- The formula Google recommends for styled images
- Painting and traditional media styles
- Graphic and print styles
- Art movement styles
- Animation and 3D styles
- Which style suits which kind of business
- Turning a photo into an art style
- How to get better results with art style prompts
- My verdict
- Frequently asked questions
The art styles that work best in AI prompts name a medium, a movement or a look: watercolour, gouache, oil painting, line art, flat vector, cel-shaded anime, art deco, pop art, ukiyo-e, risograph, claymation, isometric 3D and more. Put the style first, then the subject, then two or three visual details like line weight and colour.
If your AI images all look like the same glossy, slightly plastic picture, the fix is usually one phrase: the style. AI image tools have seen enough art to know what "risograph print" or "mid-century travel poster" means, and naming it does more than any amount of "beautiful, stunning, high quality".
Below is a list of art styles grouped by type, each with a copy-paste prompt you can adapt for your own business. They work in Gemini, ChatGPT, Midjourney and most other image tools. Swap the bracketed parts for your own subject and colours.
The formula Google recommends for styled images
Google's Gemini image guide gives a simple template for illustrations: name the style, then the subject and what it's doing, then the visual qualities (it mentions bold outlines and cel-shading) and the colour or background. In plain terms:
| Part | What to write | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Style | A medium, movement or look | Watercolour illustration |
| Subject | Who or what, doing what | of a florist arranging tulips |
| Visual details | Lines, texture, shading | loose brush edges, soft paper texture |
| Colour and background | Palette and setting | pastel pinks on a cream background |
| Purpose | Where the image will be used | for a spring newsletter header |
That last row matters more than people think. Google's guide says explaining the purpose changes the result, and its example is a logo for a high-end, minimalist skincare brand beating a bare "create a logo".
Painting and traditional media styles
Watercolour
Copy this prompt
A watercolour illustration of [subject], loose brush edges, soft colour bleeds, visible paper texture, a palette of [colours], lots of white space around the subject.
Gouache
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A gouache painting of [subject], flat matte colour, bold simple shapes, slightly chalky finish, warm [colour] background.
Oil painting
Copy this prompt
An oil painting of [subject] in the style of a classical portrait, rich layered brushstrokes, dramatic side lighting, deep [colour] tones.
Pencil sketch
Copy this prompt
A detailed graphite pencil sketch of [subject] on off-white paper, fine cross-hatching for shadows, a few loose construction lines left visible.
Ink and wash
Copy this prompt
An ink and wash drawing of [subject], confident black ink lines with grey washes, minimal detail in the background, calm and elegant.
Graphic and print styles
Flat vector
Copy this prompt
A flat vector illustration of [subject], clean geometric shapes, no gradients, a limited palette of [three brand colours], plain background.
Line art
Copy this prompt
Minimal single-weight line art of [subject], black lines on white, no shading, lots of negative space, suitable for an icon or website section.
Risograph print
Copy this prompt
A risograph-style print of [subject], two-colour overprint in [colour] and [colour], grainy texture, slight misregistration at the edges.
Screen print poster
Copy this prompt
A screen-printed gig-poster style image of [subject], bold blocks of colour, halftone shading, strong central composition.
Paper cut-out
Copy this prompt
A layered paper cut-out illustration of [subject], visible paper edges and soft drop shadows between layers, bright [colours].
Art movement styles
Art deco
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An art deco poster of [subject], symmetrical composition, gold and black geometric patterns, elegant lettering space at the top left empty for text.
Pop art
Copy this prompt
A pop art image of [subject] with thick black outlines, Ben-Day dots, bold primary colours and a comic-book energy.
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Ukiyo-e woodblock
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A Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock print of [subject], flat colour areas, fine outlines, a stylised wave or mountain in the background.
Bauhaus
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A Bauhaus-inspired design of [subject] built from circles, squares and triangles, primary colours on cream, strict grid layout.
Mid-century travel poster
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A mid-century travel poster of [place or product], simplified shapes, warm sunset palette, textured print finish, a confident vintage feel.
Animation and 3D styles
Cel-shaded anime
Copy this prompt
A cel-shaded anime illustration of [subject], crisp outlines, flat shading with hard shadow edges, bright expressive colours.
Claymation
Copy this prompt
A claymation-style scene of [subject], handmade plasticine look, visible thumbprints in the clay, soft studio lighting.
Isometric 3D
Copy this prompt
An isometric 3D illustration of [a shop, office or process], clean low-poly shapes, soft pastel colours, tiny details that reward a closer look.
Pixel art
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A retro pixel art scene of [subject], limited palette, crisp square pixels, a cheerful retro game feel.
Comic noir
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A three-panel comic of [scenario] in a gritty noir style with high-contrast black and white inks and one accent colour of [colour].
Which style suits which kind of business
| If you're a... | Styles worth trying first |
|---|---|
| Florist, bakery or gift shop | Watercolour, gouache, paper cut-out |
| Coach, therapist or consultant | Line art, ink and wash, flat vector |
| Café, bar or venue | Screen print poster, mid-century travel poster, risograph |
| Tech, software or agency | Isometric 3D, Bauhaus, flat vector |
| Kids, toys or family brand | Claymation, cel-shaded anime, pixel art |
These aren't rules, they're starting points. If you're not sure, try the same prompt in two styles and see which one you'd happily put on your homepage. That's usually the one you'll keep using, and it's the quickest way I know to find a look that's yours.
Turning a photo into an art style
Google's guide includes a style-transfer template that's handy for turning your own product or team photos into illustrations while keeping them recognisable:
Photo to illustration
Copy this prompt
Transform the provided photograph of [subject] into a [art style]. Keep the original composition and pose, but render it with [two or three stylistic details].
How to get better results with art style prompts
- Name the medium, not just the mood. "Gouache" or "risograph" gives the model something concrete. "Artistic" gives it nothing.
- Keep to one style per image. Mixing anime, oil painting and pixel art usually lands as mush.
- Lock in your brand colours. Name the same two or three colours every time and your images start to look like a set.
- Save the winners. When a style works, keep the exact wording in a note so your next image matches.
- Refine in small steps. Google suggests follow-ups like making the lighting a bit warmer, rather than rewriting the whole prompt.
For more ready-made prompts, my Gemini prompts for business owners include image jobs alongside writing ones, and the Seedance prompts show how style words carry over into AI video.
My verdict
If you only change one thing about your AI image prompts, name a style. Pick two or three that suit your brand from this list, use them consistently and your social posts, blog headers and newsletters will start to look like they came from the same business. Save the experimental styles for one-off campaigns.
Frequently asked questions
What art styles can I use in AI prompts?
Almost any named medium, movement or look works: watercolour, gouache, oil painting, pencil sketch, flat vector, line art, risograph, art deco, pop art, ukiyo-e, Bauhaus, cel-shaded anime, claymation, isometric 3D and pixel art are reliable starting points.
Where should the style go in the prompt?
Put it at the start. Google's template for stylised images begins with the style, then the subject and activity, then visual qualities and colours.
Can I ask AI to copy a living artist's style?
It's better not to. Describe the qualities you like instead (the line weight, palette and texture) so the result is your own and avoids copying someone's work.
Do these prompts work in ChatGPT and Midjourney too?
Yes. Style names are understood across most image tools. Midjourney's own docs use prompts like 'still life gouache painting' that name the medium directly.
How do I keep the same style across a set of images?
Reuse the exact style wording and colour list in every prompt, and save the version that worked so you can paste it again.
