So Midjourney has finally released a set of features with v5.2 that at least resemble a form of Outpainting.

But with all of these different names, including Midjourney Zoom Out, Custom Zoom, and Make Square, it’s sometimes hard to keep track of what each one of these features does.

In this guide, I’ll show you in simple terms, what each one of these new features does and how you can use them to your benefit.

Let’s dive right in.

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Complete Midjourney Zoom Guide (with Examples)
Here’s the answer. Great article by @ChrisHeidorn right here: https://tokenizedhq.com/midjourney-zoom/

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What Does Midjourney Zoom Do?

One of the greatest regrets of many Midjourney fans is the fact that for a very long time, it hasn’t had a real Outpainting feature.

It’s particularly surprising because many of its direct competitors have offered such tools for a very long time.

Midjourney’s new set of “Zoom” features is a first step towards making up for that oversight.

While isn’t exactly the same thing as a real implementation of Midjourney Outpainting, it provides similar benefits.

Imagine you prompted the perfect image but the camera is too close to your subject.

You’d also like to capture more of the surrounding area.

With Midjourney Zoom, you’re able to do just that.

It allows you to “zoom out” of the current composition, just like you would with a real camera lens.

The effect is very similar to using a wider camera lens.

You’ll be able to capture more of the environment around your subject while still maintaining the core part of your original image.

So how do you use this new feature?

How to Use Midjourney Zoom

As with all things, Midjourney has put a lot of thought into how to best implement these features within the limited UI of Discord.

It’s done a great job of creating some easier-to-use preset features as well as providing more advanced users with more control.

There are 3 ways you can use Midjourney Zoom:

• “Zoom Out 2x” Preset
• “Zoom Out 1.5x” Preset
• Custom Zoom via --zoom

Let me explain each one of these in detail.

Using the “Zoom Out” Presets

Let’s start off with the easiest way to use the new Midjourney Zoom feature.

You begin by generating some images in Midjourney.

Once you’ve settled on a particular image from any of your 4-image grids, you upscale that image.

You’ll notice a new set of buttons below it.

2 of these buttons are named “Zoom Out 2x” and “Zoom Out 1.5x” and, guess what, they do exactly what the name says.

Pressing any of these two buttons will take your image and widen the field of view of the image by that factor.

What you’ll get is an effect that’s similar to zooming out or using a wider camera lens.

I should point out that this DOES NOT increase the size of your image though.

It simply fits more content into the same space.

If you’d like a more detailed guide on this specific feature, head over to my Midjourney Zoom Out article which shows you everything step-by-step.

Using the –zoom Parameter

For the more advanced folks out there, Midjourney has also provided a custom zoom feature.

This allows you to specify a specific --zoom level with decimal values ranging from 1 to 2.

Unlike a normal prompt, you don’t apply these to a regular /imagine command since you haven’t picked a specific upscaled image yet.

Instead, you click on the “Custom Zoom” button which will allow you to adjust your prompt manually.

So, for example, let’s assume your original prompt for the upscaled image looked like this:

/imagine red house in the mountains

After clicking on “Custom Zoom” you’d adjust the prompt like this.

/imagine red house in the mountains --zoom 1.8

This would zoom out just like any of the regular Midjourney Zoom buttons, except that it’s a custom value.

But there’s another thing you can change as well.

Custom zoom will also let you specify an entirely different aspect ratio.

/imagine red house in the mountains --zoom 1.8 --ar 16:9

This will not only zoom out the image but also change the aspect ratio (in this case from a square to 16:9).

This is pretty huge because it really does allow you to mimic many of the capabilities that you’d normally get from Outpainting.

It just doesn’t “feel” as much like “painting” anymore.

Remember, this also doesn’t increase the max resolution of the image.

What Does “Make Square” Do?

You probably also noticed another new button below your upscaled images.

The “Make Square” button does literally just that.

It turns an image that was previously a rectangle into a square.

But it doesn’t just stretch it, instead, it fills out the area around the existing image to create a square image.

So, in some respects, this is a lot more similar to Outpainting, except that it’s limited to a square frame.

While Midjourney Zoom will widen the field of view and also distort the camera angle to some extent, “Make Square” just adds content around the edges.

You might think that these features are a bit redundant but they are far from it.

Each one serves its own purpose and can be useful in different circumstances.

But yes, this one also DOES NOT increase the resolution of the image, it just adds more information onto the same canvas.

For a more detailed look at this particular feature, check out my dedicated article on Midjourney Make Square.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Before we close off this guide, let’s quickly address some of the most common questions related to the Midjourney Zoom feature.

Conclusion

Midjourney fans have been waiting for an outpainting feature for such a long time, so it’s great to see them finally making a first step toward fulfilling that need.

And while it obviously doesn’t have the same look and feel as other outpainting solutions on the market, I’m quite certain this is primarily a limitation of their Discord-based UI.

It’ll be exciting to see how these features evolve, especially once the new Web UI is released.

Here at Tokenized, we want to help you learn as much as possible about the AI software industry. We help you navigate the world of tech and the digitalization of our society at large, including the tokenization of assets and services.

Outpainting has been one of the most requested features for Midjourney for a very long time now.

And while this latest feature drop isn’t exactly the same thing, it’s still a huge step forward and guaranteed to get users excited.

In this guide, I’ll show you exactly how to use the new Midjourney Zoom Out feature.

Let’s dive right in.

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Explained: Midjourney Zoom Out (with Examples)
Here’s the answer. Great article by @ChrisHeidorn right here: https://tokenizedhq.com/midjourney-zoom-out/

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How to Use Midjourney Zoom Out

With the latest release of the Midjourney Zoom Out feature, Midjourney is slowly taking steps towards what is widely referred to as Outpainting.

While the implementation is still very rudimentary, this is largely due to the fact that the possibilities within Discord are very limited.

So let me quickly explain how this new feature works.

Midjourney Zoom Out comes in 3 different flavors:

• Zoom Out 2x
• Zoom Out 1.5x
• Custom Midjourney Zoom

As you might imagine, “Zoom Out 2x” will literally zoom out by 2x, and “Zoom Out 1.5x” will do so by 1.5x.

Here’s the basic workflow:

• Step 1: You enter your initial prompt to get a 4-image grid.
• Step 2: Pick one of the 4 images and upscale it.
• Step 3: This will display a “Zoom Out 2x” and a “Zoom Out 1.5x” button below the image. Pick one and click it.
• Step 4: Midjourney will take your existing upscale and enlarge the context of the image, essentially “zooming out”.

It’s important to note that this will not increase the resolution of the image.

So, Midjourney Zoom Out isn’t exactly like Outpainting in the strictest sense.

It just allows you to take a shot that you really like and basically widen the camera angle.

How to Use Custom Zoom

For the tech-savvy users among you, Midjourney has included an advanced zoom function.

It gives you the ability to determine a specific --zoom level, accepting decimal values between 1 and 2.

This doesn’t get applied to your standard /imagine command as you haven’t selected a particular upscaled image at this point.

Rather, you’d select the “Custom Zoom” button which enables you to tailor your prompt manually.

To illustrate, suppose your initial prompt for the upscaled image read as follows:

/imagine red house in the mountains

Upon clicking “Custom Zoom”, you would modify the prompt in this way:

/imagine red house in the mountains --zoom 1.8

This action mimics the effect of the standard Midjourney Zoom buttons, except you’re using a custom value.

And there’s more you can alter too.

The custom zoom also permits you to set a completely distinct aspect ratio.

/imagine red house in the mountains --zoom 1.8 --ar 16:9

This action doesn’t just zoom out the image but modifies the aspect ratio as well (switching from a square to 16:9 in this case).

This is significant, as it essentially gives you the ability to emulate numerous features typically associated with Outpainting.

