15 Best Midjourney Portrait Prompts

Today’s emergent technologies are bringing more than we can already imagine with AI like Midjourney to create stunning images simply from writing a piece of text that is called a prompt.

Midjourney was developed by the independent research lab Midjourney, Inc. in San Francisco, is an AI program and service that uses natural language descriptions, called “prompts,” to generate images. It operates similarly to OpenAI’s DALL-E 2 that also brings great results, and Stable Diffusion that brings similar creative outputs to Midjourney.

So, if you’re ready to learn something new and get straight to the point let’s just jump into some of the best Midjourney prompts for portraits to kickstart your creative endeavours!

Best Midjourney prompts for portraits – Paintings

1. The Renaissance Noblewoman

Invoke the atmosphere of the Renaissance by painting a noblewoman in exquisite detail, reminiscent of Leonardo da Vinci’s style.

A noblewoman’s portrait inspired by the works of Renaissance painter, Leonardo da Vinci, with soft chiaroscuro lighting and detailed fabric textures

2. Frida’s Self-Reflection

Depict a self-portrait in the style of Frida Kahlo with rich Mexican tradition and surreal elements.

Frida Kahlo style self-portrait of a woman in traditional Mexican attire, holding a small monkey, amidst a lush tropical background

3. Victorian Family Chronicle

Immerse in the Victorian era with a detailed family portrait, taking inspiration from John Singer Sargent’s works.

A group portrait of a Victorian family in the style of John Singer Sargent, with rich fabrics, fine furniture, and a domestic interior setting

4. Monet’s Sunlit Impression

Capture a young girl in a garden through the eyes of Claude Monet, focusing on his signature impressionistic style.

Impressionist painting in the style of Claude Monet, a portrait of a young girl with a parasol standing in a sunlit garden

5. Klimt’s Golden Lady

Reimagine Gustav Klimt’s “The Kiss” with a portrait of a woman shimmering in gold and intricate patterns.

Austrian Symbolism inspired portrait of a woman, influenced by Gustav Klimt’s ‘The Kiss’, shimmering with gold leaf detail and intricate patterns

Best Midjourney prompts for portraits – Photography

1. Salgado’s Silver Age

Compose a black and white portrait of an old fisherman inspired by the stark contrasts and intense details of Sebastião Salgado’s works.

Black and white portrait of a grizzled old fisherman, inspired by the works of Sebastião Salgado, with intense contrast and fine detail

2. The Candid New Yorker

Recreate the spontaneity of Vivian Maier’s street photography with a portrait of a stylishly dressed woman in mid-century New York.

Candid street portrait inspired by Vivian Maier, featuring a stylishly dressed woman in mid-century New York

3. Lois Greenfield’s Dancing Shadows

Capture the drama of a ballerina in mid-performance, channelling the high motion and dramatic lighting of Lois Greenfield’s work.

Close-up portrait of a ballerina in mid-performance, shot in the style of Lois Greenfield, with high motion and dramatic lighting

4. Annie Leibovitz’s Warm Embrace

Recreate the intimacy and warmth of an Annie Leibovitz portrait, focusing on a loving couple in a sunlit forest.

An intimate portrait of a couple in love, shot in a sunlit forest, reminiscent of the warm and atmospheric style of Annie Leibovitz

5. The Aftermath by Neil Leifer

Convey the strength and intensity of a post-fight boxer, mirroring the high-contrast monochromatic style of Neil Leifer’s sports photography.

High contrast monochromatic portrait of a boxer after a fight, inspired by the sports photography of Neil Leifer

Best Midjourney prompts for portraits – Digital Art

1. Cyborg Metropolis by Josan Gonzalez

Craft a digital illustration of a cyborg woman in a futuristic cityscape, drawing inspiration from Josan Gonzalez’s crisp and polished digital art style.

Portrait of a cyborg woman in a futuristic cityscape, rendered in the crisp and polished style of digital artist Josan Gonzalez

2. Miyazaki’s Magical Forest

Create an anime-style portrait of a young warrior in a magical forest, using the storytelling and fantasy elements present in Hayao Miyazaki’s work.

Anime-style portrait of a young warrior in a magical forest, inspired by the work of Hayao Miyazaki

3. Cyberpunk Glare

Capture the essence of the cyberpunk genre with a portrait of a figure standing against a neon city backdrop, paying homage to the distinctive style of Syd Mead.

Digital portrait of a figure in a neon-lit cityscape, embodying the cyberpunk aesthetics of Syd Mead

4. The Colors of Loish

Create a digital portrait of a vibrant character, utilizing the colorful and whimsical art style of digital artist Loish.

Digital portrait of a vibrant character, rendered in the colorful and whimsical style of digital artist Loish

5. Legacy of Moebius

Design a digital portrait of a cosmic adventurer in a surreal landscape, inspired by the intricate linework and fantastical imagery of Moebius.

Digital portrait of a cosmic adventurer in a surreal landscape, echoing the intricate linework and fantastical imagery of Moebius

How I Create the Best Midjourney Prompts for Portraits?

It’s very important to acknowledge that portraits are all about fine details. But in order to get the best Midjourney prompts for really good portraits you have to always start simple and focus on the basics. Let’s see how this process evolves.

Portrait of a woman dressed in blue

Moving forward, the most valuable advice is to consistently broaden the scope of your initial prompt. Let’s consider retaining the original concept while incorporating an additional element.

Portrait of a woman dressed in blue sitting in a golden garden

Furthermore, you can introduce elements such as style variations, color tones, diverse light setups, and various other parameters to enhance your ability to achieve desired outcomes.

Portrait of a woman dressed in blue, sitting in a futuristic sovietic city, with retro vibes, and robots

Ultimately, the crucial factor lies in your continuous exploration of novel concepts. Here’s a breakdown into three categories: subject, parameter 1, parameter 2. If you want to make it more complex, you can add even more parameters. Let’s see a short example of this.

So for example, if we combine points 2,3 and 3 we will get this prompt:

A detective flying in a medieval village

This approach will provide you with a solid foundation for exploring the possibilities of prompts and unleashing your creativity, enabling you to achieve the precise results you envision. The beauty of Midjourney prompts for portraits lies in their ability to begin with simplicity and gradually evolve into something truly magnificent. Also, feel free to check out our article on the best Midjourney prompts to inspire you in other creative endeavours!

Undoubtedly, Midjourney has established itself as a valuable tool, and its significance will continue to endure. So, don’t hesitate to embrace and nurture your imagination. Let’s kick-start a vibrant discussion in the comments section below!