How To Use Midjourney: A Comprehensive Guide On Artwork Creation
By Peter Romulus Mar 10, 2024
Getting Started: A Newcomer's Guide
Greetings Warriors!
Today, we're diving into the fascinating world of AI art with a spotlight on the Midjourney AI Art Generator. Whether you're an artist looking to infuse some digital magic into your work, or simply a tech enthusiast eager to explore the boundaries of AI creativity, this guide's for you. Let's embark on this journey together and unlock the potential of AI to transform our creative expressions.
First things first, let's get to know Midjourney. This isn't your average art tool; it's an AI-powered platform that turns your wildest imaginations into visual masterpieces. Whether you're into surreal landscapes, futuristic portraits, or anything in-between, Midjourney is your go-to.
This section will guide you through signing up, navigating the interface, and understanding the basic commands and functionalities of Midjourney. It's like learning the language of the future, where your words have the power to create worlds.
Start by visiting their website or platform where Midjourney operates, and sign up or log in to kick things off.
Setting Up Discord
At the moment, Midjourney is only accessible via Discord. Don’t you fret, there is a standalone version on the midjourney website that is currently in Alpha and you best believe I will provide a guide the moment it is released!
If you don’t have a Discord account, you will need one – register to create a free account. You can access the Midjourney Bot can from anywhere Discord can be used (e.g., web, mobile, desktop applications).
Simply fill out the “Create an account” form. You will need to enter your email, display name, username, and date of birth.
Sign Up For Midjourney
Once you have completed creating a discord account, glide over to he Midjourney site and hit up that “Join the Beta” button. Or, if you're all about shortcuts, just click the Discord invite link to teleport directly. Next up, you'll land on a page that's your golden ticket to the Midjourney Discord channel. Give that invite a hearty "Accept," and boom—you're in! Welcome to the inner sanctum of the Midjourney server, where your art adventure begins.
MidJourney Pricing Plan
Midjourney AI has become a cornerstone for artists and creators, offering a range of plans to suit every need and budget. With options spanning from the Basic Plan for casual explorers to the Mega Plan for the ultimate creative journey, there's something for everyone. I also have a detail guide on the Midjourney pricing right here.
Generate Images
This is where all the magic happens! All the power of amazing AI art generation at the tip of your fingers. The magic starts with a prompt. Your input is the spark that ignites the AI's creativity. Think of it as a collaboration between your imagination and the machine's capabilities. Be descriptive, experiment with different themes, styles, or even moods. The clearer your vision, the more tailored your artwork will be.
First things first, once you have successfully married your Midjourney and Discord accounts; head over to the discord server.
Depending on the Midjourney pricing plan you selected; standard and below or pro and above. You can either use a shared prompt for lower tiered plans or a personal bot that runs in stealth mode (This is the tier that I personally use) for higher tiered plans.
Community Sharing Mode
Stealth Mode (Private)
Command Prompt
Images are created with discord commands. You first invoke commands by typing “/”, this will display a list of commands you can use. The most important one being the “imagine” command which generates the images.
Once you have “imagine” locked in, simply describe the art you wish to generate. Here is an example of me generating an art of the sunset.
EX:
/imagine: beautiful sunset
Generate Images
It takes about 60 seconds to generate and Midjourney will display 4 different images every time. There are a set of options you can use to further improve the default images.
Image Edits
Once your Midjourney quest has woven its magic and your image emerges from the digital loom, the bot isn’t done yet. It’s time to sharpen your masterpiece, to refine its edges and deepen its story. Here’s the arsenal at your disposal:
U Buttons: The Enchanters of Scale
Behold the U buttons, from U1 to U4, your wizards of upscale. Invoke them to breathe expansiveness into your creation, transforming your image into a larger, more detailed vision.
V Buttons: The Shapers of Variations
Then, we have the V buttons, ranging from V1 to V4, your craftsmen of variation. These buttons allow you to mold slight alternations of your chosen image, crafting a new grid that echoes the original’s essence and composition.
The 🔄 (Re-roll): The Spinner of Fates
And for those who seek a fresh destiny, the 🔄 re-roll beckons. This option conjures a new beginning, taking your initial incantation and spinning a new tapestry of possibilities.
Each tool in your arsenal offers a path to further refine your vision, bringing clarity, variety, or a complete renewal to your Midjourney creation. Choose wisely, and let your artistry flourish.
Advance Midjourney PRompts
There are many parameters you can into your prompt that can drastically change and improve the image generation process. Further down below, I will let you in on a little secret I personally use to improve my prompts.
Before jumping in, I would love for you to read about some concerns around AI Art Generators and Midjourney specifically.
Advance Midjourney PRompts
Images can be added to your prompts to add further customization, you can read this Image Referencing Guide for greater detail on the subject.
To get started with an image prompt, simply put in the image or image's website address after the /imagine command.
Example:
/imagine: https://www.wikipedia.org/portal/wikipedia.org/assets/img/Wikipedia-logo-v2.png new world
To ensure clarity and efficiency in using image prompts, please adhere to the following guidelines:
Initiating prompts with images requires starting with the web address of the image.
Effective prompts should consist of either two images or a combination of one image and accompanying text.
An image URL must be a direct link to an image hosted online, accessible via HTTP or HTTPS.
The file extension of the image must be one of the following formats: .png, .gif, .webp, .jpg, or .jpeg, to ensure compatibility.
To obtain a direct image URL using most web browsers, right-click on the desired image and select ‘Copy Image Address’ from the context menu.
For an optimized image prompting process on mobile devices, utilize the /blend command, designed to streamline the user experience.
By following these structured guidelines, users can effectively incorporate image prompts into their workflow, enhancing creativity and productivity.