It might not “feel” quite as much like “painting” anymore.

Bear in mind, however, this doesn’t elevate the maximum resolution of the image.

Zoom Out vs. Make Square

Midjourney also released another new feature that falls into the same category.

The feature is called “Make Square” and while it’s a lot more similar to Outpainting than Zoom Out is, it’s still not the same thing.

I suspect they specifically wanted a name that’s different from Adobe’s new Generative Fill feature.

So, for example, it still doesn’t increase the resolution of the image.

It just takes a different approach to “widening the view”.

While Midjourney Zoom Out will increase the distance or widen the camera angle, Make Square simply fills in a gap.

For more details on how Make Square works, check out my dedicated article on the Midjourney Make Square feature.

More Examples of Midjourney Zoom Out

Here are some more examples of how the Midjourney Zoom Out feature works in action.

Example 1: Zoom Out

Example 2: Zoom Out

Example 3: Custom Zoom + Ratio Change

Example 4: Custom Ratio + Ratio Change

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Before we close off this guide, let’s quickly address some of the most common questions related to the Midjourney Zoom Out feature.

Conclusion

Midjourney fans have been waiting for Outpainting features for a very long time.

And while these new features still aren’t the same thing as a full-fledged Outpainting implementation, they’re at least a start.

Midjourney Zoom Out extends the feature set to a point where you can finally take an existing image and add more information to it.

Here at Tokenized, we want to help you learn as much as possible about the AI software industry. We help you navigate the world of tech and the digitalization of our society at large, including the tokenization of assets and services.

Midjourney‘s Outpainting feature has been at the top of the users’ wishlist for quite some time.

Even though the recent feature roll-out isn’t exactly what was expected, it still marks a significant advancement that is bound to thrill the users.

In the following guide, I will walk you through how to leverage the newly introduced Midjourney Make Square feature.

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Explained: Midjourney Make Square (with Examples)
Here’s the answer. Great article by @ChrisHeidorn right here: https://tokenizedhq.com/midjourney-make-square/

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How to Use Midjourney Make Square

In the recent update, Midjourney introduced the “Make Square” feature, marking a milestone on its journey toward Outpainting.

Midjourney Make Square is like a simpler version of Outpainting, a prompting method that was most recently introduced by Adobe under the name of Generative Fill.

Even though it’s not exactly the same as the “Zoom Out” feature, it has its own charm and can be incredibly useful in its own right.

So, what’s the easiest way to use this feature?

Let’s break it down into a few simple steps.

Keep in mind that this feature only works with pictures that aren’t square.

Here’s how you can use Midjourney Make Square:

• Step 1: Start by generating a non-square image using the aspect ratio parameter. This will generate a grid of four images.
• Step 2: From these four, pick one that catches your eye and upscale it.
• Step 3: Once it’s been upscaled, you’ll see a “Make Square” button pop up below it. Go ahead and click this button.
• Step 4: Now, sit back and watch as Midjourney adds more content around your chosen image, creating a new, square-shaped image.

Keep in mind that this doesn’t increase the size of the image, it only increases the amount of information displayed on the same canvas size.

While the Make Square feature isn’t exactly like Outpainting, it does something similar.

It does this not by zooming out, but by “un-cropping” – or adding more around the edges of – your chosen image.

This approach is similar to Outpainting techniques used in other tools but has been specifically designed to work with Discord’s limited user interface.

So in the end, you get a wider, fuller picture that gives you a whole new perspective on your original image.

Make Square vs. Zoom Out

Midjourney’s recent release also includes another noteworthy feature, known as Midjourney Zoom.

This feature is a little less like Outpainting compared to Make Square.

Like Make Square, Midjourney Zoom Out also doesn’t enhance the image’s resolution.

However, it employs a different strategy to “expand the scene”.

While Make Square un-crops the image, effectively “revealing” more of the image around its edges, Zoom Out takes a distinct approach.

Instead of filling in gaps, Zooom Out widens the field of view, similar to backing away or using a wide-angle lens.

For a more in-depth understanding of how Zoom Out operates, do refer to my comprehensive guide on the Midjourney Zoom Out feature.

More Examples of Midjourney Make Square

Here are some more examples of how the Midjourney Make Square feature works in action.

Example 1:

Example 2:

Example 3:

Example 4:

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Before we close off this guide, let’s quickly address some of the most common questions related to the Midjourney Make Square feature.

Conclusion

Users of Midjourney have been eagerly waiting for features similar to Outpainting.

While the new “Make Square” feature isn’t exactly the same as full Outpainting, it’s a great start.

With Midjourney Make Square, you can take a picture that isn’t square and add more to it, making the whole Midjourney experience even better.

Here at Tokenized, we want to help you learn as much as possible about the AI software industry. We help you navigate the world of tech and the digitalization of our society at large, including the tokenization of assets and services.

What’s great about Midjourney is that there are so many different ways you can create new images.

And one of the most popular ways to do this is a process that is frequently referred to as image-to-image generation or simply Midjourney Img2Img for short.

In this guide, I’ll show you exactly how to do this and also point out some of its limitations.

Let’s dive right in.

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Learn Midjourney Img2Img in Under 5 Minutes
Here’s the answer. Great article by @ChrisHeidorn right here: https://tokenizedhq.com/midjourney-img2img/

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How to Use Midjourney Img2Img

A lot of people think that prompting in Midjourney requires a lot of imagination and most of all, lots of good vocabulary.

But that couldn’t be further from the truth.

In fact, one of the most accessible ways to prompt in Midjourney is via so-called Image Prompts.

Image prompts allow you to take an external image and use it as an input variable in Midjourney.

Let me quickly explain.

Here’s what a regular text prompt might look like in Midjourney:

/imagine oil painting by von gogh, man standing on a hill, looking upon the golden gate bridge

A while this above concept is pretty easy to grasp, some ideas are difficult to put into words, let alone a good prompt.

So, rather than using words to describe a scene, you can use an external image in a Midjourney image-to-image prompt instead.

/imagine <IMAGE URL> oil painting by van gogh

In this example, we’re providing the main idea of our image in the form of an existing image.

The additional text prompt "oil painting by van Gogh" is only meant to tell Midjourney that we’d like it to be created in that particular style.

And this not only works with real photos, but it also works with doodles or children’s drawings as well.

/imagine <IMAGE URL> watercolor painting by Paul Klee

In this example, we’ve taken the simple scribble of a dinosaur and turned it into something beautiful.

But you might be wondering, how on earth do you get the link to an image?

And can you do the same thing with one of your own images, that isn’t on the internet?

If you’re wondering whether you can do this with an image of yourself, then the answer is yes and no.

Check out my dedicated article on creating Midjourney self-portraits to learn more.

How to Get Image Links

The easiest way to get an image link on the internet is to just right-click the image and then select “Copy Image Link” or “Copy Image URL”.

Depending on the browser you use, these names might be slightly different.

But how do you do this with your very own images?

All you need to do is upload the image into Discord.

Once the image has been uploaded and it shows up in your chat history, click on the image to enlarge it.

Then right-click on the image and simply select “Copy Image Link”.

This will copy the full URL to your clipboard and you can then use it in any Midjourney Img2Img prompt.

If you’d like to read a more detailed guide on this, check out this dedicated guide on uploading images to Midjourney.

Controlling with Image Weight

In some cases, you might want to emphasize the text part of your prompt more than the image.

Or, you might want the image to be more important than the text prompt.

You can control the importance of the image within your Midjourney Img2Img prompt by using a parameter called “Image Weight”.

The Image Weight parameter is sometimes referred to as --iw and it allows you to increase or reduce the impact of the image.

Here are 2 examples of how you would use it on our first image:

/imagine <IMAGE URL> oil painting by van gogh --iw 0.5
/imagine <IMAGE URL> oil painting by van gogh --iw 2

In the first prompt, the image prompt will only be half as important as the text prompt.

