Mastering Character Portraits in Midjourney: Techniques, Styles, and Prompts

Introduction

Character portraits in Midjourney capture personality, emotion, and artistic vision through careful attention to facial features, lighting, and style. This guide explores the techniques, parameters, and approaches that help you create compelling portrait artworks with precise control over expression, mood, and aesthetic quality.

Core Portrait Categories

Key Parameters for Portrait Creation

Fine-tune your portrait creations with these essential parameters.

Detailed Style Examples

Photorealistic Portrait

Lifelike portraits with detailed skin texture and professional photography quality.

PhotorealisticMaleProfessionalDramatic Lighting--ar 2:3--stylize 600--q 2

Photorealistic portrait of middle-aged male: strong defined jawline with subtle stubble, deep-set blue eyes with confident gaze, salt and pepper hair styled back, weathered skin with natural texture and character lines, dramatic side lighting creating depth and shadow, professional photography quality, 85mm portrait lens effect, shallow depth of field, warm color temperature, studio lighting setup --ar 2:3 --stylize 600 --q 2

Key Techniques:

• Use specific camera lens references (85mm, 50mm) for authentic photography feel
• Include skin texture details (pores, wrinkles, stubble) for realism
• Specify lighting setup (studio, natural, dramatic) for mood control
• Apply --stylize 600 for balanced realism without over-stylization
• Use --q 2 for detailed facial features and skin rendering

PhotorealisticElderlyAsianNatural Lighting--ar 2:3--v 5

Elderly asian portrait, weathered face, wise eyes, gentle smile, natural window lighting, traditional ink painting style, fine details, 4k --ar 2:3 --v 5

Key Techniques:

• Natural window lighting for soft, authentic illumination
• Capture weathered facial features showing life experience
• Traditional ink painting style influence for artistic quality
• Fine detail rendering for texture and character
• Gentle expression conveying wisdom and warmth

Oil Painting Portrait

Classical portrait painting with rich colors and visible brushstrokes.

Oil PaintingClassicalArtisticChiaroscuro--ar 2:3--stylize 750--q 2

Oil painting portrait of young woman: delicate facial features with soft expression, flowing hair with loose brushwork, warm skin tones with subtle color shifts, visible impasto brushstrokes creating texture, chiaroscuro lighting technique with dramatic shadows, rich warm color palette with earth tones and soft highlights, canvas texture visible, classical portrait painting style, gallery lighting --ar 2:3 --stylize 750 --q 2

Key Techniques:

• Reference specific painting techniques (impasto, glazing, chiaroscuro)
• Describe brushwork quality (loose, controlled, visible strokes)
• Use classical lighting terms (Rembrandt lighting, chiaroscuro)
• Specify color palette approach (warm, cool, earth tones)
• Apply --stylize 750 for painterly, artistic quality

Vintage Portrait

Period-accurate portraits with historical styling and authentic techniques.

VintageVictorianHistoricalSepia--ar 4:5--stylize 650--q 2

Vintage Victorian era portrait: distinguished gentleman with sharp intelligent eyes and well-groomed handlebar mustache, period-accurate three-piece suit in dark wool with brass pocket watch chain, formal seated pose at mahogany desk, warm gaslight illumination creating soft shadows, sepia tone color palette with subtle hand-tinting, vintage photography aesthetic with slight vignette, period-accurate styling and composition, antique photograph quality --ar 4:5 --stylize 650 --q 2

Key Techniques:

• Reference specific historical periods (Victorian, 1920s, 1950s)
• Include period-accurate clothing and styling details
• Use era-appropriate photography terms (daguerreotype, sepia, Kodachrome)
• Specify vintage effects (grain, vignette, hand-tinting)
• Apply appropriate aspect ratios for period authenticity

Advanced Techniques

Lighting Control for Mood

Master different lighting setups to create specific moods and atmospheres.

Portrait with Rembrandt lighting::1.5 dramatic shadows::1
- Key light at 45-degree angle creating triangle highlight
- Deep shadows on opposite cheek
- Dramatic chiaroscuro effect
- Warm color temperature
--ar 2:3 --stylize 700 --q 2

This emphasizes dramatic classical lighting for emotional depth.

