How to write a prompt for image generation on Playground AI
A good prompt tells the model exactly what to picture — the subject, the setting, the lighting, and the style. The more specific you are, the less the model has to guess.
Steps
1. Start with the subject — the main thing you want to see, stated plainly first.
2. Add setting and action — where the subject is and what it's doing.
3. Add lighting and mood — golden hour, studio lighting, moody, bright and airy, etc.
4. Add a medium or style — oil painting, 35mm film, 3D render, photorealistic.
5. Generate, then adjust one part of the prompt at a time based on the result.
Vague vs. specific
| Vague | Specific |
|---|---|
| "a nice photo of a city" | aerial photo of Tokyo at dusk, neon reflections on wet streets |
| "a cool dog" | husky in snow, golden hour, shallow depth of field |
| "fantasy art" | oil painting, dragon on a cliff, stormy sky |
Tip
Want to exclude something instead of describing it? See How to use negative prompts on Playground AI.