In the second prompt, the image prompt is twice as important as the text prompt.

As you can see, the difference is quite significant.

For more detailed information on how to use this feature, check out my in-depth article on the Midjourney image weight parameter.

You’ll notice that many other resources on the web are actually pretty outdated on this topic.

More Midjourney Image-to-Image Techniques

Regular Midjourney Img2Img prompts are already a lot of fun and open up so many possibilities.

But did you know that you can also use more than just 1 image in such a prompt?

In fact, technically, you can add as many image links to your prompt as you like to your Midjourney img2img prompt.

Midjourney will analyze the concept of each of the image references and try to blend them together into something new.

So your prompt might look like this:

/imagine <LINK1> <LINK2> <LINK3> in the style of vincent van gogh

The beauty of this process is that you don’t even need a text prompt anymore.

If you want, you can simply blend together 2 or more concepts by prompting like this:

/imagine <LINK1> <LINK2>

This will take both images and try to blend them into something new that used elements of both.

What’s even better is that this doesn’t even require you to upload images to Discord anymore, if you don’t want to.

By using the Midjourney blend command for your image-to-image prompt, you can blend up to 5 different images by simply selecting them from your hard drive.

/blend <IMG1> <IMG2>

This special command makes Midjourney Img2Img prompts considerably easier for those with less technical experience.

It takes care of uploading the images and automatically extracts their image links.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Before we close off this guide, let’s quickly address some of the most common questions related to the Midjourney Img2Img feature.

Conclusion

Using Midjourney’s img2img feature might feel a bit tricky at first, considering all the cool things you can do with it.

But these very options make Midjourney an amazing tool for transforming images, turning everything from simple sketches to full-fledged works of art in the style of Van Gogh.

Like any new thing, you get better at it by trying and testing.

So go ahead, dive in, and let your creative juices flow with Midjourney img2img.

The tips I’ve given here are just a starting point. Use your imagination and have fun with it!

Here at Tokenized, we want to help you learn as much as possible about the AI software industry. We help you navigate the world of tech and the digitalization of our society at large, including the tokenization of assets and services.

Of all of the errors that Midjourney will sometimes throw at you, this is by far the most mysterious one.

Not only does it seem to happen quite randomly, but it also doesn’t really give you any real indication as to what might be wrong.

In this guide, I’ll share some of the reasons that can lead to this error and what you can do it fix it.

Let’s dive right in.

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[SOLVED] “Failed to process your command :c” in Midjourney
Here’s the answer. Great article by @ChrisHeidorn right here: https://tokenizedhq.com/midjourney-failed-to-process-your-command-c/

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What This Error Means in Midjourney

First of all, let me point out that there are a number of websites out there that specialize in providing half-baked solutions to technical problems.

They find out what sort of errors people run into with various types of software and then they write an article providing extremely generic fixes.

Most of the time, they’re just regurgitating the exact same checklists that have nothing to do with an actual solution because they don’t really use the software themselves.

So rather take it from me, as someone who actually uses Midjourney and sees the “Failed to process your command :c” all the time.

Whenever you encounter this error, it means that there’s been some sort of server error or issues.

And by that, I don’t mean that Midjourney was taken offline or anything like that.

No, I mean that Midjourney’s internal API or whatever actually processes your command and feeds it into their diffusion model has run into some sort of a problem.

From my personal experience, there are 3 common situations when you’ll encounter the “Failed to process your command :c” error:

1. When there’s an actual technical problem that’s affecting everyone and it needs to be addressed by the dev team.
2. When it’s only affecting your account but it just won’t go away, even after waiting.
3. When you’re using Permutation prompts in Midjourney and your batch contains A LOT of jobs.

In the first 2 cases, this error is a real problem because you can’t really do anything in Midjourney anymore.

In the 3rd case on that list, you’re getting the error message, but most of the time it doesn’t actually impact your jobs.

Almost every time I’ve received the “Failed to process your command :c” error after using permutations, all of my jobs processed just fine.

I don’t know why I still saw the error, but it was inconsequential.

Ok, but what should you do if it’s persistent error?

How to Fix the “Failed to Process Your Command :C” Error

As with all of the more serious technical problems in Midjourney, there really is only one recourse.

You need to hop into the Midjourney Discord server and have a look inside the #status and #member-support channels.

The #status channel will give you an idea of whether it’s a larger issue that has been identified and is already being addressed.

If you don’t see anything in there, you can check the #member-support channel to see whether anyone else is reporting the “Failed to process your command :c” error.

Other people may have noticed it earlier and it’s already been reported by many people, then you don’t need to do anything.

Instead, you just have to wait until it’s resolved and usually, this will be announced via the #status channel.

However, if no one else is reporting this problem and it looks like you’re the only one, then reach out to any of the moderators in the #member-support channel.

In some instances, there might be an issue with your subscription and the dev team might have to have a closer look at your account.

So report the error, wait for their feedback, and the problem will eventually be fixed for you.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Before we close off this guide, let’s quickly address some of the most common questions related to the Midjourney “Failed to process your command :c” error.

Conclusion

Ironically, whenever you encounter problems and errors with Midjourney, it feels like it always happens at the worst of times.

And the “Failed to process your command :c” error is particularly annoying because you literally can’t do anything about it.

But what you can do is check the relevant channels, see if it’s an isolated problem, and if necessary, just wait it out.

Here at Tokenized, we want to help you learn as much as possible about the AI software industry. We help you navigate the world of tech and the digitalization of our society at large, including the tokenization of assets and services.

With the continuous release of new versions of Midjourney, more and more people are running into the “--version is not compatible with” error.

It’s left a lot of users confused because they don’t really understand why a particular version of Midjourney isn’t compatible with a simple parameter.

In this guide, I’ll show you in which situations you are likely to run into this problem, why it’s occurring, and how you can fix it.

Let’s dive right in.

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[SOLVED] Midjourney: “–version is not compatible”
Here’s the answer. Great article by @ChrisHeidorn right here: https://tokenizedhq.com/midjourney-version-is-not-compatible-with/

www.tokenizedhq.com

How to Fix “–version is not compatible” in Midjourney

Obviously, this isn’t the only error you might encounter in Midjourney.

In fact, I’m sure you’ve run into all sorts of different situations where Midjourney, and Discord for that matter, have been close to driving you insane.

The bad news is that you and I have no control over their servers and therefore can’t really do much if they go offline for whatever reason.

The good news is that the “--version is not compatible with” error has absolutely nothing to do with servers.

There isn’t even anything particularly wrong with the syntax of your prompt.

The reason you’re seeing getting this error is simply that you are asking Midjourney to use 2 different algorithms at the same time.

The most common cases in which you’ll encounter the “–version is not compatible with” errors are:

• You are trying to invoke a newer algorithm (e.g. --v 4, --v 5, or --v 5.1) in combination with the --niji parameter.
• You are trying to use the very same algorithms in combination with the experimental parameters --test or --testp.
• A similar case is when you try to use --test or --testp in combination with --niji.

So why doesn’t this work?

Well, you might not be aware of this (and to be fair, it’s not very obvious), Niji Mode is a standalone model.

In other words, Niji Mode isn’t just a mode that you activate in any given version of Midjourney.

It’s a full standalone algorithm in its own right.

Here are 2 examples of what would work:

/imagine a Japanese girl standing in the street --v 5
/imagine a Japanese girl standing in the street --niji 5

You can use them separately, but not in combination.

Once again, Midjourney hasn’t done a very good job of explaining all this.

The same applies to the old experimental --test and --testp algorithms, where you’ll encounter the exact same “–version is not compatible with” errors.

