A Guide to Generating Perfect Hands/Fingers in Midjourney

Since its inception, Midjourney has captivated artists and creative professionals worldwide with its remarkable image generation capabilities. However, even this powerful AI tool is not without its flaws. One common challenge faced by many Midjourney users is the generation of problematic hands and fingers.

Based on extensive user feedback, common Midjourney hand-related issues include:

• Erroneous finger count: Extra or missing fingers are a frequent occurrence.
• Unnatural poses: Hand positions appear rigid and inconsistent with human anatomy.
• Lack of detail: Hand details like fingernails and fingerprints are often absent.
• Proportion discrepancies: Hands may be disproportionately large or small compared to the rest of the body.

These issues not only diminish the overall visual impact but also introduce additional editing work for users. So, how can we guide Midjourney towards generating flawless hands and fingers? Just follow us to get the answers.

Why Does Midjourney Struggle with Hands?

While Midjourney excels at generating stunning visuals, its grasp (pun intended) on human hands can sometimes falter. There are a few key reasons behind this:

Data bias

Midjourney, like most AI art tools, is trained on massive datasets of images. However, hands often occupy a relatively small portion of these images, especially compared to faces. This lack of dedicated hand data makes it harder for Midjourney to understand the intricacies of hand anatomy and pose.

The complexity of hands

Hands are incredibly versatile and expressive. They come in various shapes and sizes, and they can contort into countless positions. This complexity is challenging for Midjourney to capture statistically, unlike facial features that exhibit more consistent patterns.

Limited understanding

Unlike human artists, Midjourney doesn't possess inherent anatomical knowledge. It relies solely on the patterns it observes in its training data. This means it struggles to comprehend the underlying structure and biomechanics of hands, leading to occasional anatomical oddities in its creations.

How to Guide Midjourney to Generate Good Hands

Despite Midjourney's occasional hand woes, fear not, here's a comprehensive toolbox of strategies, gleaned from online communities and user experiences, to guide Midjourney towards generating the perfect hands.

Select the right Midjourney model version

Midjourney constantly releases new model versions to enhance image coherence, efficiency, quality, and stylistic capabilities. You can switch between these versions using the --version or --v parameter in your prompts, or by navigating to /settings and selecting your preferred model.

Importantly, different models excel at generating different types of images. Notably, version 5 marked a significant improvement in Midjourney's ability to generate realistic hands and fingers. This capability has been further refined in the current version, v6.

Therefore, for optimal hand generation, prioritize using versions 5 or later.

Here's a prompt example:

⁠"Close-up photo of a person's hand reaching out towards the light from darkness, hinting at a sense of hope or escape, the hand is detailed showing realistic textures and the silhouette of a watch on the wrist, it's a cinematic scene with high contrast and a focused beam of light illuminating the hand against a shadowy background --ar 9:16 --v 6 --s 100"

Craft clear and specific prompt

Describe the number of fingers, desired pose (clenched fist, open palm reaching, etc.), and even the texture (wrinkled, smooth, calloused) in your prompt. The more information you provide, the better Midjourney understands your vision.

Here are some examples:

"A hand with long, slender fingers, delicately holding a single red rose."
"A weathered hand with gnarled knuckles, gripping a weathered wooden staff."
"A pair of delicate, child-like hands clasped together in prayer."
"Beautiful woman 45 years old, looks at the camera and shows one palm, where there are 5 fingers, in the style of the TV series Bridgenton --v 5.2"

Use reference images

Leverage the power of existing art! Include keywords mentioning reference images for hand poses or styles. 

For example:

"A hand holding a paintbrush, Renaissance style, inspired by Michelangelo's David."
"A pair of hands gesturing dramatically, Baroque style, reminiscent of Caravaggio's paintings."
"Have money and banknotes ，It feels like giving money with both hands --sref https://s.mj.run/3bOcLO9ryJw"

Play with artistic styles

Certain artistic styles often feature detailed hands.  Prompting for these styles can nudge Midjourney in the right direction.

