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Tiny Details, Massive Impact.
In AI Art, words hold immense power. Prompt Engineering helps us understand how a single change in the way we describe a subject can lead to an entirely new visual universe. To illustrate this, I ran an experiment in MidJourney using three prompts that are almost identical, except for one detail: the transformation described in the woman’s appearance.
The first prompt imagined her sculpted from glowing crystals, refracting light in rainbow hues. The second transformed her hair into galaxies, glowing with scattered stars. And the third made her hair bloom into thousands of flowers, glowing like neon petals. Three small variations, three completely different worlds.
This experiment shows how prompt engineering is not just about writing – it’s about precision, creativity, and intention.
MidJourney v6 vs v7
For this experiment, I chose MidJourney v6 (RAW mode) instead of the newer v7. The reason lies in how each version handles prompts:
- v6 (RAW mode): Delivers a more photographic and coherent aesthetic, with controlled realism. It’s ideal if you want results that feel cinematic, clean, and recognisable. Most importantly, it keeps consistency in the composition — making it perfect for showing how one small change in the prompt leads to a big change in the image.
- v7: More experimental and varied, with a stronger “surprise me” quality. It tends to reinterpret prompts more freely, sometimes producing spectacular outcomes, but often less predictable. For platforms like TikTok this can be exciting, but for direct comparisons, v6 remains the better choice.
By using v6 in this test, the subtle differences between “crystals,” “galaxies,” and “flowers” become much clearer and easier to appreciate side by side.
Which One Works Best for Prompt Variations?
In short: if you want consistency and clarity, MidJourney v6 is the right choice. If you’re looking for surprise and experimentation, then v7 might be more exciting. It all depends on whether your goal is to compare prompt variations side by side or to explore unexpected creativity.
Glowing Crystals
Prompt 1 – Crystals
A surreal portrait of a luminous woman whose face and body are sculpted from glowing crystals, refracting light in rainbow colours, photorealistic, dramatic lighting, surreal aesthetic
Galaxies and Stars
Prompt 2 – Galaxies
A surreal portrait of a luminous woman whose hair transforms into galaxies, glowing stars woven into her skin, cinematic lighting, hyperrealistic detail, ethereal atmosphere, trending on ArtStation
Flowers and Petals
Prompt 3 – Flowers
A surreal portrait of a luminous woman whose hair blooms into thousands of flowers, petals glowing like neon lights, hyperdetailed, dreamy atmosphere, cinematic composition
Final Conclusions
What becomes clear from this test is how Prompt Engineering and responsive AI can be to subtle changes in wording.
- With crystals, the image feels sharp, refractive, and dramatic.
- With galaxies, it takes on a cosmic, ethereal mood, expanding into infinite space.
- With flowers, the mood becomes organic, vibrant, and dreamlike.
Each variation proves that prompts are not rigid commands but flexible keys. They unlock different layers of the AI’s creative potential. By learning to adjust even a single word, artists can gain far greater control over the mood, composition, and symbolism of their results.
Personally, the one I like the most is the flowers variation. While the crystals feel dramatic and the galaxies open into something vast and ethereal, the flowers bring a sense of warmth and life. There is something very human in the idea of blooming — it speaks of beauty, creativity, and renewal. That’s why this version resonates with me: it doesn’t just look surreal, it feels alive.
Ultimately, this is the magic of Prompt Engineering: tiny details with massive impact. The difference between “crystals,” “galaxies,” and “flowers” is not just semantic – it’s the gateway to entirely different visual narratives.
What about you? Which variation speaks to you the most — crystals, galaxies, or flowers? What do you think about Prompt Engineering?
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