A Beginner's Guide to Midjourney
Updated: Jul 10, 2023
Generative AI, including chatGPT and Midjourney AI, are amazing tools for any creative person or just for seeing how far technology has come in the last years.
I use them both in writing and creating art, as they provide me with endless inspiration and encouragement.
This post will concentrate on using Midjourney AI to create brilliant images for any kind of project. I'll guide you through the most basic actions required to create images with this groundbreaking tool. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Introduction
Midjourney is an innovative tool that uses artificial intelligence. Midjourney generates images from natural language descriptions, called "prompts", similar to OpenAI's DALL-E and Stable Diffusion, creating a wide range of art forms, from realistic to abstract styles.
You can use any image created with Midjourney commercially and sell them as you like. U.S. Copyright Office's current ruling is that machines can not be viewed as authors.
Midjourney is currently the most advanced AI image generator, surpassing DALL-E 2 and Stable Diffusion, especially in version 5 and above.
It's designed for artists, writers, and anyone else in need of a little creative inspiration. Whether you're looking to break through writer's block, brainstorm new ideas, or just have some fun, Midjourney is a powerful tool to have in your creative arsenal.
Getting Started
To start using Midjourney, you'll first need to create an account on Discord. Currently, this is the only way to use Midjourney, as it has no application or website you can use. The service isn't free anymore and requires a subscription for a small monthly fee (although a trial period might be available for special occasions, as specified on the Midjourney site).
Download Discord or use the web interface, sign in, and connect to the Midjourney bot server. You can also set up a private channel with the Midjourney discord bot.
Easy-to-follow instructions for starting out with Midjourney on Discord can be found here:
Creating Your First Prompt
Creating a prompt in Midjourney is as easy as clicking a button. You can choose a style, set the mood, and select the type of output you want. Whether you're looking for a whimsical scene, a dramatic dialogue, or a mysterious scenario, Midjourney can generate a prompt to suit your needs.
Interacting with the Midjourney Bot on Discord is done using a Command. Commands are used to create images, change default settings, monitor user info, and perform other helpful tasks.
The /imagine command generates a unique image from a short text description (known as a Prompt).
After you've set up the chat with the Midjourney bot, type /imagine in your discord chat and choose the first option you see. You can also press TAB to choose this option.
You can use this favorite prompt of mine as an example (copy and paste into the prompt field in Discord):
a curly little girl reading a book, in the style of children's illustrations, watercolor and ink, whimsical, sweet, child --v 5
Basic Prompt Writing
- the prompts for Midjourney have to be short and concise; use simple and short sentences. Midjourney has a soft maximum of roughly 60 words (not an exact limitation). Do not use long and winding sentences and stories. The engine will recognize keywords from your prompt, but that might also insert unnecessary "noise" into the image created.
- include terms to define a style of a specific genre or a certain artist or photographer (in the example above: "in the style of children's illustrations")
- specify a medium or type of image, for instance, "colored pencils", "watercolor", "photograph," and more. Midjourney can create any type of image, including hyperrealistic images, illustrations, icons, and more.
- add keywords related to your image, including emotions, vibe etc, for instance - "bittersweet", "light and airy", "happy and colorful" and more.
- the default engine version is currently V4, but V5.1 is also available for use, with the parameter `--v 5.1` added at the end of the prompt. Other parameters are available and will be explained in a future blog post.
Tip: Midjourney has a hard time with multiple figures in a single prompt, and it might produce some weird results (try telling it to imagine a mom doing a handstand or yoga). The best way to create a shot with multiple figures is to use Photoshop to combine multiple images into one.
Understanding the Output
The output from Midjourney is a creative prompt generated by the AI. It's designed to spark your imagination and get your creative juices flowing. You can use the prompt as a starting point for a story, a sketch, a painting, or any other creative project.
The output you will see after entering a prompt with the /imagine command will consist of 4 variations the engine creates for your prompt.
U buttons: allow you to "upscale" a chosen variant - which creates a full-size image with more details (see example below).
V buttons: will create further variations on the option you choose.
🔄 (re-roll) reruns a Job. In this case, it would rerun the original prompt producing a new grid of images.
Once you've chosen an image to upscale, you'll have the next options available on the resulting image:
"Make variations" - will result in new 4 options created based on this image, which you can play with even further.
"Remaster" - will add details and create a more complicated image, based on this image.
"Favorite" - will mark this work as a favorite. This is useful when using the general Midjourney server in the "newbie" or "general" channels. in the case of a private chat with the Midjourney bot, this won't have any effect.
Advanced Features
Midjourney also offers a range of advanced features for more experienced users. You can customize the AI's behavior, use the tool for specific types of projects, or even integrate Midjourney with other tools to streamline your creative process.
These include parameters given in a prompt (such as the --chaos, --stylize and --no parameters), commands that can be used with the Midjourney bot (such as /blend and /describe), and others. I will elaborate on these in the next post.
Troubleshooting and Support
If you ever run into trouble while using Midjourney, there are plenty of resources available to help. You can check out the FAQs, participate in the support forums, or reach out to the customer service team for assistance.
For basic help and assistance, use the /help command in a chat with the Midjourey bot.
Wrapping Up
Midjourney is a powerful tool that can help spark your creativity and inspire new ideas. Whether you're a seasoned artist or a beginner just starting out, Midjourney offers a fun and easy way to generate images from creative prompts. So why wait? Start your creative journey with Midjourney today! Try it out and share your favorite prompts or creations in the comments below. Don't forget to follow us on our Facebook page and Instagram profile for more tips, guides, and creative inspiration!
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