Expression and Emotion

Use specific facial feature descriptions to convey personality and mood.

Character portrait, contemplative expression:
- Slight furrow in brow showing thought
- Eyes gazing into distance with focus
- Subtle smile suggesting inner knowledge
- Relaxed jaw and natural posture
- Soft natural lighting enhancing introspection
--ar 2:3 --stylize 650 --q 2

Comprehensive Prompt Examples

Cinematic Portrait

Create dramatic portraits with film-quality lighting and composition.

CinematicDramaticFilm QualityRim Lighting--ar 2:3--stylize 700--q 2

Cinematic portrait of young female character: high cheekbones with defined facial structure, almond-shaped eyes with intense gaze, serene confident expression, flowing hair with natural movement, dramatic rim lighting creating edge glow, soft fill light on face, shallow depth of field with bokeh background, film grain texture, professional cinema camera quality, moody atmospheric lighting, rich color grading with teal and orange tones --ar 2:3 --stylize 700 --q 2

Film Noir Portrait

Dramatic black and white portraits with hard shadows and mysterious atmosphere.

Film NoirFemme FataleBlack & WhiteMysterious--ar 2:3--stylize 650--q 2

Sultry femme fatale character with sharp elegant features, dark seductive eyes, classic 1940s styling with satin evening gown and retro waves hairstyle, high contrast black and white photography, venetian blind shadow pattern across face creating dramatic stripes, hard dramatic lighting with deep black shadows, film grain texture, cinematic atmosphere suggesting danger and mystery, moody and atmospheric, studio lighting setup --ar 2:3 --stylize 650 --q 2

Key Techniques:

• Emphasize "high contrast", "hard shadows", "venetian blind pattern" for classic noir look
• Reference 1940s styling (retro waves, evening gown, period clothing)
• Use black and white photography terminology (film grain, damage marks, vignette)
• Describe lighting as "venetian blind effect" or "venetian shadows"
• Keep --stylize 650 for balanced dramatic effect

Renaissance Portrait

Classical paintings in the style of Renaissance masters with intricate details.

RenaissanceClassicalOil PaintingMasters--ar 2:3--stylize 700--q 2

Noble young woman, classical Renaissance painting style inspired by Italian masters like Leonardo and Raphael, serene contemplative expression with gentle gaze, delicate porcelain skin with soft subtle modeling, flowing luxurious fabrics with intricate gold embroidery and jeweled accessories, ornate pearl necklace and precious gem-studded headdress, atmospheric landscape background with sfumato soft transitions to distant mountains and sky, geometric compositional balance, oil on panel technique, warm golden lighting, museum quality masterpiece, timeless beauty --ar 2:3 --stylize 700 --q 2

Key Techniques:

• Reference specific Renaissance masters (Leonardo, Raphael, Botticelli)
• Include "sfumato" technique for soft atmospheric transitions
• Describe clothing with period-appropriate materials (brocade, velvet, silk, gold embroidery)
• Use "oil on panel" for authentic medium reference
• Include atmospheric background to emphasize classical composition
• Apply --stylize 700 for refined artistic quality

Glamour Portrait

High-fashion editorial portraits with polished styling and professional beauty photography.

GlamourFashionProfessionalBeauty--ar 2:3--stylize 650--q 2

Stunning face with flawless skin and professional makeup artistry, perfectly sculpted cheekbones with subtle contouring highlights, expressive eyes with dramatic makeup and defined eyebrows, polished luxurious hair styled in contemporary fashion, cool confident expression with slight knowing smile, professional studio lighting with key light and rim light creating dimension, soft diffused fill light for flattering shadows, shallow depth of field with blurred background, editorial magazine quality photography, haute couture aesthetic, vogue cover style portrait --ar 2:3 --stylize 650 --q 2

Key Techniques:

• Use "high-fashion", "glamour", "editorial", "vogue" for upscale feel
• Include makeup details (contouring, highlighting, eyebrow definition)
• Reference "professional studio lighting", "key light", "rim light"
• Mention "shallow depth of field" and "blurred background"
• Apply --stylize 650 for polished professional look

Sketch Portrait

Loose expressive line drawings and charcoal sketch style portraits.

