Struggling with hit-or-miss Leonardo AI prompts?
Crafting the perfect text description to generate your desired image is an art form.
Read this post to discover the best practices, examples, and templates for Leonardo AI prompts across categories to consistently create quality AI art.
How to Write Prompts for Leonardo AI?
Before jumping into specific prompts, it helps to understand a few key principles for prompting Leonardo AI effectively:
- Be Specific – The more details you provide, the better. Include colors, textures, styles, subject matter, and any other descriptive elements.
- Use Clear Language – Write prompts as you would naturally describe an image to another person. Avoid ambiguous words that could have multiple interpretations.
- Go Step-by-Step – Break down your prompt into logical steps from general to specific. Ex: A photo of a girl with blonde hair, wearing a blue dress, standing in a field of flowers.
- Get Inspired By Art – Study styles of existing art and artists to describe visual effects you want to emulate.
- Iterate and Refine – Start general and add details gradually. Test and tweak your prompt until you get the desired result.
By following these tips, you’ll start to get a feel for structuring effective prompts.
Next, let’s look at some specific examples.
Best Leonardo AI Prompts
Here is a collection of prompts tailored for Leonardo AI across different categories and use cases.
Try them out as-is or as inspiration when making your prompts.
Prompts for Realistic Human Faces
- A photograph of a smiling old man with a bald head and grey beard wearing glasses.
- A portrait of a beautiful young woman with long blonde hair and bright blue eyes.
- A picture of a handsome middle-aged Indian man wearing a suit and tie with short black hair and a well-groomed beard.
- A close-up portrait of an Asian baby with chubby cheeks looking at the camera laughing.
- A photo of an elderly Hispanic woman with tan skin, wrinkles, curly grey hair, and brown eyes.
- A passport-style picture of a 30-year-old Caucasian male with short brown hair, a shaved face, and green eyes.
- A picture of a 10-year-old African American girl with braided hair, glasses, and a pink-striped shirt smiling.
- A close-up image of a young man’s face with a thin mustache and thick eyebrows gazing pensively.
- A monochrome portrait of a teen girl with flowing curly red hair and a splash of freckles smiling softly.
- A vintage photograph of an androgynous person with a sharp jawline, hooded eyes, and tousled platinum-blonde hair.
Prompts for Anime Characters
- A bust-up digital drawing of an anime girl with long pink hair in pigtails wearing a school uniform.
- A full-body anime character portrait of a strong, handsome young man with spiky blue hair wielding a huge sword.
- An anime catgirl with purple hair, a frilly dress, cat ears, yellow eyes, and a tail sitting down cutely.
- A timid-looking anime boy with glasses, green hair, and eyes, wearing a hoodie while reading a book.
- A fan art digital painting of Naruto running and holding a Rasengan with an intense expression.
- Sailor Moon posing dramatically with her magical scepter and blonde hair flowing.
- Goku from Dragon Ball Z powered up as a Super Saiyan with glowing blonde hair surrounded by a blue aura.
- Deku from My Hero Academia wearing his green and white costume and holding up a fist while using his Quirk.
- A Chun-Li fan art from Street Fighter doing a high kick while wearing her blue qipao dress.
- Mikasa Ackerman from Attack on Titan standing in action wielding her dual swords and wearing her signature red scarf.
Prompts for Landscapes
- A huge mountain landscape digital painting of snow-covered rocky peaks reflecting in a still turquoise lake at sunrise.
- An idyllic countryside scene oil painting of a charming cottage with ivy vines and a brick chimney next to a vibrant flower garden.
- Aerial view photograph of a tropical white sand beach with palm trees and turquoise water fading into the horizon.
- A vibrant autumn forest with bright red, orange, and yellow leaves on tall trees surrounding a winding path.
- A misty meadow landscape oil painting of wildflowers blooming with soft light breaking through the fog at dawn.
- A vibrant impressionist painting of a grassy hillside overlooking a valley of vineyards basking in a golden hour sunset.
- A minimalist pen sketch of angular snow-capped mountains framing a small glacial lake.
- A moody thunderstorm digital painting depicting lightning striking over a dark sea swelling with waves crashing into cliffs.
- A fantasy landscape scene of a medieval castle with towers and turrets perched atop a hill shrouded in fog.