Here’s a quick breakdown of what you can and cannot do:

• --test and --testp CAN only be used in combination with Midjourney v1-3, but not with later versions.
• --version 4/5/5.1 CANNOT be used with --niji.
• --niji CANNOT be used with --version 4/5/5.1.
• --niji CAN accept a numeric value to invoke a version 5 of Niji Mode (--niji 5).

So, it’s important to understand that Midjourney v5 and Niji v5 are two separate algorithms.

One thing that v4/5/5.1 and Niji Mode have in common, though, is the fact that they support preset styles.

To learn more about the difference between stylization and preset styles, check out my dedicated guide on Midjourney’s style settings.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Before we close off this guide, let’s quickly address some of the most common questions related to the Midjourney error “–version is not compatible with“.

Conclusion

Midjourney’s syntax and command structure can sometimes be confusing, especially since the official documentation usually lags behind quite a bit or is poorly worded.

The key thing you need to understand is that Niji Mode or other experimental algorithms are usually entirely separate from the regular numbered versions of Midjourney.

Therefore, they simply cannot be used in combination and you must choose either or.

Here at Tokenized, we want to help you learn as much as possible about the AI software industry. We help you navigate the world of tech and the digitalization of our society at large, including the tokenization of assets and services.

With the recent release of Niji 5, a lot of people have been wondering how style modifiers work in Midjourney.

It’s understandably confusing because Midjourney hasn’t done a very good job of being consistent in their usage of the word “style” in the Midjourney style settings.

In this guide, I’ll show you exactly what the difference is and how --style and --stylize have little to nothing in common.

Let’s dive right in.

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Midjourney Style Settings (–style VS –stylize)
Here’s the answer. Great article by @ChrisHeidorn right here: https://tokenizedhq.com/midjourney-style-settings/

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The Difference Between –style & –stylize

You’ve probably come across these two parameters here and there, and given the obvious similarities of the words, it’s not surprising that you might feel a bit confused.

This is especially true since even most search engines can’t really tell the difference and will mostly spit out articles about Midjourney’s Stylize parameter, no matter what you enter.

However, these are two very different things and one of the reasons why there seems to be so much confusion is that Midjourney’s settings panel refers to different levels of “style” (low, medium, high, very high).

The Midjourney style settings are, however, not related to the --style modifier at all.

Instead, they are default settings for the --stylize parameter.

Does this sound confusing?

That’s because it is.

So let’s demystify this issue once and for all.

Understanding the Midjourney Style Settings

You’re probably familiar with Midjourney’s settings panel by now, so I’ll keep things brief.

If you’re not aware of what it is, it’s basically a simple user interface that you can use inside Discord to set certain default values for various different parameters.

You can open the panel by simply entering the /settings command.

I won’t go into all the nitty-gritty details here, but if you want to find out more, you can check out my article on the Midjourney settings.

The main issue is that this settings panel also contains 4 default Midjourney style settings.

• Style low
• Style med
• Style high
• Style very high

The wording is misleading or at least confusing because these settings control the default value of the --stylize parameter, not the --style modifier.

So what does the --stylize parameter even do?

What Does the Stylize Parameter Do?

Once again, I have a full-fledged article about Midjourney’s --stylize parameter if you’re interested in all the details.

That being said, the --stylize parameter essentially controls the amount of stylization that should be applied.

What that means is that a lower value will signal to Midjourney that it should stick closer to the actual prompt while generating images.

If you apply higher values for the --stylize parameter, then Midjourney will start to increasingly “ignore” the exact words of your prompt and become more “creative”.

It effectively increases the amount of interpretation that is applied to ambiguity in your prompt.

Images won’t necessarily be better with higher stylization, they’ll just be more creative (whatever that may mean).

Ok, you’ve understood what the Midjourney style settings control and what the --stylize parameter does.

So why is this so all so confusing?

Style Modifiers in Midjourney

I can’t really remember when Midjourney first introduced the --style parameter, but I believe it was with the release of Midjourney v4.

It wasn’t immediately available upon release because it was only added a little bit later when they made some tweaks to the algorithm.

Not everyone in the community was happy with the changes they had made, so the Midjourney team decided to split the algorithm into multiple styles.

We eventually ended up with 3 different styles for v4 (4a, 4b, 4c) and could be activated by adding --v 4 --style 4b

Many people don’t even know this because they just use the defaults and never really bother to understand how Midjourney works under the hood.

Anyway, the Midjourney Style parameter has become a lot more relevant ever since the release of v5.1 as well as Niji 5.

The release of v5.1 introduced a default level of stylization to v5, which wasn’t available in the original release.

Those who preferred the more advanced, raw version of the algorithm could still continue to use it by setting the --style modifier to “raw”.

So, for example, you would add --v 5.1 --style raw to your prompt.

Similarly, Midjourney also released 3 default “styles” for Niji 5:

• Scenic
• Expressive
• Cute

These styles can be invoked the exact same way by adding --niji 5 --style scenic (pick whichever style you want) to the prompt.

A good place to see how these different presets impact an image is Promptalot, a relatively new site that focuses on prompt sharing and also aims to make it easier to organize your prompts (NOTE: It’s still in Beta, and not all functionality is available yet).

Deep down in the technical intricacies of how stylization works in Midjourney, I’m sure there is some sort of link between Midjourney’s style presets and stylization.

But the way it’s set up right now is confusing for most novice or intermediate users.

So I hope this article was helpful in understanding the difference between “style”, “stylize”, and the Midjourney style settings.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Before we close off this guide, let’s quickly address some of the most common questions related to Midjourney style settings.

Conclusion

I hate to say it, but Midjourney has not been doing a good job of keeping its official documentation up to date and their use of certain terminology has also added to the confusion.

Stylize and Style, while inherently related, are not the same thing in Midjourney and I hope this article has made this clear to you.

For more in-depth advice on how each one works, feel free to consult the dedicated guides available on this website.

Here at Tokenized, we want to help you learn as much as possible about the AI software industry. We help you navigate the world of tech and the digitalization of our society at large, including the tokenization of assets and services.

Midjourney is fully capable of producing beautiful images all on its own but you can significantly enhance your projects with just a few simple words.

A simple toolkit of Midjourney lighting prompts will easily set you apart from the vast majority of creators out there.

In this guide, I’ll show you some of the most powerful and popular lighting prompts out there.

Let’s dive right in.

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15+ Powerful Midjourney Lighting Prompts
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Why Lighting is So Important in Midjourney

Lighting is one of the most important aspects of any image.

It can have a profound effect on the mood, atmosphere, and overall impact of the image.

In Midjourney, lighting is just as important as it is in traditional photography.

In fact, Midjourney can create stunning images with a wide variety of lighting effects that you’ve probably never heard of before.

Here are some ways Midjourney lighting prompts can be used:

• To set the mood. Soft, diffused lighting can make an image look calm and peaceful. Harsh, direct lighting can make an image look dramatic and exciting.
• To create depth and dimension. By carefully controlling the direction and intensity of light, you can make an image look like it has depth. This can make your images more interesting to look at.
• To highlight the subject of your image. By directing light toward your subject, you can make it stand out from the background. This can help people focus on what’s important in your image.
• To add visual interest. By using different lighting effects, you can add interest to your images and make them more engaging.

Overview of Lighting Styles in Midjourney

So before we get into the nitty-gritty details, let me provide an overview of some of the most popular and easy-to-use Midjourney lighting prompts.

Afterward, I’ll discuss the different types of Midjourney lighting prompts, their effects, and how they can be used to create stunning images.

• Torchlit
• Shimmering Light
• Rim Lighting
• Nightlight
• Moody Lighting
• Midnight
• Golden Hour
• Fluorescent
• Floodlight
• Dusk
• Dramatic Lighting
• Dawn
• Crepuscular Rays
• Cinematic Lighting
• Blue Hour
• Beautiful Lighting
• Backlighting

Midjourney Lighting Prompts & Sample Images

Alright, so enough about the theory of lighting in photography.