SketchCharcoalDrawingExpressive--ar 2:3--stylize 700--q 2

Loose gestural line work capturing essence of subject, tonal range from light grays to deep blacks, bold expressive marks showing drawing process, strong charcoal smudging and blending creating atmospheric depth, negative space left as white paper, emphasis on facial features with detailed eye expression and mouth, looser treatment of hair and shoulders, dramatic chiaroscuro contrast, dynamic energetic pose, artist's hand visible in confident strokes, gallery quality figure drawing --ar 2:3 --stylize 700 --q 2

Key Techniques:

• Use "sketch", "charcoal", "drawing", "line work" for drawing medium
• Reference "gestural marks", "expressive strokes", "tonal range"
• Include "negative space", "white paper", "smudging"
• Emphasize "loose", "energetic", "confident" for authentic drawing feel
• Apply --stylize 700 for artistic sketch quality

Emphasize Facial Features and Expression

Reference specific facial characteristics to create distinctive portraits:

Layer Your Descriptions

Build prompts from general to specific for consistency:

1. SUBJECT TYPE     → "Portrait of [character type]"
2. FACIAL FEATURES  → Specific details about face, eyes, expression
3. STYLE & MEDIUM   → Art style, rendering technique, material quality
4. LIGHTING & MOOD  → Lighting setup, atmosphere, emotional tone
5. TECHNICAL        → Camera settings, composition, quality
6. PARAMETERS       → --ar [ratio] --stylize [value] --q 2

Use Negative Prompts Strategically

Exclude unwanted elements with --no to increase consistency:

character portrait --no distorted features, multiple heads, deformed anatomy, blurry, low quality

Common Negative Prompt Patterns:

• For photorealistic work: --no painting, artistic, stylized, cartoon, illustration
• For artistic work: --no photograph, realistic, camera, lens
• For clean portraits: --no busy background, clutter, multiple subjects
• For general quality: --no deformed, distorted, disfigured, bad anatomy, ugly

Parameter Cheat Sheet

Prompt Templates

Use these structures to build effective prompts for different portrait styles.

Universal Portrait Template

Portrait of [character description]:
- Features: [facial details, expression, distinctive traits]
- Style: [art style, medium, rendering technique]
- Lighting: [lighting setup, mood, atmosphere]
- Composition: [framing, angle, background]
--ar [Ratio] --stylize [Value] --q 2

Photorealistic Portrait Template

Photorealistic portrait of [subject]:
- Features: [detailed facial description]
- Expression: [emotion and mood]
- Lighting: [professional lighting setup]
- Camera: [lens type, depth of field]
- Quality: professional photography, detailed skin texture
--ar 2:3 --stylize 600 --q 2

Artistic Portrait Template

[Art style] portrait of [subject]:
- Medium: [painting technique, brushwork style]
- Features: [facial details with artistic interpretation]
- Color: [palette description, color temperature]
- Lighting: [artistic lighting approach]
- Texture: [surface quality, material details]
--ar 2:3 --stylize 750 --q 2

Conclusion

Mastering portrait creation in Midjourney is about understanding how facial features, lighting techniques, and artistic style work together. The key is:

• Be specific about facial features, expression, and emotion
• Reference lighting setups (Rembrandt, rim, natural, dramatic) to control mood
• Choose appropriate style (photorealistic, painterly, fantasy, vintage)
• Layer your descriptions from subject to style to technical details
• Experiment with parameters (--stylize, --ar, --q 2) to find your portrait voice

Start with the templates in this guide, iterate based on results, and build a library of prompts that capture the personality and emotion you envision in your character portraits.

Next Steps:

• Explore Character Creation for full-body and other character types
• Check Art Styles for different artistic approaches
• Visit Midjourney Prompting Guide for fundamental techniques