- A cinematic wide shot of the Grand Canyon in black and white depicts the sun rising over layered cliffs and canyons.
Prompts for Still Life Paintings
- A classical still-life oil painting of various fruits including apples, oranges, grapes, and pears spilling out of a ceramic bowl.
- A detailed still-life drawing of a bouquet of assorted colorful flowers including tulips, roses, and lilies in a clear glass vase.
- A muted watercolor still life painting of a collection of seashells of different shapes and sizes placed delicately on a weathered grey driftwood surface.
- A modern graphic still life portraying a cup of coffee steaming next to an open book and a flower in stark black and white.
- A colorful acrylic still life piece with thickly layered brushstrokes depicting two lemons and an orange cut in half on the background of the newspaper.
- An impressionist style still life oil painting of a platter with peaches, apricots, and plums illuminated by soft window light.
- A photorealistic pencil drawing still-life study of a white ceramic skull placed next to an hourglass and old books.
- A Dutch Golden Age still life oil painting showing a detailed assortment of musical instruments on a wooden table.
- A vibrant pop art graphic still-life acrylic painting of a bowl of ripe bananas and apples with strong black outlines.
- A conceptual photography still life with depth of field depicting a collection of various glass bottles.
Prompts for Abstract Art
- A Jackson Pollock-style abstract expressionist painting with splatters and drips of red, blue, and yellow acrylic paint.
- A geometric abstract acrylic painting in the hard-edged style depicting intersecting circles, triangles, and rectangles in bold colors.
- A surrealist digital painting portraying melting clocks over an eerie landscape straight out of a dream.
- A cubist abstract portrait fracturing a woman’s face into a multitude of angular geometric shapes floating on the canvas.
- A minimalist zen tangles black ink painting of hypnotic patterns swirls and labyrinths.
- A psychedelic abstract with optical illusions made of wavy concentric circles in shades of green, purple, and magenta.
- An abstract expressionist landscape made of gestural strokes reminiscent of wind blowing through wheat fields and grassy hills.
- A pop art graphic screen print in the style of Andy Warhol depicting overlapping rows of Campbell’s soup cans.
- A surreal abstract digital illustration portraying blossoming Lotus flowers and human eyes floating in space.
- A futuristic abstract wallpaper design of neon laser grids and glow effects in cyberpunk purples and blues.
Prompts for Logos and Graphic Design
- A modern tech company logo with sharp edges portraying abstract overlapping shapes in shades of electric blue on a black background.
- A minimalist coffee shop logo with clean lines depicting a simple coffee cup line art graphic in white on a circular tan background.
- A vintage-style emblem portraying ornate calligraphy initials surrounded by floral wreaths for an antique botanical shop.
- A professional medical clinic logo shows a clean caduceus symbol with snakes and wings surrounded by a blue shield shape.
- A colorful children’s toy store logo depicting a cartoon hot air balloon floating under the company name in a whimsical font.
- A sports team emblem showing an aggressive tiger baring its fangs shaped out of the negative space around bold block letters.
- An elegant high-end jewelry logo framing an arrangement of glistening diamonds and golden filigree.
- A minimal black and white yin-yang graphic is enclosed within a bold circle border for a yoga studio brand.
- A hand-drawn style tattoo shop emblem depicting edgy blackwork stars, feathers, and script lettering.
- A retro-style soda shop logo with shiny steel embellishments, cursive font, and vibrant jukebox illustrations.
Prompts for Text and Typography
- Fancy calligraphy cursive script spelling out an inspirational quote against a watercolor wash background.
- Sharp syncopated graffiti letters in neon spray paint colors on a brick wall.
- Shiny futuristic holographic text floating over a minimalist cyberpunk background.
- Distressed wood type with a letterpress imprint of meaningful poetry on paper.
- Framed blackletter Gothic font spelling out chapter titles like in medieval illuminated manuscripts.
- Glitchy digital matrix code and symbols streaming down a screen like from the movie The Matrix.
- Handwritten notes with vintage dip pen and ink depicting recipes on scraps of parchment paper.
- Bold Western classic wanted poster-type lassoing the name of an infamous outlaw.
- Ornate Art Nouveau ironwork and flowers wrapping around whimsical cursive words.
- Circular text spiral radiating from the center expands the line “Everything Connects”.
Prompts for Animals and Creatures
- A majestic wolf howling at the moon in front of a foggy forest landscape.
