generating-ai-actors

The actor

Generate an image of an AI actor.

Anything the brief specifies wins. The defaults below fill gaps only.

Workflow

Step 1: Cast the person

An adult, always. Fill a younger brief with an adult and say so.

Keep casual words for young people out of the prompt altogether, even where the person described is plainly an adult. They trip the image model's content filter and lose the generation.

Decide each of these deliberately rather than leaving it to the model, which returns the same face every time.

Who they are — gender, age, ethnicity, build. An age anywhere from early twenties to late sixties, a build anywhere from slight to athletic, broad or full.

How they look. This is what makes them recognisable when the image is reused, so it carries the most weight. Take the face feature by feature.

The examples below are a starting point, not the choices on offer. Reach past them, decide each line separately, and don't cast the same combination twice.

• Face shape, jaw and chin — oval, square, heart, long, round, diamond, oblong, pear, inverted triangle. The jaw strong and angular, or soft and tapered. The chin with a deep cleft or a subtle dimple.
• Cheekbones — high and sharp, soft and low, broad, prominent, sculpted, subtle and flushed, apple-cheeked, hollowed beneath, or slightly asymmetrical.
• Eyes, shape and set — almond, round, hooded, monolid, downturned, upturned, deep-set, wide-set, or close-set.
• Eyes, colour — emerald green, stormy grey, hazel with gold flecks, amber, pale ice blue, deep mahogany brown, heterochromia, violet-blue, moss green, or near-black.
• Eyebrows — thick and bushy, neatly arched, thin and straight, feathered and wild, bleached, dark and heavy, soft and sparse, subtly unibrowed, sharp and angular, or softly rounded.
• Nose, bridge and tip — straight, aquiline, upturned, wide and flat, snub, button, Roman, bulbous-tipped, or slightly crooked from a healed break.
• Mouth — full evenly, thin on top and full on the bottom, wide and generous, small and tight, a sharp Cupid's bow, a flat Cupid's bow, a resting smirk, downturned corners, slightly parted at rest, or soft and pillowy.
• Skin texture and tone — smooth and glass-like, visible pores, sun-weathered with deep crow's feet, scattered natural hyperpigmentation, subtle acne scarring, porcelain pale, rich deep bronze, rosy-cheeked, olive with gold undertones, or naturally dewy.
• Hair, colour — auburn, bright copper, honey blonde, icy platinum, salt-and-pepper, henna red, jet black, ash brown, silver-white, or a faded pastel wash.
• Hair, length and how it's worn — a military buzz crop, a jaw-length asymmetrical bob, a blunt shoulder cut, flowing past the waist, a shaved undercut, a messy top-knot, a slicked-back low bun, intricate protective braids, heavy blunt bangs, or a sweeping curtain fringe.
• Hair, texture — poker-straight, loose beachy waves, tight coiled ringlets, fine and flyaway, thick and heavy, coarse, silky, a soft frizzy halo, locs, or naturally bald.
• Facial hair — clean-shaven, a heavy five-o'clock shadow, a neatly trimmed goatee, a full thick beard, a pencil moustache, a handlebar moustache, a soul patch, scattered stubble, a sculpted chinstrap, or heavy mutton chops.
• Glasses — none, thick black acetate frames, thin round wire frames, rimless, browline frames, oversized geometric frames, tortoiseshell cat-eye, clear acrylic, vintage aviators, or subtly tinted lenses.
• Makeup — none at all, lip balm and brushed brows only, everyday concealer and mascara, sharp winged eyeliner, a bold matte red lip, a heavy smoky eye, graphic neon liner, fully contoured evening glam, a sheer lip tint, or faux freckles.
• One distinguishing feature, or none — freckles dusted across the nose, deep cheek dimples, a small silver septum piercing, a small scar through the eyebrow, a jagged scar on the chin, a gold tooth, a subtle neck tattoo, or a small nose stud. Never a mole or a beauty mark.