It’s time to have some fun and have a look at some examples of beautiful Midjourney lighting prompts.

Torchlit

Torchlit lighting is a type of low-light lighting that creates a dramatic and atmospheric effect.

It is often used to create a sense of mystery or danger.

Sample Prompt:

/imagine a young woman standing in a huge cathedral, torchlit lighting

Shimmering Light

Shimmering light is a type of lighting that creates a sense of movement and energy.

It is often used to create images of water, fire, or other moving objects.

Sample Prompt:

/imagine a young woman standing in a huge cathedral, shimmering light

Rim Lighting

Rim lighting is a type of lighting that creates a halo effect around an object.

It is often used to create a sense of depth or to make an object stand out from its background.

Sample Prompt:

/imagine a young woman standing in a huge cathedral, rim lighting

Nightlight

Nightlight is a type of soft, diffused lighting that is often used to create images of nighttime scenes.

It can create a sense of peace and tranquility or a sense of mystery and suspense.

/imagine a young woman standing in a huge cathedral, nightlight illumination

Sample Prompt:

Moody Lighting

Moody lighting is a type of lighting that creates a sense of atmosphere or mood.

It is often used to create images that are dark, brooding, or atmospheric.

Sample Prompt:

/imagine a young woman standing in a huge cathedral, moody lighting

Midnight

Midnight is a type of lighting that is created by the moon and stars.

It can create a sense of mystery, romance, or wonder.

Sample Prompt:

/imagine a young woman standing in a huge cathedral, midnight lighting

Golden Hour

Golden hour is a type of lighting that occurs in the hour or two before sunset and the hour or two after sunrise.

It is characterized by warm, golden light that creates a sense of beauty and tranquility.

Sample Prompt:

/imagine a young woman standing in a huge cathedral, golden hour lighting

Fluorescent

Fluorescent lighting is a type of artificial lighting that is characterized by its cold, blue light.

It is often used in offices and other commercial settings.

Sample Prompt:

/imagine a young woman standing in a huge cathedral, fluorescent lighting

Floodlight

Floodlight is a type of artificial lighting that is characterized by its bright, even light.

It is often used in sports stadiums and other outdoor venues.

Sample Prompt:

/imagine a young woman standing in a huge cathedral, floodlight illumination

Dusk

Dusk is a type of lighting that occurs in the hour or two before nightfall.

It is characterized by soft, diffused light that creates a sense of peace and tranquility.

Sample Prompt:

/imagine a young woman standing in a huge cathedral, lighting at dusk

Dramatic Lighting

Dramatic lighting is a type of lighting that creates a sense of drama or excitement.

It is often used to create images that are dark, brooding, or suspenseful.

Sample Prompt:

/imagine a young woman standing in a huge cathedral, dramatic lighting

Dawn

Dawn is a type of lighting that occurs in the hour or two after sunrise.

It is characterized by soft, diffused light that creates a sense of hope and optimism.

Sample Prompt:

/imagine a young woman standing in a huge cathedral, dawn lighting

Crepuscular Rays

Crepuscular rays are a type of lighting that occurs when the sun is low in the sky.

They create long, dramatic shadows that can add a sense of drama or excitement to an image.

Sample Prompt:

/imagine a young woman standing in a huge cathedral, crepuscular rays filtering in

Cinematic Lighting

Cinematic lighting is a type of lighting that is used in film and television.

It is characterized by its dramatic and atmospheric effects.

Sample Prompt:

/imagine a young woman standing in a huge cathedral, cinematic lighting

Blue Hour

Blue hour is a type of lighting that occurs in the hour or two before sunrise and the hour or two after sunset.

It is characterized by its soft, blue light that creates a sense of beauty and tranquility.

Sample Prompt:

/imagine a young woman standing in a huge cathedral, blue hour lighting

Backlit

Backlighting is often used in photography and filmmaking to create a dramatic effect.

It can also be used to highlight certain features of an object, such as the edges or contours.

Sample Prompt:

/imagine a young woman standing in a huge cathedral, backlit scene

Beyond the Basics of Lighting Prompts

As much fun as it is to simply copy and paste prompts into Midjourney and see what it produces, I encourage you to go beyond the basics.

There are no right or wrong answers when it comes to lighting, so don’t be afraid to experiment.

Try different lighting effects and see what works best for your images.

Think about the mood or atmosphere you want to create in your image, and then choose lighting effects that will help you achieve that mood.

By directing light toward your subject, you can make it stand out from the background and draw the viewer’s attention.

Lighting effects can add visual interest to your images and make them more engaging.

With a little practice, you’ll be able to use lighting to create stunning images with Midjourney.

So don’t be afraid to experiment and have fun!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Before we close off this guide, let’s quickly address some of the most common questions related to Midjourney lighting prompts.

Conclusion

Prompting may seem simple at first because you can enter pretty much anything into Midjourney and get a beautiful image.

However, prompting with intent is far more challenging, and even something as relatively simple as adding lighting to your prompt will make your images stand out more.

The list I’ve shared above is far from exhaustive, so feel free to experiment and try out other lighting styles as well!

Here at Tokenized, we want to help you learn as much as possible about the AI software industry. We help you navigate the world of tech and the digitalization of our society at large, including the tokenization of assets and services.

One of the minor annoyances of using Midjourney is that rather frequently, a random job will seemingly refuse to start processing.

So why is Midjourney waiting to start in the first place and how can you get it to start processing your command?

In this guide, I’ll explain why you’re encountering this issue, how you can fix it, and where you can find more information about Midjourney’s average waiting times.

Let’s dive right in.

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[SOLVED] Why is Midjourney Waiting to Start?
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Why is Midjourney Waiting to Start?

Whenever you enter a command in Midjourney, your job is added to the queue of requests to the Midjourney API (the internal one).

Remember, potentially millions of people are using Midjourney at the very same time, so there’s got to be some kind of queue.

Even though you can increase how many requests can be processed by scaling your server infrastructure, you also don’t necessarily want to have more capacity than you need.

After all, cloud infrastructure is quite expensive for this sort of stuff.

Depending on whether you are using Fast Mode or Relax Mode, your request will either be added to a high-priority queue or a low-priority queue.

Low priority is for free but it might take a while until it gets processed.

So, if you use Relax mode quite frequently, then it’s pretty normal to see the “Waiting to start” message behind your jobs before they eventually start processing.

Unfortunately, every now and then a random job will seem to get stuck.

This is even more obvious when you’ve added additional jobs to the queue and they end up processing much quicker than the one that’s stuck.

It’s a pretty frustrating experience, especially when you may have entered your commands in a particular sequence for a reason.

So why is Midjourney waiting to start for such a long time?

Well, I can only imagine that your job’s position in the queue somehow got messed up.

Most of these jobs eventually do get processed but depending on demand, it can range from a few minutes to several hours.

That’s really not a great situation, so obviously, you’ll want to find some sort of solution to this.

How to Fix a Midjourney Job That is Stuck

The only relatively straightforward solution to this problem is also the most pragmatic one.

Simply cancel the old job and enter the command one more time.

I know it sounds silly, but let’s face it, the world of technology is full of some of the most mundane solutions to seemingly complex problems.

If you’re old enough to have owned a real desktop computer, then you’ve most definitely hit your computer at least a couple of times.

Don’t lie! We’ve all done it.

Because, of course, if you hit the case of a computer then it will suddenly just fix itself. LOL!

Anyway, so the way to fix this is to simply react to the job in question with a big red X emoji.

You can do this either by clicking the “Add reaction” button or if you use it frequently, right-clicking and selecting it from the context menu will usually suffice.

