Midjourney Style Guide: 20 Visual Styles With Example Prompts

Why Style Keywords Are So Powerful

If there is one thing that separates Midjourney beginners from experienced users, it is deliberate style selection. Without style keywords, Midjourney picks its own interpretation of your subject. With the right style keywords, you get images that fit a specific, intentional aesthetic.

This guide covers 20 distinct visual styles with example prompts you can test and modify. Each style is described, paired with the key vocabulary that activates it, and illustrated with a ready-to-use prompt.

Photography Styles

1. Professional Product Photography

Clean, controlled, e-commerce ready images with perfect lighting and neutral backgrounds.

Key terms: product photography, white background, studio lighting, sharp focus, commercial photography

Example prompt:

ceramic coffee mug with minimalist black geometric pattern, product photography, pure white background, soft even studio lighting, sharp focus, e-commerce ready, professional commercial photography --ar 1:1 --v 6.1 --style raw

2. Editorial / Magazine Photography

Dynamic, story-driven images with the look of high-end magazine features.

Key terms: editorial photography, magazine shoot, fashion editorial, dynamic composition

Example prompt:

woman in tailored charcoal blazer, standing on rain-slicked city street at night, editorial photography, fashion magazine, dramatic lighting, confident expression, bokeh background of city lights --ar 4:5 --v 6.1

3. Documentary / Street Photography

Raw, authentic, candid moments captured in real-world settings.

Key terms: street photography, documentary style, candid, Leica, natural light, gritty

Example prompt:

busy morning market in Southeast Asia, vendors and shoppers, documentary street photography, natural light, candid moment, real and authentic, Leica camera aesthetic, film grain --ar 3:2 --v 6.1

4. Architectural Photography

Buildings and spaces captured with precision, emphasizing geometry and design.

Key terms: architectural photography, symmetrical, geometric, wide angle, blue sky, Ezra Stoller style

Example prompt:

interior of a modern library, soaring concrete arches, natural light from skylights, architectural photography, symmetrical composition, warm afternoon light, dramatic shadows, Tadao Ando inspired --ar 16:9 --v 6.1

5. Cinematic Film Still

Images that look like frames extracted from a high-budget movie.

Key terms: cinematic still, film still, movie scene, 35mm film, anamorphic lens, cinematic color grading

Example prompt:

lone detective in a 1940s raincoat walking down a foggy alley at night, cinematic film still, film noir, 35mm film grain, dramatic shadows, chiaroscuro lighting, movie scene --ar 16:9 --v 6.1

Illustration Styles

6. Flat Design Illustration

Clean, modern digital illustrations with minimal shading and geometric shapes.

Key terms: flat design, flat illustration, minimal, vector art, geometric, clean lines

Example prompt:

illustration of a home office setup with plants and desk lamp, flat design, minimal, pastel color palette, vector art style, geometric shapes, clean composition, modern illustration --ar 4:3 --v 6.1

7. Watercolor Illustration

Soft, translucent, flowing colors with the texture of watercolor paper.

Key terms: watercolor painting, watercolor illustration, soft edges, painted texture, loose brushwork

Example prompt:

a hummingbird hovering near a hibiscus flower, watercolor illustration, soft translucent colors, wet-on-wet technique, visible brushwork, botanical art style, white background --ar 1:1 --v 6.1

8. Line Art / Pen and Ink

Precise drawings using only black ink lines, from simple to intricately detailed.

Key terms: pen and ink drawing, line art, black and white, crosshatching, detailed illustration

Example prompt:

intricate map of an imaginary medieval city, pen and ink drawing, detailed crosshatching, fantasy cartography, ornate border decorations, black on aged parchment --ar 1:1 --v 6.1

9. Isometric Illustration

Three-dimensional scenes rendered in isometric perspective — popular for tech and business visuals.

Key terms: isometric illustration, isometric view, 3D isometric, game icon style

Example prompt:

cozy isometric coffee shop scene, isometric illustration, warm colors, tiny detailed characters, steam from coffee cups, plants on windowsill, pixel art inspired --ar 1:1 --v 6.1

10. Children's Book Illustration

Warm, friendly, colorful illustrations in the style of picture books.

Key terms: children's book illustration, picture book style, friendly characters, warm colors, storybook art

Example prompt:

a friendly dragon reading a book under a tree in an enchanted forest, children's book illustration, warm colors, soft shapes, friendly and approachable, detailed background, storybook style --ar 4:3 --v 6.1

Fine Art Styles

11. Oil Painting

The texture and depth of traditional oil on canvas — from old masters to modern.