- A colorful chameleon perched on a leaf changing colors to blend into the rainforest background.
- A giant panda bear cub eating a bamboo shoot with fluffy fur and big inquisitive eyes.
- A mighty lion with a huge mane framed in black-and-white photography roars directly at the viewer.
- A cute red panda sitting in a tree eating a bamboo leaf with white markings around its eyes looking curiously.
- A mother polar bear with two cubs huddling close to her while floating together on an iceberg in the Arctic Sea.
- A giant blue whale breaching the ocean surface with droplets of water sparkling in the sunlight all around it.
- A baby sloth clinging onto a tree branch staring at the camera with an adorable sleepy smile on its face.
- A hummingbird with an iridescent throat drinking nectar from a pink flower with wings buzzing at super speed.
- A mystical unicorn rearing back on its hind legs with a shining white horn and rainbow mane portrayed in fantasy art.
Prompts for Architecture and Cityscapes
- Timelapse photography of flashy Times Square with light trails from busy traffic at night in New York City.
- The impressive Taj Mahal frames the shiny reflecting pool leading up to the ornate marble structure.
- A bustling street in downtown Tokyo filled with flashing neon signs, vibrant billboards, and people at night.
- The Eiffel Tower stands tall and imposing overlooking a scenic sunset over a romantic Parisian cityscape.
- A sweeping metropolitan skyline at the blue hour with glittering skyscrapers lit up and tiny cars speeding along highways.
- The iconic Hollywood sign on a rugged hillside overlooking the sprawling entertainment city of Los Angeles.
- A stunning Dubai seaside cityscape with the towering Burj Khalifa centerpiece surrounded by glittering glass buildings.
- Intricate Italian architecture on historic churches and townhouses lining the winding canals and waterways of Venice.
- The ancient Great Pyramids of Giza with looming triangular shadows stretching over golden dunes.
- A bustling street scene in London portraying red double-decker buses, black cabs, and Big Ben’s tower in the background.
Prompts for Fashion and Portraits
- A glamour magazine cover of a beautiful model wearing bold winged eyeliner and red lipstick.
- A black and white vintage portrait of a stylish flapper woman from the 1920s wearing a beaded fringe dress.
- A studio fashion photograph of a muscular male model wearing an expensive tailored Italian suit.
- An environmental portrait of an interesting elderly man with weathered skin texture and character.
- A celebrity red carpet photo depicting an elegant actress in a flowing blue evening gown with sparkling jewels.
- A double exposure effect portrait overlaying a woman’s face with soft pink cherry blossoms.
- A close-up beauty shot with soft lighting emphasizing lush eyelashes, dewy skin, and glossy lips.
- A candid street photo of a trendy young woman walking wearing an oversized graphic tee, ripped jeans, and white sneakers.
- An action sports portrait of a dirt bike rider wearing a helmet and a vibrant racing jumpsuit covered in dust.
- A romantic engagement session photo of a couple holding hands and smiling wearing bohemian floral outfits.
More Leonardo AI Prompts…
Leonardo AI Prompt Examples
To see Leonardo AI in action, let’s walk through some prompt examples and the resulting generations:
Prompt: An oil painting portrait of an astronaut sitting in a spaceship cockpit looking at Earth.
This prompt works well because it provides the medium (oil painting), subject (astronaut), setting details (spaceship cockpit), and context (looking at Earth). The result is a cohesive artistic image.
Prompt: A photograph of a hamburger and fries looking delicious and mouthwatering.
This prompt could produce somewhat generic results because “delicious and mouthwatering” are subjective. Using more specifics about how the food is presented and photographed can help generate better results.
Prompt: A majestic fantasy landscape depicting a wizard’s tower on top of a hill overlooking a valley with waterfalls at sunset. The tower is old grey stone with vines, gothic architectural details, and glowing lights in the windows.
This prompt succeeds by including adjectives for mood, specifying the subject, adding environmental context like the terrain and time of day, and descriptive details about the tower itself. This guides the AI to create a cohesive, narrative image.
Leonardo AI Prompts for T-Shirt Design
Leonardo AI is great for generating all kinds of graphic design concepts. For t-shirt graphics, try these types of prompts:
- A vector line art graphic of a howling wolf face for an animal rescue non-profit t-shirt.
