Mastering Oil Painting in Midjourney: Techniques, Styles, and Prompts

Introduction

Oil painting in Midjourney captures the rich texture, depth, and luminous quality of traditional oil mediums. This guide explores the techniques, parameters, and styles that help you create stunning oil painting artworks with precise control over brushwork, lighting, and canvas texture.

Core Oil Painting Categories

Key Parameters for Oil Painting

Fine-tune your oil painting creations with these essential parameters.

Detailed Style Examples

Classical Landscape

Dramatic landscapes inspired by the Hudson River School or Romanticism, focusing on light and atmosphere.

ClassicalLandscapeRealismAtmospheric--ar 16:9--stylize 500--q 2

Classical oil painting landscape: dramatic mountain valley with storm clouds clearing, golden hour lighting illuminating peaks, rich deep shadows in foreground, smooth blending technique, Hudson River School style, highly detailed foliage and rocks, atmospheric depth, oil on canvas texture --ar 16:9 --stylize 500 --q 2

Key Techniques:

• Use "smooth blending" for realistic transitions
• Reference specific schools like "Hudson River School" or "Baroque"
• Focus on "atmospheric depth" and "dramatic lighting"
• Use --stylize 500 for a balanced traditional look

Impasto & Palette Knife

Heavy texture and thick paint application for a tactile, 3D effect.

ImpastoTexturePalette KnifeExpressive--ar 1:1--stylize 750--q 2

Impasto oil painting: close up of vibrant sunflowers, thick heavy paint application, visible palette knife strokes, 3D texture of oil paint, ridges and peaks of pigment, expressive and energetic, bright yellow and deep brown contrast, rough canvas texture --ar 1:1 --stylize 750 --q 2

Key Techniques:

• Use keywords like "impasto", "thick paint", "palette knife", "heavy texture"
• Describe the physical qualities: "ridges", "peaks", "3D texture"
• Higher --stylize values (700+) enhance the artistic texture effect

Classical Portrait

Refined portraits with focus on skin tones, fabric textures, and lighting.

PortraitClassicalChiaroscuroSargent--ar 2:3--stylize 400--q 2

Classical oil portrait: young woman in Victorian dress, chiaroscuro lighting, dark background, soft edge control (sfumato), realistic skin tones with subsurface scattering effect, detailed lace and velvet fabric textures, John Singer Sargent style brushwork, oil on linen --ar 2:3 --stylize 400 --q 2

Key Techniques:

• Reference lighting techniques like "chiaroscuro" or "sfumato"
• Mention specific fabrics ("velvet", "silk", "lace") for texture rendering
• Reference masters like "Sargent", "Zorn", or "Rembrandt" for brushwork style

Contemporary Abstract

Bold, expressive, and non-representational oil painting.

AbstractContemporaryBoldModern--ar 16:9--stylize 800--chaos 20--q 2

Contemporary abstract oil painting: large scale composition, bold geometric shapes clashing with organic flows, vibrant red and deep blue color palette, mixed techniques including scraping and glazing, layered depth, modern art gallery style, emotional and dynamic --ar 16:9 --stylize 800 --chaos 20 --q 2

Key Techniques:

• Focus on "composition", "color palette", and "emotion"
• Use "mixed techniques" like scraping, glazing, dripping
• High --stylize and some --chaos encourage unique, non-standard results

Advanced Techniques

Glazing for Luminosity

Create depth by simulating the traditional glazing technique of layering transparent colors.

Oil painting glazing technique::2 transparent layers::1.5 luminosity::1
- Base layer of monochrome underpainting (grisaille)
- Multiple thin layers of transparent color
- Glowing light effect from within
- Smooth surface finish
--ar 3:4 --stylize 600 --q 2

This prompts Midjourney to simulate the optical mixing of colors found in old master paintings.

Alla Prima (Wet-on-Wet)

Capture spontaneity and freshness with direct painting techniques.

