Chapter 3. Descriptive prompting

As your visual storytelling becomes more intentional, learning how to guide AI image generation with precision becomes essential. In this chapter, we move from open-ended inspiration to structured, descriptive prompting—an approach that helps you control subject placement, scene composition, style, lighting, and emotion with greater clarity.

We begin with subject-focused prompting, where the emphasis is on a single figure, object, or interaction. The background plays a supporting role while the subject captures attention. You'll learn how to write prompts that effectively center characters, products, or creatures using specific camera angles, poses, lighting, and material textures.

Next is scene-focused prompting, which shifts the focus from individual subjects to immersive environments. Whether it's a misty forest, a glowing café interior, or a futuristic skyline, this method helps you compose space with depth and mood. We walk through techniques for setting spatial structure, describing layered layouts, and using lighting and atmosphere to shape emotion.

In many situations, you’ll want both subject and scene to play meaningful roles. That’s where hybrid approaches for visual balance come in. This method blends focal characters with detailed surroundings to create rich, narrative-driven imagery. You'll explore how to keep elements visually connected through composition, shared lighting, and cohesive styles.

We then move to design-focused prompting, where layout becomes the subject. Whether you're generating a book cover, YouTube thumbnail, or product mockup, this style emphasizes composition, spacing, and visual hierarchy. It teaches you to think like a designer—balancing style, color, and function to support a visual goal.

Finally, we explore abstract and experimental prompting. Here, meaning takes the place of realism. You’ll learn how to express emotion, memory, or sensation using color, motion, metaphor, and poetic phrasing. This approach is ideal for creating mood-driven backgrounds, concept art, and symbolic visual forms that transcend literal storytelling.

How to learn AI image generation with this guide

This guide was developed alongside robust AI image prompting tools to give you practical experience as you read. To deepen your learning, explore AI Compare Hub, which offers extensive resources and interactive tools:

AI Compare Hub is an essential companion website where you can discover and compare leading AI image generation platforms. It allows you to see how different models and services interpret the same creative brief, helping you explore image comparisons that reveal stylistic differences and strengths across tools, including:

• Cross-Platform Comparison: Compare outputs across tools like Midjourney, Flux AI, and Stable Diffusion to see how each interprets your vision.
• Cross-Model Comparison: Examine results from different versions of the same platform (for example, Midjourney v5.2 vs. v6) to assess improvements and variations.
• The Same Model Deep Dive: Experiment with prompt variations and parameters within a single model to understand its nuances.
  
  

You can enhance your learning journey using the AI Compare Hub Prompting Tools.