Abstract and experimental prompting

While other descriptive prompting types aim to ground visuals in clear subjects, defined scenes, or layout-driven design, abstract prompting invites you to create images that are less literal and more emotional, conceptual, or symbolic. In this approach, the goal is not to describe a specific object or place—but to visualize an idea, a sensation, or a mood.

To make this guide even more effective, you can explore the Abstract Prompting Tool on AI Compare Hub. It offers an interactive way to practice, experiment, and refine your abstract prompts as you learn.

What abstract prompting is

At its core, abstract prompting is about letting go of realism. It uses visual tools—like color, form, movement, and atmosphere—to translate an intangible emotion or idea into a compelling visual.

Rather than naming specific characters, objects, or environments, you describe sensations, states of mind, or imagined phenomena using metaphorical or poetic phrasing. This approach guides the AI to create images that are less about literal representation and more about evoking meaning and mood.

Abstract and experimental prompting is particularly effective when you want your visuals to communicate a deeper message or set a tone without relying on obvious subjects. For example, you might generate images to:

• Support a presentation slide in an educational seminar, illustrating a concept like growth, resilience, or innovation through symbolic visual language instead of direct charts or photos.
• Design an advertisement or campaign background that immediately evokes feelings of calm, optimism, or curiosity, helping an audience form an emotional connection to your message.
• Create an atmosphere for a website or digital product, using abstract textures or patterns that subtly reinforce your brand’s values or story.

The resulting images may sometimes look similar to a subject-focused or scene-focused output—like a landscape or an arrangement of objects—but the underlying method is different. Instead of describing the concrete details first, abstract prompting begins with a conceptual idea, an emotion, or an aesthetic principle, and then builds visual elements to express it.

This shift in approach can make your work feel more purposeful and nuanced. It allows you to explore how shapes, colors, and composition alone can inspire a specific reaction, tell a story, or create an unforgettable impression.

In this section, we’ll introduce three ways to approach abstract prompting: Conceptual Metaphor, Emotional Metaphor, and Abstract Textures & Patterns.

Conceptual metaphor

Conceptual metaphors turn intangible ideas into visual representations. You’re not showing what something looks like—you’re showing what it stands for.

For example:

• Growth might be visualized as a tree emerging from a cracked surface.
• Transformation could look like a cocoon dissolving into radiant mist.
• Strength might appear as weathered stone columns standing against wind.
  
  

When writing conceptual prompts, define the core idea and connect it to a clear visual anchor.

Example prompts:

• “A luminous staircase rising through clouds, symbolizing progress and aspiration.”
• “Molten clock faces dripping over stone, representing change and impermanence.”
• “A single seed sprouting from dark soil, illustrating renewal.”

Emotional metaphor

Emotional metaphors convey feelings by describing atmosphere, light, and suggestive forms. If conceptual metaphors ask what does this idea look like?, emotional metaphors ask how does this feeling feel?

For example:

• Sadness could be visualized as a lone candle flickering in darkness.
• Joy might appear as radiant orbs ascending into the sky.
• Curiosity could look like a door glowing in a dark hallway.
  
  

Example prompts:

• “A paper boat drifting in a dark ocean under a crescent moon, evoking loneliness.”
• “Golden petals bursting from a dark center, expressing delight and surprise.”
• “Fractured glass glowing red, suggesting anger and tension.”

Abstract textures & patterns

This approach doesn’t aim to represent ideas or feelings directly. Instead, you design surfaces, motifs, and compositions that create atmosphere or serve as decorative elements. These visuals are ideal for backgrounds, branding, and experimentation.

For example:

• Soft Carrara marble veins can create a feeling of timeless elegance.
• Iridescent holographic foils can feel futuristic and luminous.
• Fluid watercolor washes can feel organic and calming.

Example prompts:

• “Smooth Carrara marble surface with delicate grey veins, seamless texture.”
• “Repeating geometric tiles with luminous gradients, minimalistic composition.”
• “Abstract swirling ink in pastel colors, soft flowing movement.”

