a consistent look across multiple images.
- 🔮 Creative Expression – You can explore different moods and aesthetics for the same subject.
- 🖼 Genre Versatility – From sci-fi to fairytale, styles support any world or vibe.
- 🧠 Prompt Clarity – Style terms act as shortcuts that immediately shape the image output.
- 📈 Professional Results – Knowing how to use styles in Midjourney gives your projects a polished, intentional look.
If you’ve ever felt like your images are “missing something,” learning to use styles is probably the fix you need.
📚 Table of Contents
• 💡 Advantages
• 🧭 Wondering How to Begin?
• ✍️ Effective Prompt Techniques
• 🧷 My Go-To Prompt Picks
• ⚠️ Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
• ❓ FAQ
• 💬 User Experiences
💡 Advantages
Once I started experimenting with different styles in Midjourney, my results improved immediately. Suddenly, everything had more purpose — from mood to lighting to detail. Here’s why styles matter so much:
| Advantage | Description |
|---|---|
| 🎨 Visual Cohesion | Styles unify elements in a scene to match the same artistic language. |
| 🕰️ Time Saving | Style keywords guide the AI more directly to your vision. |
| 🌈 Artistic Range | You can jump from watercolor to cyberpunk without needing to change your core prompt. |
| 🎬 Mood Setting | The style sets the emotional tone, whether you want dreamy or dramatic. |
| 🖌️ Project Consistency | Helpful for branding, comics, or multi-scene storytelling. |
🧭 Wondering How to Begin?
If you’re not sure how to use styles in Midjourney, don’t worry — I was in the same spot. At first, I wasn’t sure whether I should type “realistic,” “digital art,” or “oil painting,” or if it even mattered. But the more I tested, the more I saw how one simple word could completely transform the image’s vibe. Let’s walk through the best way to start exploring styles confidently.
1. 🧱 Understand What “Style” Means in Midjourney
In Midjourney, “style” refers to the visual feel or artistic treatment of the image.
It could be a medium (like watercolor), a movement (like baroque), a cultural aesthetic (Japanese ink), or even a cinematic effect (film noir). Including a style in your prompt helps the AI apply visual patterns that match that form.
2. 🎯 Choose a Style That Fits Your Vision
Before you type a prompt, ask yourself: what should this feel like?
Do you want something gritty, soft, elegant, surreal, or ultra-modern? Picking a clear direction will help you choose the right style term, like low poly, steampunk, fantasy, or digital painting.
3. ✏️ Add Style Terms Directly in the Prompt
There’s no special syntax — you just type the style name as part of your prompt.
Example:ancient temple in jungle ruins, morning light, moss-covered stones, photorealistic style, --ar 16:9
That one word — photorealistic — tells Midjourney how to interpret lighting, texture, and detail.
4. 🔄 Mix Multiple Styles
You can combine styles to get more nuanced results.
For instance:portrait of female knight, dark armor, misty background, renaissance oil painting + cinematic lighting
Midjourney blends the descriptors and creates something unique. This is one of my favorite ways to guide tone and atmosphere.
5. ⚙️ Use Parameters to Refine Further
Pair style keywords with modifiers like --ar, --v, or --style.
Example:elegant living room, pastel tones, interior design magazine style, --ar 3:2 --style 4b
These help enforce aspect ratio and Midjourney model behavior, adding another layer of control to your style.
6. 🧪 Test and Compare
Sometimes a prompt looks okay in one style but fantastic in another.
Try the same scene with different tags like:
- cyberpunk style
- vector art
- chalk sketch
- flat design
You’ll quickly see how much styles influence the vibe, even when the subject stays the same.
7. 📁 Save Your Favorite Combos
Once you find a style combo that works, save the full prompt.
Over time, you’ll build a custom style library you can reuse or adapt for different projects — especially helpful for designers, writers, and creatives working in series.
✍️ Effective Prompt Techniques
Let’s look at some structured prompts where style makes a noticeable difference. These aren’t just good-looking images — they’re fast and reliable, especially when you need polished results.
1. 🎬 Cinematic Lighting
Perfect for moody, emotionally charged images.
• 📥 Prompt: man walking alone on a foggy street, rain-soaked pavement, cinematic lighting style, –ar 16:9
• 📤 Output Insight: Creates dramatic contrast and a strong sense of atmosphere
• 📝 Sample Output: A silhouette moving through thick fog with glowing streetlights and reflections
2. 🖼 Oil Painting Style
Great for portraits, historical settings, or anything needing rich texture.
• 📥 Prompt: medieval queen on throne, ornate gown, serious expression, oil painting style, –ar 2:3
• 📤 Output Insight: Adds brushstroke texture, deep shadows, and regal visual weight
• 📝 Sample Output: A powerful, seated woman with golden embroidery and textured backdrop
3. 📐 Minimalist Design
Helpful for branding, posters, or conceptual work.