Then simply enter the same command one more time (don’t forget to copy it first!) and usually, it will process just fine.

And over are the days of wondering why is Midjourney waiting to start.

Keep it simple, stupid!

How to See Average Wait Times for Midjourney

While researching this video, I actually bumped into a really interesting page that not many people know about.

And that’s mainly because it’s mostly hidden way and not promoted by Midjourney very much.

Guess what: It’s the official server status page.

That’s right, Midjourney has a server status page that is primarily meant to provide real-time status of their Discord server, the Discord Bot, and their website.

However, it also provides a very useful bit of info that can be quite relevant if you’re faced with the Midjourney Waiting to Start message quite often.

It’s especially useful if you use Relax Mode a lot.

The page actually shows the average wait times for Fast and Relax jobs per component.

In other words, each model and upscaler has its own job queue.

That also means that if processing jobs via one Midjourney algorithm might be really slow, this doesn’t necessarily also apply to a different one.

Here’s a list of the different queues it shows:

• V4 Model
• V4 Upscaler
• V5 Model
• Niji V4
• Niji V4 Upscaler
• Njii V5

These numbers will obviously fluctuate throughout the day and it gives you some insight into whether it might be a bad time to be using Relax Mode.

If you have the option of switching to Fast Mode when you’re running to constant Midjourney Waiting to Start messages, then the average wait times will help you make that choice.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Before we close off this guide, let’s quickly address some of the most common questions related to why Midjourney is waiting to start.

Conclusion

We’ve all experienced the dreaded message before and have asked ourselves: Why is Midjourney waiting to start for so long?!

Rest assured, you are not alone and while there is no perfect solution to this issue, there is a quick fix and it’s as good as it gets.

So next time, don’t wait, just cancel the job and enter it again and your problems will mostly disappear.

Here at Tokenized, we want to help you learn as much as possible about the AI software industry. We help you navigate the world of tech and the digitalization of our society at large, including the tokenization of assets and services.

What many people don’t know is that the official Midjourney Discord is by far the largest Discord server in the world.

So it’s no surprise that the sheer amount of users may have taken Midjourney offline every now and then, and obviously people will freak out.

In this guide, I’ll show you how to check whether Midjourney is indeed offline, what might be causing this, and what you can do in the meantime.

Let’s dive right in.

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Is Midjourney Offline? And why is that?
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Is Midjourney Offline?

The most intuitive way to figure out whether something may have taken Midjourney offline is to google it.

In most cases, you’ll find results on websites that specialize in tracking the status of a website or server.

These websites include:

• Down Detector
• Is It Down Right Now

While these sites can be helpful, they usually aren’t very reliable because they rely on aggregate data from users who submit information on whether they are having connection issues.

Whenever their charts spike, it’s a good indication that a server might be experiencing issues.

But if you’re already inside Discord anyway, why bother googling or posting a question somewhere on social media?

The best source of information is Midjourney’s Discord server itself.

If you believe something has taken Midjourney offline, then the best place to verify this is the following two channels in the Midjourney Discord:

• #status: Used for official announcements about service issues.
• #member-support: Since #status is a read-only channel, the member support channel can be useful for tracking real-time “chatter”.

Another location where you can check if something has taken Midjourney offline is on the official Midjourney status page.

Not many people know about the page because it’s not widely advertised, but it’s an additional data point that may help in understanding what is going on.

It provides you with the current status of:

• The Discord Server
• The Discord Bot
• The Website

Knowing that something has taken Midjourney offline is one thing, but Discord really is the best place to also find out why Midjourney is offline in the first place.

Errors Associated with Midjourney Going Offline

Most people don’t just randomly come up with the idea that Midjourney might be offline.

Instead, it’s usually a hunch that is triggered by an error that they run into while using Midjourney.

The 2 most common server-related error messages that you’ll encounter in Midjourney are:

• “This interaction failed.”
• “The application did not respond.”

Whenever you run into the “This interaction failed.” error, it usually means that the Midjourney Bot cannot handle the number of requests it is receiving.

It’s a very common error among Discord bots.

While it is often a sign of a temporary server outage, it doesn’t necessarily have to be that.

It could also just mean that there’s too much activity and you’re being throttled.

In most cases, the issue resolves itself within 5-10 minutes.

The second error, “The application did not respond”, however, usually has its root cause in the Midjourney API itself.

Yes, that’s right, Midjourney has an API but it’s obviously not publicly available right now.

Either way, this is another common error among Discord bots and happens whenever they have problems interacting with another server.

In this case, there might be an issue with Midjourney’s primary API server.

Again, the best place to check all this is the #status channel within the Midjourney Discord.

What Can I Do?

I hate to say it but there really isn’t all that much you can do.

You’re just going to have to wait it out and hope for the best.

Since every outage literally costs Midjourney tons of money in terms of lost revenue and since millions of people are using the service, you can rest assured that it’s in their own best interest to fix things ASAP.

Personally, moments like these usually show us just how addicted we have become to being online at all times.

See it as an opportunity to disconnect and relax a little bit.

We’re already stressed out enough as it is.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Before we close off this guide, let’s quickly address some of the most common questions related to something taking Midjourney offline.

Conclusion

Whenever Midjourney goes offline, it feels like the world is coming to an end for many of its users.

In most cases, these are temporary issues that are resolved quite quickly and you can monitor their status in real time via the #status channel in the Midjourney Discord.

That being said, I fully understand that you all have a strong urge to understand what exactly is going on, especially when you use Midjourney for work.

Here at Tokenized, we want to help you learn as much as possible about the AI software industry. We help you navigate the world of tech and the digitalization of our society at large, including the tokenization of assets and services.

You’re probably reading this because all your previous attempts at creating a Midjourney self portrait have failed.

Rest assured, creating a Midjourney selfie is far from easy, and many of the tutorials you’ll find online are either outdated or inaccurate.

In this guide, I’ll show you exactly what is possible and where you’ll run into the limitations of the technology.

Let’s dive right in.

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How to Create a Midjourney Self Portrait in v5
Here’s the answer. Great article by @ChrisHeidorn right here: https://tokenizedhq.com/midjourney-self-portrait/

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Can You Even Create A Self-Portrait in Midjourney?

The answer is YES and NO.

In fact, it’s kind of complicated, so read on if you’re interested in understanding why.

If you just want to know how to do it, then jump to the next section right here.

So ever since Midjourney and other AI art generators hit the scene, creating your very own AI avatar or selfie has been one of the most popular things to play around with.

The initial hype was primarily driven by an app called Lensa which allowed you to easily create a set of avatars based on some photos of yourself.

Since many people already had a Midjourney subscription, they naturally thought they could do something similar with it.

However, it’s important to note a crucial difference between different types of AI tools.

Most of the AI avatar generators ask you to provide between 6 and 12 input photos from various angles that are then used to train a “mini-model” of yourself.

Midjourney, however, currently does not offer such functionality since it is a very resource-intensive process and far too expensive to offer for free.

Instead, the only thing you can do is provide Midjourney with some reference images and hope to generate portraits that have similar features as you do.

While this can work to a certain extent, it’s not very reliable and largely depends on Midjourney interprets your facial features.

Most of the tutorials you see on the web that demonstrate how to create a Midjourney self portraits do not actually use photos of themselves or real people.

Instead, they usually generate the source images in Midjourney first and then use those to create portraits with the same character.

This is a very common approach that is used to create consistent characters.

However, it’s not a selfie and has nothing to do with creating a Midjourney self portrait.

So what can you do?

How to Create a Midjourney Self Portrait

There are effectively 2 approaches you can use to create your own Midjourney selfie or self portrait.

The first approach is the traditional way of doing this and is relatively straightforward.

However, it is also rather unreliable.

The second approach is a bit more complicated but usually works quite well for stylized avatars.

