What is Midjourney? The Ultimate Guide to AI Digital Art

Midjourney is an artificial intelligence-based image generator that creates professional-quality digital art from text descriptions. It is considered the world leader in artistic quality and aesthetics for AI image generation.

Launched in 2022 by David Holz (co-founder of Leap Motion), Midjourney has revolutionized digital art creation, being used by over 20 million users including professional artists, designers, marketers, and creatives worldwide.

What makes Midjourney unique?

🎨 Exceptional artistic quality

Superior aesthetics: Recognized as the generator with the best visual quality
Artistic coherence: Maintains consistent style in image series
Refined details: Professional textures, lighting, and composition
Stylistic variety: From photorealism to conceptual art

🚀 Ease of use

Discord interface: Natural integration in Discord server
Simple prompts: Generates incredible art with basic descriptions
Rapid iteration: Instant refinement and variations
Active community: Learn by watching other users’ work

⚡ Speed and efficiency

Fast generation: Images in 30-60 seconds
Multiple variations: 4 options per prompt
Smart upscaling: Improves resolution while maintaining quality
Parallel processing: Multiple simultaneous jobs

🎭 Creative versatility

Multiple styles: Photography, illustration, 3D, conceptual art
Diverse genres: Fantasy, sci-fi, realism, abstract
Customizable aspects: Ratios, styles, specific techniques
Visual references: Uses images as inspiration

How Midjourney works

🧠 Base technology

Midjourney uses diffusion models trained on millions of images:

Generation process:

Text prompt → Semantic analysis → Diffusion generation → Refinement → Final image

Model training:

Massive dataset: Millions of high-quality images
Style learning: Recognizes and reproduces artistic techniques
Contextual understanding: Understands relationships between objects and concepts
Continuous refinement: Constant improvements based on feedback

🔧 Model versions

Midjourney V6 (Current)

Main improvements: Enhanced photorealism, better prompt following
Resolution: Up to 2048x2048 native pixels
Coherence: Greater consistency in characters and objects
Long prompts: Better understanding of complex descriptions

Historical evolution:

V1-V2 (2022): Initial experimental versions
V3 (2022): First publicly popular version
V4 (2023): Massive leap in quality and realism
V5 (2023): Revolution in photorealism and hands
V6 (2024): Current state of the art

How to get started with Midjourney

Step 1: Initial setup

1. Create Discord account

1. Download Discord (desktop/mobile)
2. Create account if you don't have one
3. Verify your email

2. Join Midjourney server

1. Go to midjourney.com
2. Click "Join the Beta"
3. Accept Discord server invitation
4. Read server rules

1. Use /subscribe command in Discord
2. Select the plan that best fits your needs
3. Complete payment (card/PayPal)
4. Automatic confirmation in Discord

Step 2: First prompts

Basic prompt structure:

/imagine [description of the image you want to create]

Examples to start:

/imagine a majestic lion in golden hour lighting, photorealistic

/imagine futuristic city skyline, neon lights, cyberpunk style

/imagine vintage travel poster, Mediterranean coast, 1950s art style

/imagine close-up portrait of wise old wizard, fantasy art, detailed

Step 3: Essential commands

Basic commands:

/imagine: Generate new images
/describe: Analyze existing image to generate prompts
/blend: Combine multiple images
/settings: Configure personal preferences

Interaction buttons:

U1, U2, U3, U4: Upscale (increase resolution) each variation
V1, V2, V3, V4: Create variations of each option
🔄: Completely regenerate the prompt
❤️: Save to favorites

Art of creating effective prompts

🎯 Anatomy of the perfect prompt

Recommended structure:

[Main subject] + [Artistic style] + [Lighting] + [Composition] + [Technical parameters]

Detailed example:

/imagine ethereal female portrait, Art Nouveau style, soft golden lighting, 
close-up composition, intricate floral details, painted by Alphonse Mucha, 
high detail, 8k resolution --ar 2:3 --v 6

📚 Essential vocabulary

Popular artistic styles:

