Best model: SDXL / Flux for realism; any photoreal checkpoint (Juggernaut, RealVis) loves this structure.
Photographers describe portraits in four layers: who the subject is, the lens and framing, the light, and the fine detail (skin, eyes, hair). Feed the model the same four layers, in that order, and it has far less room to invent a plastic, over-smoothed face.
The other half of realism is the negative prompt. The classic "AI look" — waxy skin, dead eyes, mangled hands — is suppressed far more by what you exclude than by stacking quality tags.
Example prompts
Hit Open in Builder to drop any of these straight into the workspace, then tweak, weight and generate.
photograph of a woman in her early 30s, soft natural window light, shot on 85mm f/1.4, shallow depth of field, sharp catchlights in the eyes, detailed skin texture with subtle pores, flyaway hair strands, neutral background, color graded, photorealistic
Negative: plastic skin, waxy, airbrushed, oversaturated, deformed hands, extra fingers, blurry, lowres, cartoon, 3d render, doll
environmental portrait of an old fisherman, weathered face, golden hour backlight, warm rim light, 35mm, kodak portra film grain, candid expression, (detailed eyes:1.2), atmospheric haze, shallow focus
Negative: smooth skin, plastic, studio lighting, oversharpened, jpeg artifacts, deformed, extra limbs
studio beauty portrait, butterfly lighting, large softbox, clean grey backdrop, 100mm macro, crisp eyelashes, realistic skin with natural texture, subtle freckles, high-end retouch look, photorealistic
Negative: harsh shadows, blown highlights, waxy skin, deformed, low detail, cartoon
Tips that actually move the needle
- Name a real lens and aperture (85mm f/1.4, 35mm f/2). It is the single fastest way to get believable depth of field and framing.
- Ask for "detailed skin texture with subtle pores" — without it, SDXL and Flux default to an airbrushed, plastic finish.
- "Catchlights in the eyes" reliably fixes the dead-eyed stare. Pair it with (detailed eyes:1.2) on SD models.
- Put hands and fingers in the NEGATIVE prompt even when hands are not visible — it cheaply reduces anatomical errors.
- Add a film stock (Kodak Portra, Cinestill 800T) for instant, coherent color grading instead of fighting saturation tags.
Frequently asked questions
Why do my AI portraits look plastic?▾
Two reasons: no skin-texture cue in the positive prompt, and no anti-smoothing terms in the negative. Add "detailed skin texture with subtle pores" and push "plastic skin, waxy, airbrushed" into the negative prompt.
What lens should I put in a portrait prompt?▾
An 85mm f/1.4 gives a classic flattering headshot with creamy background blur; 35mm is better for environmental portraits that include the setting. Naming the lens drives realistic depth of field.
How do I fix dead or asymmetric eyes?▾
Add "sharp catchlights in the eyes" to the positive prompt and (detailed eyes:1.2) on Stable Diffusion models, and keep "deformed, extra pupils" in the negative.