Abstract prompting approach

Abstract prompting is different from other prompting approaches. Instead of starting with a detailed description of a subject or scene, this method is often more free-form, poetic, and open-ended. You can use it to produce imagery that feels expressive, symbolic, or purely decorative—without needing to define every element precisely.

While it may seem unstructured at first, abstract prompting still benefits from including key elements in your instructions. For example:

• Artistic styles can influence whether the image feels smooth, painterly, or highly detailed.
• Lighting effects can set a mood—like soft diffuse glow for calmness or sharp high-contrast highlights for tension.
• Color themes can carry emotional weight, such as warm golds to suggest optimism or cold blues to evoke introspection.

Even when you keep your prompt short and conceptual, adding these details will help the model deliver more coherent and visually consistent results.

Building conceptual and emotional metaphors

If you want to create conceptual metaphor or emotional metaphor imagery—like an image expressing growth, resilience, joy, or nostalgia—it often helps to first develop your idea into a clear visual story before generating the image.

You can type your idea directly into an image generation tool (for example, “the feeling of curiosity” or “transformation into something new”), but the result may end up vague or unfocused.

Instead, it’s often more effective to use an AI chatbot to help you explore how that concept or emotion could look as a scene or composition. This extra step can give you richer details and a stronger foundation for your final prompt.

For example, you can simply ask the chatbot:

The chatbot might reply with something like:

This gives you a vivid starting point you can refine into a well-structured prompt for the image generator.

Conceptual metaphor prompt example

Here is an example of a conceptual metaphor prompt for the concept of “balance.”

Example Prompt:

In this prompt, the visual elements are designed to symbolize balance in a clear, tangible way. The smooth stone at the top represents stability and simplicity, while the varied shapes and colors of the supporting stones suggest diversity and complexity working together in harmony. The waterfall and rainbow introduce movement and light, reinforcing the idea that balance can exist even within constant change. By combining natural textures, carefully arranged forms, and a tranquil atmosphere, this image tells a story about equilibrium that feels both universal and grounded.

Emotional metaphor prompt example

Here is an example of an emotional metaphor prompt for the emotions of “memories” and “missing.”

Example Prompt:

In this prompt, the scene is crafted to evoke feelings of longing, nostalgia, and the ache of missing someone. The faded photograph acts as a symbol of cherished memories, while the ghostly figure’s gesture suggests a desire to reconnect with the past. The empty beach and weathered objects create an atmosphere of absence, and the soft, muted details amplify the emotional impact. This kind of imagery is powerful for illustrating how emotions can linger, even when moments have passed beyond reach.

Generating abstract textures and patterns

When your goal is to create abstract textures and patterns, the approach is closer to inspirational prompting. Here, a short phrase can be enough to guide the model.

For example:

• “Marble surface with soft grey veins”
• “Iridescent holographic foil texture”
• “Interlocking hexagonal grid in pastel colors”

The main difference from inspirational prompting is that abstract pattern prompts tend to be more targeted and descriptive. Instead of suggesting a broad mood or impression, you usually specify:

• The type of material (e.g., concrete, terrazzo, linen)
• The style or treatment (e.g., polished, rough, vintage)
• The color palette (e.g., muted neutrals, bold contrasts)

Here is an example prompt for Smoke & Mist abstract image.

Example Prompt:

In this prompt, the focus is on creating an abstract image built purely from smoke and mist textures rather than depicting any objects or scenes. The luminous lighting adds a glowing, ethereal effect, while the neon color palette gives the composition a modern, high-energy look. This kind of image works well as a dynamic background, a visual accent for digital interfaces, or a striking element in motion graphics.

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Abstract prompting gives you countless ways to express ideas, feelings, and visual impressions that don’t rely on literal subjects. As you continue exploring, try combining conceptual metaphors, emotional metaphors, and abstract textures to develop a unique style that feels authentic to you.

If you’d like to practice further or experiment with new ideas, you can use the Abstract Prompting Tool on AI Compare Hub. It’s a practical way to test different descriptions, see instant results, and refine your prompts as you grow your skills.