Midjourney Portrait Prompts: A Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Descriptions & Generating Unique Portraits

Midjourney, a powerful AI art platform, empowers you to transform your wildest visual ideas into captivating realities. With its ever-evolving capabilities, Midjourney enable you to generate photorealistic or stylized portraiture for a variety of purposes, including personal avatars, social media marketing, artistic expression, and more.

But crafting the perfect Midjourney portrait prompt to get the image you envision can be tricky. Fear not, aspiring portrait generators! This guide will equip you with the art of crafting effective Midjourney prompts for portrait to create stunning and unique portraits in Midjourney.

How to Write Midjourney Portrait Prompts for Breathtaking Results

Versatile Prompts Structure for Midjourney Portrait Generation

At the very beginning, to successfully generate the portraits you envision using Midjourney, you'll need to master the art of crafting effective Midjourney prompts for portrait. Midjourney prompts follow a versatile structure that encompasses the following elements: subject, description, scene, style, composition, and image parameters. Let's delve into each element in detail:

• Subject: Clearly define the portrait's subject, whether it's a real person, a fictional character, or an abstract concept. (e.g., portrait of a young woman)
• Description: Provide a detailed description of the subject's appearance, including facial features, clothing, accessories, and any distinctive characteristics. (e.g., with freckles and fiery red hair)
• Scene: Set the stage for the portrait by describing the surrounding environment, including the setting, lighting, and atmosphere. (e.g., standing in a field of wildflowers at sunset)
• Style: Specify the desired artistic style, such as photorealistic, impressionistic, or abstract. You can also reference specific artists or art movements. (e.g., photorealistic)
• Composition: Determine the composition of the portrait, such as a close-up, headshot, or full-body shot. (e.g., full-body shot)
• Image Parameters: Adjust image parameters to refine the final output, such as aspect ratio, resolution, other parameters like camera lens, aperture, renderer etc. (e.g., 100mm, f 1.2)

Also see how to create realistic photos with Midjourney prompts

Common Used Midjourney Suffix Parameters & Examples

Besides the description of the portrait itself, Midjourney provides a variety of parameters to refine your image generation and achieve the desired results. Here's a breakdown of some commonly used parameters and their syntax:

1. Aspect ratio (--aspect or --ar): change the width-to-height ratio of the generated image. The default is 1:1.
Example: /imagine a portrait of a woman with a captivating smile --ar 3:2

2. Version (-v): Specify the Midjourney model to use, including --v 6, --v 5.2, --v 5.1, --v 4, --style 4a, --test, --testp, --niji and so on. The default is 5.2.
Example: /imagine a close-up portrait of a pensive scientist --v 6

3. Seed (--s): influence the randomness of the image generation process. By providing a specific seed value, you can obtain consistent results when generating multiple variations of the same prompt.
Example: /imagine a watercolor painting of a young woman standing in serene landscape --s 12345

4. Chaos (--chaos or --c): Controls the variation in the initial image grids generated by Midjourney. The value ranges from 0 to 100 (default is 0). Higher chaos means more unusual and unexpected results.
Example: /imagine a portrait of a cyborg with glowing red eyes --c 50

5. Quality (--q): control the level of detail and sharpness in the generated image. Higher values of -q will produce more detailed and refined images, while lower values may result in a more stylized or abstract appearance.
Example: /imagine a portrait of fashion design model, presented in line draft form --q 0.5

6. Prompt weight (::): assign a weight to different parts of your prompt, allowing you to prioritize certain aspects of the image generation. Higher values indicate greater importance.
Example: /imagine a cross-armed::1 portrait with a captivating smile::0.8

You can find more midjourney suffix parameter here

How to Generate Stunning Portraits Using Midjourney Prompts

Now, it's time to put your Midjourney portrait prompt crafting skills to the test and generate mesmerizing portraits. Begin by creating a Discord account and linking it to Midjourney. Next, create a server and invite the Midjourney Bot. You're now ready to embark on your portrait-generating journey within the server!

How to Create Amazing Portraits with Midjourney Portrait Prompts [Text to Portrait]

Step 1. Enter the command "/imagine" in the bottom dialog box and click Enter to confirm.

Step 2. Be sure to enter the portrait prompt in the "prompt" text box, otherwise it will not take effect.

Step 3. Press Enter on the keyboard and waiting. 4 final portraits will be generated after a while.

Step 4. Once you've received four initial images from Midjourney, you can select the most promising one for further refinement through upscaling or making variations. Just click according to your needs.

Step 5. When you’re done, directly right-click on the portrait to save it. If you want to preview and save the big picture directly, you can click the "Web" button to jump directly to the personal homepage of MJ's official website to do that.