Tips On How To Write Effective Midjourney Prompts
Be Specific
In navigating the Midjourney, achieving optimal outcomes hinges on the specificity of your prompts. It's imperative to infuse your descriptions with a wealth of detailed information, ensuring each word contributes to a vivid portrayal of your intended result.
Use Creative Tag
Employing the creative tag within Midjourney serves as your compass towards crafting outputs that defy convention. This strategic maneuver is your ally in sparking innovation or diverging from the familiar landscapes of Midjourney creations, opening the gates to a realm of uncharted possibilities.
Use Weight In Your Prompts
Utilizing the double colon (::) empowers you to guide Midjourney in treating terms as distinct entities. This technique shines when you aim to modulate the significance of specific terms within your prompt, offering precision in your creative direction.
For instance, the term 'basket ball' when presented as a unified concept typically prompts the Midjourney Bot to conjure images of a basket ball; related to the sport. However, by dividing the prompt into 'basket::ball', you instruct the system to regard 'basket' and 'ball' as separate elements, leading to the imaginative visualization of a baskets in a ball shape.
Use Negative Prompts
If there are any key elements you wish to leave out or negate from your results you can use the the negative argument “—no“.
Example
/imagine:Portrait of King Romulus —no hands
Use Stealth Mode
Within the bustling halls of the Midjourney Discord, you'll find yourself among a myriad of fellow voyagers, each weaving their own creative spells through prompts, much like yourself. This vibrant tapestry of imagination, while inspiring, can sometimes overshadow your own quest for creation. For those seeking a sanctum of clarity amidst the communal flurry, ponder the path of subscription to unlock the sanctity of stealth mode, a realm where your projects can flourish undisturbed.
Practice! Practice! Practice!
Let me echo a timeless truth, as enduring as the ancient streets of Rome itself: Mastery doesn't dawn in a day! The art of mastering AI generation unfolds not in a moment's whim. True, a simple string of words might soon craft a pleasing image. Yet, the real enchantment lies in the journey of discovery—immersing yourself in the AI's language, understanding its pulse, and responding to your commands. This path allows you to sculpt a style that echoes your essence. I cannot emphasize enough the power of enriching your prompts with images, integrating nuances like weights, styles, creativity, and negative spaces among other parameters. Such mastery is the key to unveiling creations of unparalleled wonder!
Thank you for taking the time out an reading this Midjourney guide. As an easter egg, , I'm eager to share the method behind my recent foray into AI-generated imagery.
You might wonder, “What is the big secret you ask?” The answer lies within my poetry. Indeed, poetry is the key. Midjourney thrives on the essence of expression and emotion woven into words. For those adept in the art of articulating feelings through verse, the AI realm welcomes you with open arms. The artworks birthed from my poems never cease to amaze and exhilarate me. Embracing poetry as a creative conduit comes highly recommended.
Moreover, my current tool of choice within Midjourney is version 6, accessible by appending —6 to your prompt. This iteration, in my experience, excels in translating text into visuals, standing a notch above its predecessors.
To tailor the ambiance of the artwork, I often preface my prompts with “abstract”, "dark vibe", and "light vibe". This simple addition profoundly influences the artwork's mood, setting the stage for the ensuing masterpiece.
Example poem:
I have a demon, he visits my sleep. When he comes over, my movements he keeps.
lays on my chest, I begin to weep. How did he get here? His movements, it creeps.
Frozen in fear, as he begins to reap. Not much to do, as I become a sheep.
I have a demon, he visits my sleep. When he comes over, my movements he keeps.
lays on my chest, I begin to weep. How did he get here? His movements, it creeps.
Where did he come from? His lair is deep. Only comes out when I fall asleep.
I have a demon, he visits my sleep. When he comes over, my movements he keeps.
lays on my chest, I begin to weep. How did he get here? His movements, it creeps.
I feel like I’m drowning deep down in a creek. He takes all my life force, leaving me weak.
I have a demon, he visits my sleep. When he comes over, my movements he keeps.
lays on my chest, I begin to weep. How did he get here? His movements, it creeps.
When he comes over my future is bleak. When will I wake up? I begin to speak. Never is the reply, as I hear a shriek. From this reply, my heart becomes meek.
This is game over, my soul is reaped.
Prompt:
abstract. I have a demon, he visits my sleep. When he comes over, my movements he keeps. lays on my chest, I begin to weep. How did he get here? His movements, it creeps. Frozen in fear, as he begins to reap. Not much to do, as I become a sheep. I have a demon, he visits my sleep. When he comes over, my movements he keeps. lays on my chest, I begin to weep. How did he get here? His movements, it creeps. Where did he come from? His lair is deep. Only comes out when I fall asleep. I have a demon, he visits my sleep. When he comes over, my movements he keeps. lays on my chest, I begin to weep. How did he get here? His movements, it creeps. I feel like I’m drowning deep down in a creek. He takes all my life force, leaving me weak I have a demon, he visits my sleep. When he comes over, my movements he keeps. lays on my chest, I begin to weep. How did he get here? His movements, it creeps. When he comes over my future is bleak. When will I wake up? I begin to speak. Never is the reply, as I hear a shriek. From this reply, my heart becomes meek. This is game over, my soul is reaped. --v 6 --ar 9:16 --stylize 250
Conclusion
Every piece you create is a reflection of your creativity and the AI's capabilities. Celebrate your progress and the unique artworks you bring into the world. Remember, the journey of creation is as rewarding as the artwork itself.
Warriors, armed with this guide, you're now ready to unleash your creativity and explore the infinite possibilities of AI art with MidJourney. Whether you're creating mesmerizing landscapes, surreal portraits, or exploring uncharted artistic territories, remember, your imagination is the limit.
Here's to your artistic adventures, Warriors. Let the creation begin!