Here are some examples:
"A pair of cybernetic hands with glowing blue veins, cyberpunk style."
"A hand adorned with intricate henna patterns, mehndi style."
"A muscular hand holding a katana, anime style."
"3517_A hacker girl with gray hair and green eyes, wearing black clothes. Holding a computer in his hands. Cyberpunk style. --ar 1:1"

Refine prompt

Midjourney offers variations on your prompts. Use this to your advantage. Refine your prompt based on the initial results.  For example, if the hand pose is almost perfect but the fingers are slightly stubby, adjust your prompt to emphasize "slender fingers" and use the "Vary" button to see if Midjourney can iterate closer to your vision.

As you can see, the key to make good hands in Midjourney is clear communication and a little creative maneuvering. By employing these strategies and understanding Midjourney's limitations, you can transform your creations from "finger-fumbled" to "flawlessly formed". Don't be afraid to experiment and find what works best for your artistic style and desired outcome.

Beyond Prompting, Refine Hands with External Tools

While crafting the perfect prompt is crucial for guiding Midjourney, there's another powerful tool in your arsenal: external image editing software. If you're comfortable with programs like Photoshop or Dooly, consider this advanced technique to take your hand generation to the next level.

This technique involves isolating specific areas of your Midjourney creation, like the hands, for more precise adjustments.

Here's how it works:

Step 1. Masking. Imagine creating a digital stencil around the hands in your image. Editing software allows you to create this "mask," essentially selecting just the hands and excluding everything else.

Step 2. Targeted refinement. Once the hands are masked, you can use the external software's editing tools to focus solely on them. This allows for much finer control over details that Midjourney might struggle with, such as:

• Finger definition: Sharpen finger shapes and add subtle details like wrinkles or knuckles.
• Nail perfection: Refine nail shapes, size, and even add a touch of polish.
• Textural nuance: Enhance the texture of the skin, adding a touch of realism or a specific texture like callouses.

An Easier Way to Refine Midjourney Generated Hands

For those seeking a simpler solution, consider AI image enhancement tools like Aiarty Image Enhancer. This software can be a valuable asset, especially for users who aren't comfortable with in-depth image editing software. Aiarty offers features specifically designed to improve Midjourney creations:

• Deblur and denoise: Eliminate blur and noise from your Midjourney images, potentially improving hand clarity.
• Upscale: Increase the resolution of your image, up to 32K, allowing for more detailed hands without sacrificing quality.
• Generate details: Aiarty's AI can intelligently generate additional details, potentially refining the definition of hands within your image.

Now let's check how to use Aiarty to enhance your Midjourney images.

Step 1. Download and install Aiarty Image Enhancer

Click the download button below to download the software for your operating system (Windows or Mac). Then, follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation process.

Step 2. Import the Midjourney image into Aiarty.

Launch Aiarty Image Enhancer. Then, drag and drop the image file directly onto the Aiarty interface.

Step 3. Choose the AI model and upscale preset.

If you do not need to upscale the image, choose the "x1" preset. This option will not increase the resolution but will enhance image quality by deblurring, denoising, and generating details.

Step 4. Export the enhanced image.

Once you've finished all settings, click the "RUN" button. Aiarty will process your image.

While Aiarty might not offer the same level of precise control as Photoshop and the like, it provides a user-friendly solution for those seeking to improve the overall quality and detail of their Midjourney creations, including the hands.

Conclusion

As you've explored, Midjourney offers immense creative potential, but even this powerful AI can struggle with generating perfect hands.  However, by understanding the challenges and employing the strategies outlined in this guide, you're well-equipped to overcome these hurdles. Remember, the key lies in clear communication through your prompts, leveraging artistic styles, and refining results through variations or external tools.

Don't be afraid to experiment. Midjourney is a constantly evolving tool, and the best way to master hand generation is through continuous exploration.

Additionally, you can utilize online forums and discussions to share your creations, learn from others, and stay updated on the latest techniques and model versions.

With dedication, practice, and the strategies outlined in this guide, you'll soon be generating stunning Midjourney creations adorned with flawlessly rendered hands, elevating your art to breathtaking new heights.