Alla prima oil painting, wet-on-wet technique:
- Direct painting with no underlayer
- Fresh, unmixed colors applied directly
- Visible, confident brushstrokes
- Soft edges where wet paint meets wet paint
- Spontaneous and energetic feel
--ar 16:9 --stylize 700 --q 2

Comprehensive Prompt Examples

Dramatic Seascape

SeascapeOceanDramaticAivazovsky--ar 21:9--stylize 600--q 2

Oil painting seascape: stormy ocean with crashing waves against jagged rocks, translucent green water in the wave crests, foam and spray details, dramatic stormy sky with breaking sunlight, Ivan Aivazovsky style, luminous water, hyper-realistic texture but painterly execution --ar 21:9 --stylize 600 --q 2

Still Life with Fruit

Still LifeClassicalFruitDutch Golden Age--ar 4:3--stylize 450--q 2

Classical still life oil painting: bowl of grapes, peaches, and a glass of wine on a wooden table, dark background, dramatic side lighting, realistic texture of fruit skin and glass reflection, Dutch Golden Age style, rich colors, meticulous detail --ar 4:3 --stylize 450 --q 2

Cyberpunk Oil Painting

CyberpunkSci-FiImpastoFusion--ar 16:9--stylize 750--q 2

Oil painting of a cyberpunk city street: neon lights reflecting on wet pavement, futuristic buildings, rain, thick impasto texture for the lights, palette knife details for the buildings, blend of high tech subject with traditional rough oil medium, cinematic lighting, atmospheric --ar 16:9 --stylize 750 --q 2

Tips for Better Oil Painting Prompts

Specify Canvas and Surface

The support surface affects the texture of the painting:

Layer Your Descriptions

Build prompts from the ground up:

1. MEDIUM/STYLE     → "Oil painting", "Impasto oil", "Classical oil"
2. SUBJECT          → The main focus
3. TECHNIQUE        → "Glazing", "Alla prima", "Palette knife", "Dry brush"
4. LIGHTING         → "Chiaroscuro", "Natural light", "Studio lighting"
5. TEXTURE/SURFACE  → "Thick paint", "Smooth blending", "Canvas texture"
6. PARAMETERS       → --ar [ratio] --stylize [value] --q 2

Use Negative Prompts

Refine your output by excluding unwanted mediums:

oil painting of a forest --no watercolor, acrylic, digital art, vector, flat, cartoon, sketch

Parameter Cheat Sheet

Prompt Templates

Universal Oil Painting Template

[Subject] oil painting:
- Style: [Realism/Impressionism/Abstract]
- Technique: [Brushwork style]
- Lighting: [Lighting type]
- Colors: [Palette]
- Texture: [Paint thickness/Canvas type]
--ar [Ratio] --stylize [Value] --q 2

Classical Realism Template

Classical oil painting of [Subject]:
- Technique: smooth blending, glazing
- Lighting: chiaroscuro, dramatic shadows
- Surface: oil on linen
- Colors: rich, deep, traditional palette
- Detail: high realism, refined edges
--ar 3:4 --stylize 400 --q 2

Impasto / Expressive Template

Expressive oil painting of [Subject]:
- Technique: heavy impasto, palette knife
- Texture: thick paint, visible strokes, 3D ridges
- Colors: vibrant, unmixed, bold
- Style: energetic, loose, painterly
--ar 16:9 --stylize 750 --q 2

Conclusion

Mastering oil painting in Midjourney is about simulating the physicality of the medium. By controlling descriptions of texture, lighting, and technique, you can create digital images that feel like they have the weight and smell of real oil paint.

• Experiment with texture: From smooth glazes to heavy impasto.
• Control the light: Oil paint excels at capturing light; use it to your advantage.
• Mix styles: Try applying traditional oil techniques to modern subjects (like cyberpunk or sci-fi) for unique results.

Start with the templates above and start building your own gallery of oil masterpieces.

Next Steps:

• Explore Watercolor for a fluid, transparent medium.
• Check SREF Codes for consistent style references.
• Visit Midjourney Prompting Guide for fundamental techniques.