Midjourney Character Creation: Master AI Prompts for Unique Designs

Midjourney excels at creating compelling characters across every imaginable style and genre. Whether you're designing realistic portraits, fantastical beings, or futuristic characters, understanding character design principles and prompt structure is essential. This guide teaches you how to craft prompts that bring your character visions to life with consistency and quality.

Master Major Character Categories

Essential Character Parameters

Fine-tune your character creations with these key parameters.

Portraits

Expressive character portraits with detailed facial features and emotional depth.

PortraitMaleOil PaintingDramatic Lighting--ar 2:3--stylize 700--q 2

Character portrait of middle-aged male: strong jawline with defined features, deep-set blue eyes with confident gaze, salt and pepper hair styled back, weathered skin with character lines, dramatic side lighting creating depth and shadow, oil painting style with visible brushstrokes, warm earth tone palette, contemplative expression --ar 2:3 --stylize 700 --q 2

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Fantasy Characters

Magical beings, mythological creatures, and fantastical character designs.

FantasyElfWarriorMagical--ar 2:3--stylize 750--q 2

Fantasy elven warrior character: ethereal sharp features with high cheekbones and delicate bone structure, pointed ears with elegant curved tips, luminous violet eyes with magical inner glow, flowing silver hair with intricate braided details and elvish ornaments, porcelain skin with subtle iridescent quality, ornate silver platemail armor with blue gem inlays and elvish engravings, combat stance wielding glowing enchanted longsword, magical aura with particle effects and ethereal mist, dramatic fantasy lighting with rim glow, high fantasy art style --ar 2:3 --stylize 750 --q 2

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Sci-Fi Characters

Futuristic beings, cybernetic characters, and space-age designs.

AlienExplorerBioluminescentExotic--ar 2:3--stylize 750--chaos 25--q 2

Extraterrestrial explorer character design: bioluminescent crystalline being with translucent skin showing internal light patterns, multiple sensory organs arranged asymmetrically on elongated head, four-fingered hands with delicate crystalline structures, tall slender proportions with graceful alien anatomy, atmospheric adaptation suit with transparent dome helmet and integrated life support, gravity manipulation device worn as belt with floating energy field, holding multi-spectrum scanner with holographic display, standing in alien research station with exotic architecture, analytical intelligent expression, soft bioluminescent glow with scientific lighting --ar 2:3 --stylize 750 --chaos 25 --q 2

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Historical Figures

Period-accurate character designs from various historical eras.

MedievalKnight14th CenturyHeraldic--ar 2:3--stylize 700--q 2

14th century English knight portrait, Hundred Years' War period: battle-hardened face with scars showing years of combat, determined stern expression, chain mail hauberk with coif protecting head and neck, white surcoat displaying heraldic coat of arms in red and gold, leather sword belt with period-accurate buckle, standing in castle courtyard with stone walls, overcast daylight creating even natural lighting, medieval portrait style with attention to armor detail and heraldic accuracy --ar 2:3 --stylize 700 --q 2

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Anthropomorphic Characters

Animal characters with human characteristics and expressions.

AnthropomorphicFoxModernSemi-Realistic--ar 2:3--stylize 700--q 2

Anthropomorphic fox character: red fox head with expressive features, alert pointed ears with white tips, humanoid body with natural proportions, detailed russet and white fur texture, fluffy fox tail, casual modern clothing with brown leather jacket over graphic tee, relaxed confident stance with hands in pockets, semi-realistic art style with painterly quality, detailed fur rendering with individual hair strands, soft natural lighting with warm tones --ar 2:3 --stylize 700 --q 2

Prompt Structure Best Practices

1. Three-Layer Approach:

[Character Type] character:
[Physical Features] with [Distinctive Traits]
[Clothing and Accessories], [Pose and Expression]
[Art Style], [Lighting and Mood]
--ar [ratio] --stylize [700-800] --q 2

2. Include Essential Details:

   • Physical attributes (age, build, facial features, hair, eyes)
   • Clothing and accessories (style, materials, details)
   • Pose and body language (stance, gesture, action)
   • Expression and emotion (facial expression, mood, personality)
   • Artistic style (realistic, painterly, stylized, period-specific)
   • Lighting setup (dramatic, natural, atmospheric, directional)

3. Character Consistency Template:

[Character Type] character design:
- Features: [detailed physical description]
- Outfit: [clothing and accessories]
- Pose: [body language and stance]
- Expression: [emotion and personality]
- Style: [art style and rendering]
- Lighting: [lighting setup and mood]
--ar 2:3 --stylize 700 --q 2

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

1. Vague Descriptions: Avoid "cool character" or "interesting person." Be specific about features, clothing, and style.
2. Contradictory Elements: Don't mix incompatible styles (e.g., "photorealistic anime character").
3. Missing Key Details: Always specify age range, build, facial features, and clothing style.
4. Overcrowded Prompts: Too many details can confuse the AI. Focus on 3-5 key distinctive features.
5. Poor Parameter Selection: Use appropriate aspect ratios (2:3 for portraits, 3:4 for full body).

Tips for Mastering Character Creation

1. Study Anatomy and Proportions: Understand basic human anatomy to describe characters accurately
2. Experiment with Stylize Values: Test --s 500, 650, 750, 850 to find your preferred character style
3. Combine Character Types: Blend elements (e.g., "Victorian steampunk explorer") for unique designs
4. Iterate on Details: Start simple, then refine specific features in subsequent generations
5. Build a Prompt Library: Save successful character prompts for future reference and consistency
6. Use Reference Images: Study professional character art to understand effective visual elements

Character Creation Workflow

1. Concept Phase:

   • Define character role and personality
   • Determine key visual traits
   • Choose artistic style and mood
   • Plan distinctive features

2. Initial Generation:

   • Start with basic character template
   • Include essential physical features
   • Specify clothing and pose
   • Set appropriate parameters

3. Refinement:

   • Adjust specific facial features
   • Fine-tune clothing details
   • Modify pose and expression
   • Experiment with lighting

4. Consistency:

   • Document successful prompts
   • Save parameter settings
   • Create character sheets with multiple angles
   • Build variation library

Back to Midjourney Prompting Guide →