Key terms: oil painting, oil on canvas, impasto technique, painterly, rich colors

Example prompt:

still life of fruit and flowers in a Renaissance vase, oil painting on canvas, old master technique, rich jewel tones, dramatic chiaroscuro lighting, highly detailed, museum quality --ar 4:3 --v 6.1

12. Impressionism

Loose, expressive brushwork capturing light and atmosphere rather than precise detail.

Key terms: impressionist painting, loose brushwork, painterly, Monet style, dappled light, en plein air

Example prompt:

a garden in bloom on a summer afternoon, impressionist painting style, loose expressive brushwork, dappled sunlight, vibrant greens and purples, en plein air painting, Post-Impressionist --ar 4:3 --v 6.1

13. Art Deco

Geometric elegance with gold and black palettes — synonymous with 1920s luxury.

Key terms: art deco, 1920s design, geometric patterns, gold and black, elegant, ornate borders

Example prompt:

art deco travel poster for Paris, geometric sunburst pattern, gold and midnight blue palette, bold typography space at bottom, ornate border, 1930s travel poster aesthetic --ar 2:3 --v 6.1

Digital and 3D Styles

14. 3D Render / CGI

Photo-realistic or stylized three-dimensional computer-generated imagery.

Key terms: 3D render, CGI, Blender 3D, Octane render, raytracing, subsurface scattering

Example prompt:

3D rendered abstract sculpture of intertwined metallic ribbons, polished chrome material, studio lighting, white background, CGI, Octane render, hyperrealistic materials, raytracing --ar 1:1 --v 6.1

15. Pixel Art

Deliberately pixelated images in the style of retro video games.

Key terms: pixel art, retro game sprite, 8-bit, 16-bit, game pixel art

Example prompt:

pixel art scene of a knight walking through a forest, 16-bit style, detailed pixel art, retro RPG game aesthetic, lush pixel forest background, warm sunset colors --ar 16:9 --v 6.1

Genre and Mood Styles

16. Cyberpunk

Neon-lit, rain-soaked futures blending high technology and urban decay.

Key terms: cyberpunk, neon lights, rain-soaked streets, dystopian, holographic displays

Example prompt:

cyberpunk street market at night in a megacity, neon signs in multiple languages, rain-soaked reflective streets, crowds of people with cybernetic implants, fog machine effects, atmospheric, cinematic --ar 16:9 --v 6.1

17. Solarpunk

Optimistic, nature-integrated futures with solar power and lush greenery.

Key terms: solarpunk, sustainable future, nature integrated with technology, hopeful, green and bright

Example prompt:

solarpunk city neighborhood with solar panels on curved buildings overgrown with vines and gardens, bright optimistic atmosphere, diverse community gathering in a green plaza, warm afternoon light --ar 16:9 --v 6.1

18. Dark Fantasy / Gothic

Moody, atmospheric imagery drawing from dark fairy tales and gothic architecture.

Key terms: dark fantasy, gothic, moody atmosphere, dramatic lighting, atmospheric fog

Example prompt:

ancient gothic cathedral at twilight, gargoyles on parapets, stormy sky, dramatic atmospheric lighting, dark fantasy, fog at the base, moonlight breaking through clouds, cinematic --ar 9:16 --v 6.1

19. Cottagecore

Cozy, pastoral, nature-centered aesthetic — think wildflower fields and rustic kitchens.

Key terms: cottagecore, cozy, pastoral, rustic, wildflowers, soft warm light

Example prompt:

cozy rustic kitchen with herbs drying from wooden beams, freshly baked bread on a farmhouse table, wildflowers in a mason jar, cottagecore aesthetic, warm golden light through linen curtains, inviting --ar 4:3 --v 6.1

20. Vaporwave / Synthwave

Retro-futuristic 80s nostalgia with purple and pink gradients, chrome, and grid lines.

Key terms: vaporwave, synthwave, retro-futuristic, 80s aesthetic, neon purple and pink, chrome, retrowave

Example prompt:

retrowave sunset landscape with purple mountains, glowing grid plane, chrome sports car in foreground, vaporwave aesthetic, pink and purple gradient sky, palm trees silhouetted, synthwave art --ar 16:9 --v 6.1

Quick Style Reference

Mix and match styles with your subjects to discover unexpected and striking combinations. Some of the best Midjourney images come from deliberate style mismatches — a cottagecore robot, a cyberpunk watercolor, an isometric ancient temple.