Use this recipe as a modular prompt lesson. Start with the subject, add one readable pose, then layer clothing, scene, camera, lighting, mood, and style. The prompt fragments stay in English so they can be copied directly into most image models.
Positive Prompt
thoughtful detective in a fictional city, original character, walking forward with steady posture, checking a small notebook while moving, long coat, simple hat, messenger bag, rainy neon alley, signs reflected in pavement, no real brands, low angle medium shot, shallow depth of field, blue and pink neon reflections, soft rain haze, mysterious but non-violent investigation mood, cinematic digital illustration, clean noir color contrast, clean composition, coherent anatomy, detailed materials, balanced colors, polished illustration
Negative Prompt
low quality, blurry, extra fingers, deformed hands, unreadable details, harsh artifacts, watermark, text overlay
golden hour rim light, warm edge highlights, soft long shadows
Source: Detective Walking Through Neon Alley
Style
Variation: watercolor
watercolor illustration, textured paper grain, gentle color washes
Source: Detective Walking Through Neon Alley
Camera
Variation: wider framing
wide shot, more background context, subject placed on rule-of-thirds line
Source: Detective Walking Through Neon Alley
Use this recipe as a modular prompt lesson. Start with the subject, add one readable pose, then layer clothing, scene, camera, lighting, mood, and style. The prompt fragments stay in English so they can be copied directly into most image models.
Common Mistakes
Combining close-up and full body framing in the same prompt.
Adding many style directions that fight for visual priority.
Using vague words such as beautiful without concrete visual detail.