• 📥 Prompt: red umbrella in white space, clean lines, minimalist graphic style, –ar 1:1
• 📤 Output Insight: Focuses on shape and contrast, ideal for simple, sharp images
• 📝 Sample Output: A centered umbrella with crisp edges and strong visual balance
4. 🐉 Fantasy Illustration
Best for magical or world-building visuals.
• 📥 Prompt: young wizard casting spell, glowing runes, forest background, fantasy illustration style, –ar 3:4
• 📤 Output Insight: Brings out vibrant color palettes and storybook atmosphere
• 📝 Sample Output: A child-like wizard with energy swirling around, surrounded by tall trees and sparks
5. 📺 Retro Comic Style
For fun, bold designs with strong lines and color blocks.
• 📥 Prompt: superhero landing pose, city skyline, retro comic book style, halftone texture, –ar 2:3
• 📤 Output Insight: Adds dramatic flair and graphic elements perfect for posters or covers
• 📝 Sample Output: A muscular hero mid-pose with thick outlines, action lines, and bright red accents
🧷 My Go-To Prompt Picks
These are the style-based prompts I go back to constantly — they work across different themes and help generate consistently high-quality art.
1. 🎥 Film Noir Style
• 📥 Prompt: detective in trench coat, cigarette smoke, rainy night alley, film noir style, –ar 3:4
• 📤 Output Insight: Delivers moody, black-and-white compositions with heavy contrast
• 📝 Sample Output: A shadowed man under a flickering sign, lit by a single beam cutting through fog
2. 🐾 Children’s Book Style
• 📥 Prompt: bunny and fox having tea in the forest, smiling faces, children’s book illustration style, –ar 4:3
• 📤 Output Insight: Soft, inviting images with warm colors and hand-drawn feeling
• 📝 Sample Output: Two animal friends at a picnic table surrounded by flowers and giggles
3. 🧊 Cyberpunk Style
• 📥 Prompt: hacker in neon-lit alley, glowing interface, digital city background, cyberpunk style, –ar 16:9
• 📤 Output Insight: Rich with color, tech details, and moody lighting for futuristic themes
• 📝 Sample Output: A figure with digital glasses crouched by a terminal, neon signs casting light around
⚠️ Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
Using styles is easy — but using them effectively takes a little care. Here are some things I’ve learned the hard way.
| Mistake | Solution |
|---|---|
| 💬 Vague Style Terms | Use specific art movements or mediums instead of generic words like “cool.” |
| 🎨 Clashing Styles | Avoid mixing drastically different aesthetics (like watercolor + cyberpunk). |
| 🖌️ Too Many Styles | Stick to one or two styles per prompt to keep the image focused. |
| 📷 Forgetting the Base | A good subject is still key — style can’t fix a weak prompt. |
| 🔁 No Experimentation | Try switching the style alone and compare results — it’s eye-opening. |
❓ FAQ – Midjourney Styles
🎨 What exactly does “style” mean in Midjourney?
• Style refers to the artistic look or visual treatment of your image — like painting, sketching, or photography.
🖌️ Can I use multiple styles in one prompt?
• Yes, but be careful — 2 is usually fine, more can confuse the AI.
🎥 Do styles affect lighting and texture?
• Absolutely. Styles like “cinematic” or “oil painting” affect color, shading, and atmosphere.
📚 What are the most reliable styles?
• Photorealistic, watercolor, fantasy illustration, comic book, and digital painting work well.
🛠 Do I need special formatting to add a style?
• Nope — just write the style as part of your natural prompt.
🖼️ Can I apply a style to an upscaled image?
• Not directly — but you can regenerate the image with the style and upscale that result.
🧠 Should I change styles between images in a series?
• Only if you want variation. For consistency, reuse the same style tag.
🔄 Is there a list of supported styles?
• Midjourney doesn’t have an official list, but user communities often share tested examples.
💬 User Experiences
I didn’t realize how much a single word like “watercolor” could transform my results. Now I use styles in every prompt.
— Emma, Concept Artist
Midjourney styles helped me create a consistent look for my card game characters. It saved me weeks of design work.
— Javier, Game Designer
I mix “flat design” and “vector art” for branding — the results are always crisp and professional.
— Nia, Creative Director
🌟 Final Thoughts
Learning how to use styles in Midjourney gives you a creative edge. It’s like switching from black-and-white to full color — suddenly everything feels more intentional, more alive. Whether you’re going for realism, whimsy, drama, or elegance, style gives your images voice, personality, and polish.
🗣️ What Do You Think?
Have you tried adding styles to your prompts? Got a favorite combo or discovered a cool aesthetic? Let’s swap notes and learn together!
📚 Related Guides
• How to Generate Quality Images Quickly
• How to Make Illustrations with Midjourney
• How to Create Storyboards in Midjourney
• How to Generate Abstract Art with 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.
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