Method 1: Using Reference Images

IMPORTANT: Remember, this method is unreliable and does not work very well if you want the images to look a lot like you.

If you’re not focused on getting a realistic photo of yourself but rather just a stylized avatar, then Method 2 might be what you’re looking for.

Step 1: Preparing Your Source Images

For this method to work you’ll need a strong reference image.

While you can try doing this with a single photo, I highly recommend picking at least 4-5 different photos of yourself.

Ideally, each photo should show you from a different angle and with different lighting conditions.

Since we’re focusing on creating a Midjourney self portrait, I also recommend cropping the images to eliminate most of the surroundings.

Step 2: Creating an Initial Self Portrait

Next, upload all of the reference images into Discord or any other hosting options you may have.

The important thing is that you can retrieve the image URLs afterward.

Once you’ve uploaded all the images, copy their image links and paste each one at the beginning of your prompt.

/imagine URL1 URL2 URL3 URL4

If you leave out the text prompt, Midjourney will simply create a mashup of all your reference images.

I therefore recommend working with a basic text prompt that also mentions your age group.

/imagine URL1 URL2 URL3 URL4 portrait shot of a man in his late thirtees, soft lighting, canon eos 5d --v 5.1

The above is just an example.

You can obviously change it up and also switch between different versions to create your Midjourney self portrait.

As you can see, the results only remotely resemble the original.

Despite what some people claim, neither v4 nor v5 works better.

Step 3: Stylizing The Self Portrait

Naturally, if you’re content with the images you’ve gotten from this process, you can now start to stylize them.

This is done by adding elements to the text prompt, such as “cyberpunk theme” or similar descriptors.

/imagine URL1 URL2 URL3 URL4 portrait shot of a man in his late thirtees, cyberpunk theme --v 5.1

You can also change the style of the image to something entirely different.

/imagine URL1 URL2 URL3 URL4 illustration of a man in his late thirtees, cyberpunk theme --v 5.1

Once again, this process is not perfect

Method 2: Describing/Blending a Stylized Selfie

This is a rather unusual way of creating a Midjourney self portrait, however, it’s wildly popular among online communities.

Credit goes to Ms. Unicorn who shared this process in the #prompt-faqs channel of the Midjourney Discord.

Step 1: Pick an Awesome Selfie

Find the best selfie of yourself that you can find.

It doesn’t need to be a photo that was taken by a professional photographer but try to find a headshot that has good lighting.

Step 2: Feed the Selfie into /describe

Next, enter the /describe command in Discord and upload/paste your real selfie.

Let Midjourney analyze your photo and after a few seconds, it will spit out 4 starter prompts to choose from.

So what do you do with these?

Step 3: Create Stylized Midjourney Portraits

Now that you have starter prompt suggestions, click on one of the 4 buttons.

Before submitting the prompt, make sure you add --niji 5 --style expressive at the end of the prompt.

/imagine <STARTER PROMPT> --niji 5 --style expressive

Here are a few tips to get the most out of this:

• Remove references to other people and make sure the pronouns make sense for a self-portrait of a single person.
• Removing any reference to “realism” or “realistic” because it will mess with stylization.
• Add “portrait of” at the front of the prompt to ensure the right composition.

Try out all the options because it increases your likelihood of finding something you like.

Also, don’t be afraid to re-roll if you must.

Once you find an image that you feel looks most like you, upscale it.

Remember, it’s fine if it doesn’t look 100% like you.

After all, it’s supposed to be a stylized image anyway.

Step 4: Blend Your Original Selfie & The Niji Image

In this final step, you simply use the /blend command to mix together your original selfie and the stylized image you created in Niji mode.

Midjourney will then take the concept of each image and blend them together into a stylized image.

This is by far the most effective way to create a stylized Midjourney self portrait.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Before we close off this guide, let’s quickly address some of the most common questions related to Midjourney self portraits.

Conclusion

Creating Midjourey self portraits has never been easy and it also comes with significant limitations.

Many of these limitations also exist for very good reasons, since the risks of deep fakes are quite real nowadays.

However, if you are content with creating heavily stylized images of yourself then Midjourney can still be a viable option.

Here at Tokenized, we want to help you learn as much as possible about the AI software industry. We help you navigate the world of tech and the digitalization of our society at large, including the tokenization of assets and services.

The beauty of Midjourney is that you can invoke nearly any art style that you can think of.

And this not only includes the broader categories but also incredibly specific sub-genres that only experts would know.

In this guide, I’ll show you some of the most beautiful black and white Midjourney drawing styles out there.

Let’s dive right in.

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15+ Midjourney Drawing Styles You Should Know
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Overview of Midjourney Drawing Styles

As you already know, Midjourney is capable of generating images for nearly any art style that humanity has ever known.

It produces beautiful replicas of imagery that otherwise would take countless hours to create.

But despite the obvious benefits of tools like Midjourney, the limiting factor usually isn’t the machine but rather the human using it.

So, for example, knowing that you’d like to create an image in a pencil drawing art style is a relatively novice approach.

You’ll get a decent Midjourney drawing out of that but there’s no guarantee that it will reflect the specific style you had in mind.

The more comprehensive your knowledge about art and the associated vocabulary is, the more control you will have over the image you are trying to create.

In this guide, I cover a wide range of Midjourney drawing styles and patterns that are usually associated with black-and-white imagery.

Here are some broader categories:

• Hatching and Cross-Hatching: These styles involve creating tones and textures using parallel lines or intersecting lines. They’re great for adding depth and dimension to images.
• Circulism: This style uses tight circular patterns to create detailed textures and gradients of tone, often used in portraiture for realistic skin textures.
• Contouring: Contouring involves defining the edges and outlines of objects, emphasizing their shape and volume. It’s commonly used for producing images with a strong sense of form and depth.
• Scribbles, Squiggles & Short Dashes: These styles use loose, expressive lines to create images with a dynamic, energetic feel.
• Blending/Smudging: Blending creates smooth transitions between colors and tones, while smudging gives images a softer, dreamier quality.
• 3s, Zig Zags, Charcoal, and Marker: These styles offer unique textural and tonal possibilities, from the bold, graphic lines of marker drawings to the rich, deep tones of charcoal.
• Contour, Stippling, Sketch, Scumbling: Contour emphasizes the outlines of objects, while stippling uses dots to create tones and textures. Sketch style produces loose, expressive drawings, while scumbling involves layering and blending colors or tones to create rich textures and depth.

As you can see, not all Midjourney drawing styles are made equal, and depending on what your objective is, some styles will be more suitable than others.

So now that we’ve covered some broader categories, let’s get into concrete examples for each one of them.

15+ Midjourney Drawing Style Prompts & Examples

The following list of Midjourney drawing styles is far from exhaustive, however, it provides a very good starting point.

By observing the images that each art style produces, you’ll have a much better idea of which words you should be using in your prompts.

Technical Drawing

Technical drawing involves using precise measurements and drafting tools to create detailed and accurate drawings for engineering, architectural, or manufacturing purposes.

It typically includes plan, elevation, section, and detail views, as well as dimensions, annotations, and symbols.

Technical drawings often follow specific standards and conventions, such as ISO, ANSI, or ASME.

It is one of the most popular Midjourney drawing styles out there since it conveys a sense of sophisticatedness.

Sample Prompt:

/imagine technical drawing of a house --v 4

Blueprint

The blueprint drawing style is used to create detailed, technical drawings of buildings, machines, or objects.

The style is characterized by the use of thin, precise lines and a blue background.

Blueprints are created through a process called cyanotype, which involves using chemicals to produce blue and white prints.

This style is commonly used in architecture, engineering, and industrial design.

Sample Prompt:

/imagine blueprint of a house --v 4

Hatching

Hatching is a drawing technique where closely spaced parallel lines are used to create shading and texture in an image.