• Photorealistic, hyperrealistic, cinematic
• Oil painting, watercolor, digital art, concept art
• Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Renaissance, Baroque
• Minimalist, abstract, surreal, impressionist
• Cyberpunk, steampunk, fantasy, sci-fi
• Studio Ghibli style, Disney style, anime style

Lighting techniques:

• Golden hour, blue hour, dramatic lighting
• Soft lighting, hard lighting, rim lighting
• Volumetric lighting, god rays, neon lighting
• Studio lighting, natural lighting, candlelight
• Backlighting, side lighting, top lighting

Composition and framing:

• Close-up, medium shot, wide shot, aerial view
• Portrait orientation, landscape, square format
• Rule of thirds, symmetrical, asymmetrical
• Low angle, high angle, bird's eye view
• Macro photography, telephoto, wide angle

⚙️ Advanced technical parameters

Aspect Ratios (—ar):

--ar 1:1    (Square - Instagram posts)
--ar 16:9   (Widescreen - YouTube thumbnails)
--ar 9:16   (Vertical - Instagram Stories)
--ar 2:3    (Classic portrait)
--ar 3:2    (Standard photography)
--ar 4:5    (Social media portrait)

Other useful parameters:

--v 6           (Force specific version)
--style raw     (Less artistic processing)
--stylize 1000  (More artistic stylization)
--chaos 50      (More variation between results)
--seed 12345    (Reproduce specific result)
--no hands      (Exclude specific elements)

🎨 Prompts by categories

Professional portraits:

/imagine professional headshot of confident business woman, 
corporate attire, clean studio lighting, neutral background, 
high-end commercial photography, shot with Canon 5D Mark IV, 
85mm lens, shallow depth of field --ar 2:3 --v 6

Cinematic landscapes:

/imagine epic mountain landscape at sunrise, dramatic clouds, 
mist in valleys, cinematic composition, shot with RED camera, 
color graded like Lord of the Rings, hyperrealistic, 
8k resolution --ar 16:9 --v 6

Fantasy concept art:

/imagine ancient dragon perched on crystal mountain peak, 
magical aurora in sky, fantasy concept art style, painted by 
Greg Rutkowski, detailed scales and textures, epic composition, 
mystical atmosphere --ar 3:2 --v 6

Product design:

/imagine sleek wireless headphones, premium materials, 
product photography, clean white background, soft shadows, 
commercial lighting, high-end tech aesthetic, minimalist design, 
shot for Apple advertisement --ar 1:1 --v 6

Professional use cases

🎯 Marketing and advertising

Advertising campaigns:

Hero images: Main images for landing pages
Social media assets: Posts for Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn
Banner ads: Creatives for Google Ads and Facebook Ads
Email marketing: Headers and visual elements
Visual branding: Brand elements and visual concept

Marketing prompt examples:

• "Luxury perfume bottle floating in silk fabric, elegant lighting, 
  commercial photography style, high-end beauty advertisement"

• "Happy diverse group using smartphone app, lifestyle photography, 
  bright colors, tech startup advertisement style"

• "Sustainable packaging design, eco-friendly materials, 
  green branding, minimalist product photography"

🎬 Entertainment industry

Film pre-production:

Concept art: Visualization of scenarios and characters
Storyboarding: Quick sketches for sequences
Matte painting: Backgrounds and environments
Character design: Visual development of characters
Production design: Set and location design

Gaming and animation:

Environment art: World and level design
Character concepts: Playable character design
UI/UX elements: Interfaces and graphic elements
Marketing assets: Key art and promotional materials

🏢 Architecture and design

Architectural visualization:

Concept renders: First visualizations of projects
Interior design: Space ambiance and decoration
Landscape design: Garden and exterior design
Urban planning: Urban development visualization

Effective architectural prompts:

/imagine modern minimalist house, glass walls, surrounded by forest, 
architectural photography, natural lighting, contemporary design, 
shot by Julius Shulman style --ar 16:9 --v 6

📚 Editorial and publishing

Publishing industry:

Book covers: Novel and technical book covers
Magazine illustrations: Articles and features
Web content: Images for blogs and websites
Infographic elements: Visual elements for infographics
Social media graphics: Content for social networks

