Prompting 101

To create good images with AI, you will need to understand how to properly craft your prompt. This means you must understand the following concepts:

• The components of a positive prompt
• The usage of negative prompts
• Special operators and image generation steps

Components of a Positive Prompt

Your positive prompt should be a short and concise list of terms that describe the elements you want to see in your image. You should start with the following types of terms:

Positive Prompt Examples

• a painting of an elf, realistic
• a realistic photo of an elf
• an abstract drawing of an elf

Positive Prompt Examples

• a photo of an elf,sitting on the ground,forest background,realistic,detailed
• a photograph of an exhausted elf, siting in a dark forest,hyperrealistic,detailed
• an abstract forest background, an elf,gorgeous face,alluring features,ultradetailed,ultraquality

Components of a Negative Prompt

Because of the wide range of concepts associated with certain terms, you may see elements you don't want in your final image. Negative prompts can be helpful in clarifying what you don't want to see in your final image.

Negative Prompt Example

Elves are both creatures that exist in high-fantasy settings but also as part of Christmas mythology. The AI may therefore combine elements of both into your image. However, you can add Christmas to the negative prompts to get a result like the following image

Positive an elf, in a cottage

Negative Christmas

Negative Prompt Tips

When it comes to using negative prompts, you should keep a few things in mind

1. Keep the negative prompt list short.
2. Always start an image with no more than three negative prompts and only add to the list as needed.
3. Avoid conflicts between your positive and negative prompts.
4. Be as broad as possible with your negative prompts.

Keyword Conflict

1. Two or more keywords that produce image elements that contradict each other.
2. Without proper weighting and balance the contradicting terms will distrort the image, and produce unwanted results.
3. It is adviced, when creating a new prompt to take the time and add each keyword at a time to check for problem terms.

Keyword conflict example

Special Syntax

Special syntax refer to certain structures and punctuation in your prompts that the AI interprets in a specific way. The most basic special operator is a comma ,, telling the AI where one part of your prompt ends and the next part begins. However, there are a variety of other special operators you can use to add nuance to your prompts and return a better image.

Avoid using more than 3 layers of brackets or parentheses as this may create unexpected results. Additionally, weights may behave differently when used in negative prmopts compared to positive prompts. Test different weights to experiment with the result.

Keyword Weight Prompt Examples

Lets start with the basic prompt,

a woman, garden background

Now let's tone down the weight of a woman.

[a woman], garden background

• Notice how the garden background is now more apperent in the image.*

Now let's tone down the weight of garden background

a woman, [garden background]

Notice the woman being more in focus than the garden.

Additional Syntax

While the usage of parentheses and brackets is universal, some models support additional syntax. You can experiment with the following syntax:

• (term:X.X), where X.X is a decimal number: This multiplies the weight of your term by the value of X.X. A value less than one decreases the weight and a value greater than one increases the weight. It is recommended to keep X.X between 0.5 and 1.5

Prompt Blending

Prompt blending takes two or more concepts and merges them together in the final image. For example, you could use prompt blending syntax with apple and fire to create an apple that appears to be on fire.

[term1:term2:X.X]

• Combines term1 and term2 with blending control via X.X.
• When X.X ranges from 0.2 to 0.5, term2 is favored.
• For values between 0.5 and 0.9, term1 is favored.

[keyword1:keyword2:0.3]

• Emphasizes keyword2 more.

[keyword1:keyword2:0.7]

• Emphasizes keyword1 more.

[term1|term2|term3]

• Blends three terms equally.

{term1|term2|term3}

• Requires the terms to appear/happen together.

{term1:term2}

• Blends the terms with equal weight.

(credit Meaca_g)

Steps and Weights

To understand the technical application of the syntax above, it's important to understand the basics of how the image is generated. At its core, the Stable Diffusion engine works on a series of steps. After each step, the image becomes more refined with diminishing returns as the number of steps increases. Sexy.ai generates images with 20 steps, meaning that your image is generated after 20 iterations.

Practically speaking, the special syntax modifies how terms are applied during the step process.

• A [term] will only be active for 0.9 of the frames, or 18 frames
• A (term) will be more active in all frames.
• A (term)[term2] will be averaged out.
• [term1|term2] will alternate every other step.
• [term:term2:X.X] will swap from term to term2 after the proportion given. For example, term1:term2:0.4 would swap from term1 to term2 after the 8th step (0.4 x 20 = 8)

Multiple Subject

Multiple subjects can be created by the following keywords and prompt phrases

Subject Combinations

Image Composition Tips

• The success of the image will depend on the type of shot, the engine, and ultimately the term usage.
• If you have an extreme close shot or close shot and are not getting two subjects, consider pulling back and trying a more open shot, such as long shot, wide shot, or far shot.
• Try not to be overly specific when requesting two people or more. More people means more pixel division.

Point of View/Perspective Shot

• POV/Perspective shots use a fisheye style lense to create a realistic voyueristic effect.
• POV shots will take the term two people/men/women etc as the viewer and the subject and may keep a third person from being added.

POV Basic Prompt Structure

Simple

• pov,[angle of view],view of [subject statement],[major/minor details], [setting],[lighting],[quality]

Advanced

• [gender][camera distance]pov,[angle of view],view of [subject statement],[major/minor details], [setting],[lighting],[quality]

Prompt Example

pov,from overhead,view of a woman laying on a bed,hotel lobby background, soft light, soft shadows, ultraquality >

Perspective Shots