The density, angle, and direction of the lines can be adjusted to create a variety of effects.

This style is commonly used in pencil or pen and ink drawings to create depth and tonal contrast and is an excellent Midjourney drawing style as well.

Sample Prompt:

/imagine drawing of a house, hatch shading style --v 4

Cross-Hatching

“Hatching” and “cross-hatching” are both techniques used in drawing and involve creating a series of closely spaced parallel lines to create shading or texture in an image.

Cross-hatching uses two or more sets of parallel lines that intersect to create a denser shading effect, while hatching only uses one set of parallel lines.

Sample Prompt:

/imagine drawing of a house, crosshatch shading style --v 4

Circulism

Circulism is a technique used in drawing to create smooth shading and texture.

It involves creating small, overlapping circles with a pencil or pen to build up value and tone.

This technique is often used in portraiture and is therefore especially effective as a Midjourney drawing style for capturing skin tones and textures.

Sample Prompt:

/imagine drawing of a house, circulism shading style --v 4

Scribbles

The “scribbles” drawing style is characterized by quick and spontaneous marks made with a pen or pencil.

The lines are usually drawn in a chaotic, random pattern with no apparent structure.

Scribbles are often used to convey movement, texture, or shading in a drawing.

The style is popular among artists who want to create a rough, unfinished look in their work.

Scribbles can be used to create a sense of depth and dimensionality in a drawing and is a Midjourney drawing style that you should definitely add to your arsenal.

Sample Prompt:

/imagine drawing of a house, scribble style --v 4

Squiggles

Both “squiggles” and “scribbles” are types of freehand drawing styles that use irregular lines to create texture and depth.

However, “scribbles” are usually made with short, overlapping lines, while “squiggles” are longer and looser, with less overlap.

Squiggles may also be used more intentionally, to create organic shapes and contours, while scribbles are often used for shading and texture.

Sample Prompt:

/imagine squiggle drawing of a house --v 4

Short Dashes

Short dashes is a drawing style that uses small, dashed lines to create texture and shading.

It can be used to create a variety of effects, from rough sketch-like drawings to more polished and refined artwork.

The dashed lines can be used to suggest movement, depth, and shape.

This style is often used in illustrations and cartoons, as well as in more realistic artwork to create the illusion of texture and depth.

Therefore, it is advisable to use this Midjourney drawing style for similar subjects.

Sample Prompt:

/imagine drawing of a house, short dashes style --v 4

Blending & Smudging

Blending and smudging is a drawing style that involves softening lines and colors to create a more realistic and subtle image.

It involves using tools such as blending stumps, brushes, and fingers to blend and smudge the lines and colors on the drawing surface.

This technique is often used in portrait drawing and is effective for creating a sense of depth and dimension in the image.

Sample Prompt:

/imagine drawing of a house, smudging shading style --v 4

3s

The “3s” drawing style involves using lines to create curves and shapes in the form of the number 3.

The lines are typically thin and close together, creating a shaded effect.

This style is often used in figure drawing, particularly to depict the contours of the human body.

Admittedly, it’s one of the more odd Midjourney drawing styles that you’ll encounter.

Sample Prompt:

/imagine drawing of a house, threes shading style --v 4

Zig Zags

The zigzag Midjourney drawing style is characterized by the use of short, quick lines that zig and zag.

The lines are often tightly spaced and used to create texture and depth.

The style is often used in cartoons and comics to create a sense of motion and energy.

It can also be used to create shading and highlights.

Sample Prompt:

/imagine drawing of a house, zigzag shading style --v 4

Charcoal

Charcoal is a dry art medium that creates rich, deep tones with a wide range of values.

It can be used in a variety of ways, including blending, hatching, and cross-hatching.

Charcoal can be messy to work with but can create a dramatic and expressive drawing style.

Sample Prompt:

/imagine charcoal drawing of a house --v 4

Stippling

Stippling is a drawing style that uses tiny dots or marks to create texture, shading, and detail.

These marks can be uniform in size or vary in size and density to create different effects.

Stippling is often used in black-and-white illustrations, portraits, and technical drawings.

It’s a Midjourney drawing style that you rarely see invoked directly in the prompt.

Sample Prompt:

/imagine drawing of a house, stippling shading style --v 4

Scumbling

Scumbling is a drawing technique where you create a series of overlapping scribbles to create a shading effect.

The technique is often used to create the illusion of texture, depth, and dimension in a drawing.

Scumbling can be done with a variety of tools, including pencils, charcoal, and pastels.

Sample Prompt:

/imagine drawing of a house, scumbling shading style --v 4

Marker

Marker drawing style is characterized by bright, bold colors that stand out on the page.

It often involves creating large, flat areas of color with thick, black lines outlining the shapes.

Markers come in a variety of sizes, allowing for both fine details and larger areas to be covered quickly.

Sample Prompt:

/imagine marker drawing of a house --v 4

Japanese Ink

Japanese ink is known as sumi-e in Japan.

It is a black ink made from soot and water, often used for calligraphy and brush painting.

This drawing style focuses on capturing the essence of the subject rather than realistic representation.

The strokes and shades are created with a bamboo brush, giving a unique texture and character to the drawing.

Sample Prompt:

/imagine drawing of a house, japanese ink style --v 4

Tattoo

The tattoo drawing style is a permanent form of body art created with ink and needles.

Designs can range from traditional to more modern and abstract.

Tattoos can be placed on various parts of the body, and often hold personal significance or symbolism for the wearer.

Techniques such as shading, line work, and color blending are used to create depth and texture in the tattoo design.

Sample Prompt:

/imagine drawing of a house in tattoo style --v 4

Applications & Relevance of Drawing Styles

Different drawing styles hold significant relevance in various fields today, including art and design, animation, storyboarding, engineering and construction, and education.

Here’s how these styles contribute to each industry:

Art & Design

Art and design extensively use a variety of drawing styles to create unique and engaging pieces.

For example, hatching and cross-hatching can be seen in graphic design to create texture and depth.

Contouring is employed in fashion design to highlight the shape and form of garments.

Abstract styles, such as scribbles, squiggles, or blending/smudging, are used to convey emotion and movement in fine art pieces.

Animation

In the animation industry, dynamic and expressive styles like squiggles, short dashes, or zig zags are used to create lively and energetic characters or scenes.

Styles such as charcoal or marker can lend a unique visual identity to an animation, setting it apart from others.

Storyboarding

Storyboarding is crucial in film and advertising and it relies on styles like sketching for quick, rough drawings that convey the sequence of events.

More detailed styles, like stippling or hatching, might be used for key frames to provide a visual representation of important scenes.

Engineering & Construction

Drawing styles play an integral role in engineering and construction for technical drawings and blueprints.

Contouring is essential for detailing the form and volume of structures.

Hatching and cross-hatching can represent different materials or shades in a blueprint.

Styles like sketching and marker are often used in preliminary design drafts.

Education

Educators use various drawing styles to create engaging teaching materials.

Stippling or blending/smudging can be used in science textbooks to illustrate complex concepts.

Styles like sketch or contour can be used in art education to teach students about basic drawing techniques.

In all these fields, the drawing styles available in Midjourney can be a valuable tool, allowing you to generate a wide range of images that suit your specific needs.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Before we close off this guide, let’s quickly address some of the most common questions related to Midjourney drawing styles.

Conclusion

Just about anyone can create stunning artwork in Midjourney with very little previous experience.

However, the big differentiator is your ability to produce images with the intent that truly reflects the idea that you have in mind.

And knowing the names of specific drawing styles will set you apart from the broad masses that do not.

Here at Tokenized, we want to help you learn as much as possible about the AI software industry. We help you navigate the world of tech and the digitalization of our society at large, including the tokenization of assets and services.