- Retro 80s neon-style graffiti letters spelling Brooklyn for a streetwear clothing brand.
- A cancer awareness t-shirt design with hand-drawn watercolor lilies and script text “Fight On”.
- A galaxy outer space scene with planets, stars, and swirly colors for a kid’s science camp shirt.
- A graphic pineapple illustration wearing sunglasses and headphones for a funny tropical vacation tee.
The key is including a mix of graphic styles, text elements, context, and creative concepts that would make fun t-shirt designs full of personality.
Leonardo AI Prompts for Coloring Book
Besides t-shirts, Leonardo AI can design prints for coloring books, posters, cards, and more. Here are some coloring book prompt ideas:
- An intricate mandala line drawing made of repetitive geometric shapes and hypnotic patterns.
- A fun outline of a baby sloth hanging from a tree branch with large blank spaces for color.
- A simple outline sketch of major city landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, London Bridge, and Leaning Tower of Pisa.
- A page of dinosaurs including a T-Rex, Stegosaurus, and Triceratops is drawn in a cartoony kids’ style.
- A collection of different ice cream cones with scoops ready to be colored in with vibrant flavors.
The most important thing is keeping the initial outline art clean and simple so it’s easy to color in without getting too messy or busy.
What Makes a Good Leonardo AI Prompt?
Now that we’ve looked at tons of examples, let’s summarize what generally makes an effective prompt for Leonardo AI:
- Specific details – more descriptors lead to more coherent results
- Logical flow from general → specific
- Creative concepts, not just subject matter – give the AI something interesting to work with!
- Describes visual appearance whenever possible
- Clear, natural language – write prompts as you would explain an image aloud
- Inspired by existing art and artists for stylistic guidance
- Avoids subjective or abstract descriptors like “beautiful”
- Iterative refinement of prompts – edit and adjust prompts gradually
Prompt Engineering Tips and Tricks for Leonardo AI
Leonardo AI gives artists a new prompt engineering toolkit to achieve their creative vision. Here are some advanced tips:
- Use “trending on ArtStation” or name popular artists to tap into current styles
- Chain modifiers like “vibrant pop art postmodernism” merge genres
- Adjust the size with words like “cinematic wide vista” vs “tight close up”
- Use photographic vs. illustrative vs. painterly for different media
- Add –ar 2:3 to force specific aspect ratios like portrait or landscape
- Control tone with “somber” “lighthearted” “serene” etc
Generating Diverse, High-Quality Images
With the sheer power of Leonardo AI, it can be tempting to crank up the randomness to create tons of wild, unexpected images.
But for the best results, quality matters more than quantity. Here are some tips:
- Start with 3-5 generations per prompt – review and refine prompts that show promise
- Favor prompts that produce coherent, aesthetically pleasing outputs
- Use higher sampling rates like Euler a or higher steps for crisper details
- Eliminate wonky outputs with bad anatomy, distorted faces, or unnatural settings
- Set a higher precision threshold like .85 to curate more quality over quantity
The goal is to hone in on prompts that reliably produce appealing outputs through deliberate refinements.
With practice, your “hit rate” for stunning images will improve dramatically.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
No AI is fully perfect, so you may run into some issues generating images. Here is how to troubleshoot:
- Strange artifacts – Increase steps for more precision
- Warped/melted faces or figures – Add anatomical or proportional descriptors
- Missing elements – Use “full body shot” or ensure critical subjects described
- Nonsensical combinations – Specify relationships between disparate subjects
- Unclear concept – Provide more backstory, context, adjectives, and details
- Matching prompt but low quality – Try adding “trending on ArtStation” or referencing a famous artist’s style
When prompts fail, examine why and tweak them to guide the AI.
Final Thoughts
Creating images with Leonardo AI is like envisioning a painting in your mind’s eye and describing it to a skilled artist to bring to life.
With thoughtful, detailed prompting, suddenly your imagination is the only limit to what you can generate.
It may take testing out a range of prompts, fine-tuning generations, and gradually improving results.
But with deliberate practice and patience, you’ll be able to produce jaw-dropping images powered by Leonardo AI.
I have been working with AI prompts for over 5 years, and I have published several articles and books on the topic. I am passionate about the potential of AI prompts to help people create better content. I am also a frequent speaker at AI conferences, where I share my knowledge and expertise with others.