🛍️ E-commerce and retail

E-commerce:

Product mockups: Product visualization before manufacturing
Lifestyle photography: Products in use context
Category banners: Headers for online store sections
Seasonal campaigns: Creatives for seasonal campaigns
Brand storytelling: Images that communicate brand values

Midjourney vs Competitors

Feature	Midjourney	DALL-E 3	Stable Diffusion	Firefly (Adobe)
🎨 Artistic quality	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐
📸 Photorealism	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐
💰 Price	Monthly subscription	ChatGPT Plus required	Free/Hosting	Included Creative Cloud
⚡ Speed	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐ (local)	⭐⭐⭐⭐
🎯 Ease of use	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🔧 Customization	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐
👥 Community	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐
⚖️ Commercial use	✅ Included	✅ Included	✅ Free	❌ Limited

🏆 When to choose each tool?

👑 Choose Midjourney if you need:

The best artistic quality available
Professional aesthetics for commercial projects
Active community to learn and get inspired
Established workflow in Discord
Consistently impressive results

🤖 Choose DALL-E 3 if you need:

Integration with ChatGPT for complete workflow
Better exact following of complex prompts
More traditional web interface
Ability to edit existing images

🔓 Choose Stable Diffusion if you need:

Complete control over model and process
Completely free and unlimited use
Extreme customization with LoRAs and fine-tuning
Total privacy (local execution)
Maximum flexibility for developers

🎨 Choose Adobe Firefly if you need:

Integration with Adobe workflow
Commercial rights guarantees
Specific features like Text Effects
Integrated editing tools

Best practices and professional tips

🎯 Prompt optimization

Golden rules:

Be specific but not too lengthy (50-100 words ideal)
Use known artistic references (“in the style of Annie Leibovitz”)
Specify technical aspects (lighting, composition, camera)
Experiment with parameters (—stylize, —chaos, aspect ratios)
Iterate based on results (use V1-V4 to refine)

Effective structure:

[SUBJECT] + [ACTION/POSE] + [ENVIRONMENT] + [STYLE] + [TECHNIQUE] + [PARAMETERS]

Example:
"Elegant dancer in flowing red dress, leaping gracefully, 
opera house stage, dramatic spotlight, photographed by 
Richard Avedon, medium format film, shallow depth of field 
--ar 2:3 --v 6"

📐 Professional workflow

Recommended iterative process:

Basic initial prompt → Test general concept
Refinement → Adjust specific elements
Variations → Explore different approaches
Upscaling → Increase resolution of favorites
Post-processing → Final adjustments in Photoshop/etc.

Organization and archiving:

• Save successful prompts in document
• Use seeds to reproduce results
• Maintain library of styles and references
• Document parameters that work for your niche
• Create thematic collections in gallery

🎨 Advanced techniques

Image Prompting (using images as reference):

1. Upload image to Discord
2. Copy image URL
3. Use it at the beginning of prompt:
   
/imagine [image_URL] futuristic interpretation, cyberpunk style --v 6

Multi-prompting (combining concepts):

/imagine (medieval castle:1.2) (modern skyscraper:0.8) hybrid architecture, 
fantasy concept art --ar 16:9 --v 6

Note: Numbers indicate weight/importance of each concept

Negative prompting (excluding elements):

/imagine beautiful landscape --no people, cars, buildings, text, watermarks

📊 Quality control

Criteria for evaluating results:

Visual coherence: Do elements make sense together?
Technical quality: Are there visible artifacts or errors?
Composition: Is the image well balanced?
Detail resolution: Do small elements look good?
Prompt adherence: Does it reflect what you asked for?

Common red flags:

❌ Deformed hands or extra fingers
❌ Illegible or distorted text  
❌ Objects that merge incorrectly
❌ Impossible perspectives
❌ Inconsistent lighting
❌ Visible generation artifacts

Limitations and considerations

⚠️ Technical limitations

Aspects that Midjourney still doesn’t handle perfectly:

Readable text in images
- Letters and numbers tend to come out distorted
- Better to avoid prompts requiring specific text
- Workaround: Add text in post-processing
Complex human anatomy
- Hands with multiple fingers or strange positions
- Feet and extremities in complex poses
- Very specific facial expressions
Series coherence
- Difficult to maintain exactly the same character
- Subtle changes between generations
- Requires seeds and very specific prompts for consistency
Precise element control
- Doesn’t allow easy modification of specific parts
- Limited editing compared to Photoshop
- Needs complete regeneration for changes

🚫 Content restrictions

Midjourney policies:

No graphic violence: Blood, realistic weapons, explicit violence
No sexual content: Nudity, sexually suggestive content
No public figures: Current politicians, recognizable celebrities
No hate symbols: Nazi symbols, extremist propaganda
No illegal content: Drugs, illegal activities

Consequences for violations:

Warnings: Notices for minor infractions
Temporary suspension: Temporary service blocking
Permanent ban: Total loss of access and subscription
No refunds: Money is not returned for bans

🔒 Legal considerations

Copyright and commercial use:

✅ Allowed:

Commercial use with paid subscription
Sale of generated images
Use in client projects
Modification and post-processing
Combination with other elements

❌ Prohibited:

Sale of subscription or access
Automated mass resale
Use to train competing models
Claiming exclusive authorship of images

Intellectual property:

Generated images: User owns commercial rights
Prompts: No copyright on simple prompts
Base models: Property of Midjourney Inc.
Responsibility: User responsible for appropriate use

💼 Business use considerations

Factors to evaluate:

Cost scalability
- Does monthly cost fit the budget?
- Do you need multiple subscriptions for the team?
- Does ROI justify the investment?
Workflow integration
- Is your team comfortable using Discord?
- Do you need additional collaboration tools?
- How does it integrate with your current process?
Quality vs time
- Does quality justify iteration time?
- Is it more efficient than traditional methods?
- Do your clients value this differentiation?

Frequently asked questions

Is Midjourney free?

No, Midjourney requires a monthly subscription to access all its functionalities. There is no free version, although they occasionally offer limited trials.

Can I use the images commercially?

Yes, all paid plans include commercial use rights. You can sell, modify, and use the images in commercial projects.

Why does Midjourney use Discord?

Discord allows an active community where users learn by watching others’ work. It also simplifies the technical infrastructure for Midjourney.

Can I get exactly the same image twice?

Only if you use the same seed and exact prompt. Midjourney is inherently creative and generates unique variations each time.

Do the images have watermarks?

No, final images don’t have visible watermarks. However, Midjourney may have invisible identification methods.

Can I cancel my subscription at any time?

Yes, you can cancel whenever you want. You maintain access until the end of the paid period, but lose access to generate new images.

Does it work in languages other than English?

Midjourney works better in English, but understands prompts in Spanish and other languages. For best results, use English terms for artistic concepts.

Can I use Midjourney without Discord?

Currently no. All interaction with Midjourney happens through Discord. They are developing a web interface, but it’s not yet available.

What about the rights of images I use as reference?

If you upload an image as reference, you must have rights to use it. Midjourney is not responsible for copyright violations in content you upload.

Conclusion

Midjourney has democratized professional digital art creation, allowing millions of users to create quality images that previously required years of artistic training.

Is Midjourney perfect? No. It has limitations in text, complex anatomy, and precise element control.

Is it revolutionary? Absolutely. It has fundamentally changed how we think about visual creation and access to professional art.

Is the investment worth it? For most professional cases, yes. Quality and speed far exceed the monthly cost.

Key strengths:

✅ Incomparable artistic quality
✅ Ease of use after initial learning curve
✅ Active community and continuous learning
✅ Consistent professional results
✅ Established workflow for rapid iteration

Consider Midjourney if you are:

Artist/Designer seeking to expand creative capabilities
Marketer needing unique and quality visual assets
Entrepreneur requiring visual content for projects
Creative director exploring new aesthetic possibilities
Professional in visual industries (gaming, film, advertising)

Midjourney constantly evolves with new versions and features. For the most updated information, consult its official Discord and documentation.