# The Basics, Step-by-Step Here is a brief guide to help you understand how to prompt on Ideogram, step by step. The prompts provided will always be written in the following format: **Prompt:**\ \&#xNAN;*A rough pencil sketch featuring a boy with sandy hair and blue eyes, wearing a *~~*hoodie*~~ *checked shirt and jeans, playing with a friendly Golden Retriever, in a park on a sunny day.* The text in green means this text is new or was added to a prompt previously used.\ ~~Strikethrough purple text~~ means this text has been removed or replaced from a prompt previously used. {% hint style="warning" %} For all examples below, we'll use the following settings:\ • [Magic Prompt](/using-ideogram/generation-settings/magic-prompt.md) set to OFF\ • [Aspect ratio](/using-ideogram/generation-settings/aspect-ratio-and-dimensions.md) of 1:1\ • [Model](/using-ideogram/generation-settings/available-models.md) v2.0 (unless otherwise stated)\ • [Style](/using-ideogram/features-and-tools/reference-features/style-reference/styles-in-older-models.md) Realistic (unless otherwise stated) {% endhint %} ## 1- A Very Basic Prompt Let's start with a very basic prompt: **Prompt:**\ \&#xNAN;*A boy with blond hair on a grey background.*
Nothing complicated here. The image of a boy and a grey background as requested. Now let's add more details... ## 2- Adding Details Let's add some specific details like eye colour, and maybe he's wearing a wearing a denim jacket over a light blue shirt, and how about a more interesting background. **Prompt:**\ \&#xNAN;*A boy with blond hair and blue eyes,* ~~*on a grey background.*~~ *wearing a denim jacket and a checked shirt, against a backdrop of wooden planks.*
Nice! Now let's try to make it a bit more dynamic... ## 3- A Point of View Perhaps changing the angle and/or the point of view would produce a more interesting image? **Prompt:**\ \&#xNAN;*A boy with blond hair and blue eyes, wearing a denim jacket and a checked shirt, seen partially in profile, against a backdrop of wooden planks.*
Almost a studio photo but still very natural, isn’t it? {% hint style="info" %} Note: there are also other terms used to achieve this pose, such as three-quarter pose, or slightly turned to the left, etc. {% endhint %} ## 4- Adding Elements Let's add a few elements to make the overall image more attractive? **Prompt:**\ \&#xNAN;*A boy with blond hair and blue eyes, wearing a denim jacket, a checked shirt and jeans, sitting cross-legged on the floor, beside a friendly dog. Between them both there is a house plant in a pot. The entire scene is set against a backdrop of wooden planks.*
Observe how effectively the AI has rendered the requested elements and their precise positioning within the image composition. Now, let’s shift the mood… ## 5- Make a Lively Scene Prompt:\ \&#xNAN;*A boy with blond hair and blue eyes, wearing* ~~*a denim jacket,*~~* a checked shirt and jeans, playing with a friendly Golden Retriever, in a park on a sunny day.*
The addition of an environment contributes greatly to the atmosphere of a picture. And everyone knows that the Golden Retriever is a child's best friend. 😉 ## 6- Using Available Pptions As you may have noticed, Ideogram provides several options for generating images. From [Aspect ratio](/using-ideogram/generation-settings/aspect-ratio-and-dimensions.md) and [Style](/using-ideogram/features-and-tools/reference-features/style-reference/styles-in-older-models.md) to [Color palette](/using-ideogram/generation-settings/color-palette.md) and other features, these options are invaluable for creating unique and diverse visuals. Let’s explore some of these possibilities to create various outputs.

Prompt:

Washed-out soft watercolour painting featuring a boy with blond hair and blue eyes, wearing a checked shirt and jeans, playing with a friendly Golden Retriever, in a park on a sunny day.
Model: v2.0
Style: General
Aspect ratio: 4:5
Color Palette: Pastel

Prompt:

An anime illustration featuring a boy with blond hair and blue eyes, wearing a checked shirt and jeans, playing with a friendly Golden Retriever, in a park on a sunny day.
Model: v2.0
Style: Anime
Aspect ratio: 4:5
Color Palette: None

Prompt:

A cartoon-like 3D boy with sandy hair and blue eyes, wearing a checked shirt and jeans, playing with a friendly Golden Retriever, in a paper-art park on a sunny day.
Model: v2.0
Style: 3D
Aspect ratio: 4:5
Color Palette: None

{% hint style="info" %} **Difference between v1.0 styles and v2.0 styles.** **In v1.0, the styles are really just words added at the end of the prompt** to specify the style you want, nothing more. So if you select 'illustration', it is the very same as if you've added the word 'illustration' at the end of your prompt. This works even better if you describe the style you want in the context of the prompt rather than a simple word at the end of it. **In v2.0, the different styles utilize slightly different models to generate the images.** It is as though you are using a model better suited to the style you want, rather than relying on a generic AI model. For more information, refer to the [Style](/using-ideogram/features-and-tools/reference-features/style-reference/styles-in-older-models.md) section of this documentation. {% endhint %} ## 7- Add Some Text Let's say you want to make a cover for a children book, give it a title and also add the author's name. **Prompt:**\ \&#xNAN;*Washed-out soft watercolour painting featuring a boy with blond hair and blue eyes, wearing a checked shirt and jeans, playing with a friendly Golden Retriever, in a park on a sunny day. At the top of the image, the book title is: "Michael and his dog" in a fun painted typography. At the bottom, the author's name: "John Johnson".*\ **Model**: v2.0\ **Style**: General\ **Aspect ratio**: 3:4\ **Color Palette**: None
## 8- Other Examples Here are some other subjects:

Prompt:

A sleek and modern illustration of a logo for "PetPalace" featuring a minimalist stylized image of a regal cat wearing a crown, sitting next to a luxurious palace.

Model: v2.0
Style: Design
Aspect ratio: 1:1
Color Palette: None

Prompt:

Close up photo of a beer can with a big modern sailor's anchor inspired logo named "Mariner's Brew" in big letters, a full glass of beer in the background, on the counter of an Irish pub, dynamic view, studio photography, food photography.

Model: v2.0
Style: General
Aspect ratio: 1:1
Color Palette: None

Prompt:

A cool cat with wearing a hat and sunglasses playing the saxophone with his paws on the stage of a jazz club, a neon sign in the background saying: "Cool Cat Jazz". Intense atmosphere, dark ambience, dark tones, jazz club genre, 40's and 50's look.

Model: v2.0
Style: Realistic
Aspect ratio: 1:1
Color Palette: Ultramarine
{% hint style="info" %} Text enclosed in quotes “ ” helps the AI understand that it needs to render the text in the image. {% endhint %} --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.ideogram.ai/using-ideogram/getting-started/the-basics-step-by-step.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.