Midjourney V5 prompt template + advanced techniques

Writing prompts from scratch can be fun, but it gets tiring fast - especially since longer prompts perform noticeably better in Midjourney V5.

Here's a stress-tested template that you can use to guide all of your prompts:

This is set up the way it is because (1) prompt order matters and (2) style matters more than ever in V5.

If you do not specify a style, you will get photographic realism, because this is Midjourney V5's default style.

If you don't want this, you will need to reference art movements, artistic techniques, genres, media types, games titles, directors, artist names, influences, time periods, etc.

I find you get best results if you reference two or more of these:

• Art movement: Identifying the art movement in the prompt will introduce its style and techniques. Examples include Impressionism, Surrealism, or Pop Art.
• Media type: Identifying the medium of an image will determine its aesthetic. Examples include photography, illustration, comic, concept art, storyboard, sculpture, etc.
• Media title: - Identifying a media influence will influence its look. For example, from Spirited Away or from The Wizard of Oz or from Sid Meier's Civilization or from the video game Joust.
• Artist name: Referencing the name or the work of a specific artist will roughly invoke their unique style. Examples include Vincent van Gogh, Frida Kahlo, or Banksy.
• Technique: Referencing techniques will add that style to the image. Examples include impasto, pencil sketch, watercolor, or digital art.
• Time period: Identifying the historical context of an image will invoke its aesthetic. For example, images from the Renaissance, Baroque, or Modernist periods.
• Geographic location: Referencing regions and countries will influence style. Examples include Japanese Ukiyo-e prints, African tribal art, or American Abstract Expressionism.