Tutorials

AI Image Styles Guide: Common Styles and How to Describe Them

Choosing the right style is one of the most important parts of AI image generation. Style descriptions help the model understand the visual direction, artistic mood, and overall appearance of the image.

This guide introduces common AI image styles and explains how to describe them effectively in prompts.

Why image style matters

AI image models interpret prompts holistically.

If the style is unclear or contradictory, results may look inconsistent or unfocused. A well-defined style helps you:

Improve visual consistency
Control artistic direction
Reduce unwanted randomness

Style descriptions work best when they are clear, simple, and intentional.

Illustration style

Illustration-style images resemble digital drawings or hand-painted artwork.

Common uses

Posters and cover art
Storytelling visuals
Concept art

Prompt tips

Use words like digital illustration, hand-drawn, clean line art
Add color or mood descriptors

Example prompt

A cozy village at sunset, digital illustration, warm colors, soft lighting

Realistic or photorealistic style

Realistic styles aim to mimic photography or real-world visuals.

Common uses

Portraits
Product mockups
Scene visualization

Prompt tips

Use realistic, photorealistic, or high-detail photography
Add camera or lighting details

Example prompt

Portrait of a young woman, realistic photography style, soft natural lighting

Anime or manga style

Anime-style images are inspired by Japanese animation and manga aesthetics.

Common uses

Character design
Fan art
Stylized portraits

Prompt tips

Use anime style or manga illustration
Describe facial expression and outfit clearly

Example prompt

Anime-style character with blue hair, school uniform, soft pastel colors

Watercolor style

Watercolor images simulate traditional watercolor paintings.

Common uses

Artistic scenes
Gentle, atmospheric visuals
Nature illustrations

Prompt tips

Use watercolor painting, soft brush strokes
Avoid too many sharp details

Example prompt

Mountain landscape, watercolor painting style, light brush strokes

Oil painting style

Oil painting styles resemble classical or modern oil artwork.

Common uses

Portraits
Fine art experiments
Historical scenes

Prompt tips

Use oil painting, canvas texture
Mention lighting and color tone

Example prompt

Portrait of an elderly man, oil painting style, dramatic lighting

Minimalist style

Minimalist images focus on simplicity and clean composition.

Common uses

Icons
Posters
Modern design concepts

Prompt tips

Use minimalist, simple composition
Limit the number of objects

Example prompt

Minimalist poster design, single tree silhouette, neutral background

Fantasy style

Fantasy styles emphasize imaginative and mythical elements.

Common uses

Game concept art
Story illustrations
Creative world-building

Prompt tips

Describe setting and atmosphere clearly
Use mood descriptors

Example prompt

Fantasy castle floating above clouds, epic lighting, digital illustration

Sci-fi style

Sci-fi styles focus on futuristic or technological themes.

Common uses

Concept design
Futuristic environments
Character concepts

Prompt tips

Use futuristic, sci-fi, or cyberpunk
Add lighting or color contrast

Example prompt

Futuristic city at night, neon lights, sci-fi illustration style

Cartoon style

Cartoon styles are simplified, playful, and expressive.

Common uses

Mascots
Children's illustrations
Social media visuals

Prompt tips

Use cartoon style, bold outlines
Keep descriptions light and fun

Example prompt

Cute cartoon robot, bright colors, simple shapes

Mixing styles carefully

Mixing styles is possible but requires restraint.

Combine only compatible styles
Avoid mixing too many artistic directions
Test small variations

Example of careful mixing

Fantasy character, anime-inspired illustration style, soft watercolor colors

Choosing the right style for your goal

Match style to the purpose to improve overall results:

Posters to Illustration or minimalist
Portraits to Realistic or oil painting
Concepts to Fantasy or sci-fi
Social media to Cartoon or anime

Final tips for style prompts

Start simple, then refine
Observe how small changes affect output
Keep style descriptions consistent
Experiment to learn how styles influence AI-generated images

Learn more

Keep refining prompts and understanding NanoBanana with these guides: