Turn a reference photo into a step-by-step painting plan
A painting plan from your reference photo: simplified composition, colors to mix, and the order to paint it in.
The prompt
Help me plan a painting from a reference photo. I will attach the photo.
Medium: [e.g. "watercolor", "acrylic", "oil", "gouache", "digital"]
Paints or colors I own: [LIST, e.g. "ultramarine, burnt sienna, lemon yellow, alizarin, white"]
Surface and size: [e.g. "cold-press paper, 9x12 in"]
My level: [beginner / intermediate]
What I want to emphasize or change: [e.g. "the light on the water", "remove the car", "more dramatic sky"]
Time I have: [e.g. "one afternoon", "several sessions"]
Give me:
1. A simplified composition: what to keep, leave out, or move to make a stronger painting, and where the focal point should be.
2. A value plan: describe 3-4 value groups (lightest to darkest) and which areas belong to each. Suggest a quick thumbnail sketch first.
3. A color mixing guide using only the paints I own: for each main area, which colors to mix and roughly in what proportion, plus one limited-palette option.
4. The painting order, step by step, suited to my medium (e.g. for watercolor: preserve whites, light washes first, darks last; for acrylic or oil: block in darks and midtones, then lights).
5. Common mistakes for this kind of subject and how to avoid them.
If the photo isn't mine, remind me that for paintings I sell or show, I should use my own photos or references with permission.
Highlighted [brackets] are blanks to replace with your own details.
Fill in the blanks and use this promptMore Images, Video & Design prompts
What to fill in
- e.g. "watercolor", "acrylic", "oil", "gouache", "digital"
- e.g. "cold-press paper, 9x12 in"
- beginner / intermediate
- e.g. "one afternoon", "several sessions"
How this prompt is built
This prompt follows the Few-Shot structure (Few-shot prompting). A few-shot prompt includes one or more worked examples of the input and the output you want, so the model can copy the pattern instead of guessing it.
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