How to Generate Impressive Midjourney Portrait from Photo

Did you know images can be powerful tools in crafting stunning AI portraits in Midjourney? By including a reference image URL (ending in .png, .gif, webp, or .jpg) within your Midjourney prompt, you can influence the style, colors, and layout of your final creation. By the way, if the image is stored locally, you can send the image to the Migjourney robot first, and then right-click on the copy link. Generating AI portraits through images in MJ can continue their own inspirations, or combine them with text prompts for even greater control.

All the steps go the same with text Midjourney prompts for portrait except started with image URL in /imagine.

How to Upscale Midjourney Generated AI Portraits with Great Details

If you're satisfied with the overall composition and style of the chosen image but want to enhance its resolution, you can utilize Midjourney's upscaling feature. However, it's important to note that Midjourney have limitations on upscaling magnification. V6 can only upscale images by a maximum factor of 2x, while v5.2 supports a maximum of 4x.

For more flexibility and higher upscaling capabilities, consider using Aiarty Image Enhancer. This advanced upscaling tool can significantly enhance the resolution of your Midjourney creations, reaching up to 32K on Windows systems and 16K on Mac. Aiarty's upscaling process not only increases the pixel count but also preserves and even improves the image's details and clarity.

10+ Midjourney Portrait Prompts Examples for Captivating AI Portraits

1. A hyperrealistic portrait of an astronaut with a weathered face and a determined expression. The reflection of Earth fills their visor, and a single tear::1 rolls down their cheek. --ar 3:2 --style raw

2. A whimsical portrait of a young girl with freckles and bright pink hair styled in pigtails. She has a mischievous grin and is holding a small, fluffy kitten. The background features a blooming flower garden. –ar 3:2

3. A close-up portrait of a wise old woman with piercing blue eyes and kind wrinkles etched around her face. She wears a silver locket with a tiny portrait and has a thoughtful expression. –ar 3:2 --style raw

4.  A portrait of a captivating storyteller with a mischievous twinkle in their eye. They hold a worn book and are about to begin a tale. The background is a cozy fireplace and a bookshelf overflowing with stories.

5. A fantasy portrait of a majestic elf queen with long, flowing silver hair and pointed ears. She wears a crown of thorns and has a serene expression.

6. A mystical forest with a hidden waterfall serves as the backdrop. An elegant woman in a custom-made gown, adorned with an emerald diamond necklace::1, her hair styled in an intricate updo, and a warm, approachable smile. --ar 9:16

7.  Create a lifelike portrayal of a woman standing amidst a vast sunflower field on a bright summer day. A genuine smile spreads across her face, reflecting the warm sunlight and the cheerful spirit of the blooming flowers. --ar 16:9 --stylize 250 --style raw

8. A close-up portrait photograph of a ballerina frozen mid-dance. Her posture embodies grace and precision, with one leg lifted high and her arms reaching outwards in a dynamic pose.

9. A classic oil painting portrait of a Renaissance-era nobleman. He wears a regal velvet coat adorned with gold embroidery and has a serious expression.

10. A backdrop of a grand library filled with leather-bound books completes the scene. A portrait of a non-binary person with shaved sides and a colorful Mohawk. They wear a metallic nose ring and have a confident expression. The background is a vibrant graffiti wall.

11. A black and white portrait of a jazz musician lost in the moment of playing their saxophone. Their eyes are closed, and a look of pure joy is reflected on their face.

12. A photorealistic portrait of a sunny boy in a blue hoodie, skateboarding towards you, offering a can of Coca-Cola with a wide, eight-tooth smile. The background is a graffiti-covered urban street. --ar 9:16 --v 6

13. A professional headshot of a [gender] in their late 40s or early 50s, radiating confidence and authority. They wear a tailored [suit color] suit with a crisp white shirt and a power tie in a sophisticated pattern. Their hair is neatly styled in a [hairstyle] that complements their sharp facial features. A subtle hint of a smile plays on their lips, conveying an air of quiet success. The background is a blurred, high-rise cityscape symbolizing the financial world. --ar 3:2

In Conclusion

The basics for Midjourney portrait creation has now unfolded before you. With the tips of crafting effective Midjourney portrait prompts, exploring various parameters, and potentially utilizing image references, you're well-equipped to transform your artistic vision into stunning portraits.

Given that Midjourney thrives on experimentation, don't be afraid to combine different styles, adjust parameters, and refine your prompts with each iteration. Embrace the unexpected results, as they may spark new creative directions. Happy creating!