Are you tired of searching the internet for a good wallpaper? Now you can make your own in Midjourney, and it will take you less than a minute.
Pardon my infomercial tone, but I am really tired of looking through countless images online just to find a wallpaper that I like. I'm the type of person who likes to change wallpapers on my devices often because I can't stand to look at the same background for a long period of time.
I recently remembered the very first time I really liked an image that I made in Midjourney. I was so proud of what I created that I wanted to use it somehow. I ultimately decided that it had to become the wallpaper on my laptop.
I think that a lot of people who use Midjourney had a relatively similar experience. They created something cool and visually appealing, so they used the image as a wallpaper on their smartphone or desktop computer.
While in that situation I didn't set out to create a wallpaper, today I'll be focusing on creating images solely for the purpose of using them as wallpapers.
I have to note that at the time of writing this article, there is a relatively low limit to how much you can upscale an image in Midjourney. If you want to use an image as a wallpaper, it should have a high resolution. That's why you should consider using a free and open-source tool for upscaling images created in Midjourney called Upscayl. This tool is fast and works like a charm every time.
How to Write Midjourney Prompts for Wallpapers
There is not a specific set of rules that you should follow when you're writing Midjourney prompts for wallpapers. The reason for this is that people use a variety of different images as wallpapers.
Some people like to use only nature photography as wallpapers, while others are into abstract art. That's why today's article will be filled with various types of images. You'll also pick up on some great tricks you can use in your prompts.
I thought long and hard about the images I've seen featured as wallpapers on other people's devices to come up with 20 prompts, so there will surely be something for everybody.
Some of the neat stuff you'll learn in this article include how to use different art styles in Midjourney, how to make digital abstract art, how to generate photorealistic images, and much more.
The only rule I can think of when it comes to creating wallpapers in Midjourney is to always use a 16:9 aspect ratio. This is the perfect aspect ratio for wallpapers both for desktop and mobile devices. If you have a mobile device, you can simply pick the part of the wallpaper you want to use.
20 Midjourney Prompts for Wallpapers
I have two goals with this article. The first one is to create some cool wallpapers. The second one is to share some great tips and tricks you can use in your prompts that I otherwise could never fit into a single coherent article. We'll be exploring a lot of stuff in the prompts below.
I have an article on this website called the beginner's guide to Midjourney. It covers the absolute basics of how to interact with this text-to-image AI model. You should think of this article you're reading right now as somewhat of an advanced guide to Midjourney.
But enough chit-chat - let's get down to the prompts.
/imagine abstract digital art, neural network with pathways forming as information goes through the network, the beautiful and complex design of the mind --ar 16:9 --v 5.2
I like this one, it's very colorful. I figured it's only right that we start with a prompt about neural networks since this is a website that covers artificial intelligence. To be honest, I had no idea that this image would be so colorful, but I'm happy it is that way.
There is one important tip that I want to share when you're making abstract art like this. Try to describe the scene in detail. I could have just written that I wanted to generate an abstract digital art piece showcasing a neural network. But you get much better results when you go into more detail. Explain what happens in the neural network and the quality of the generated output will increase significantly.
/imagine photorealistic image shot with Canon EOS R5, 24mm lens, majestic cottage surrounded by lush greenery, next to an old well, calm, peace, tranquility, relaxing in nature --ar 16:9 --v 5.2
I know many people who only use photographs as wallpapers. There is nothing more beautiful than nature, which is why many want to look at an image of it even when they're using a digital device.
One thing you should pay attention to here is how I mentioned the camera model that I want to use to "take the photo" as well as the focal length. This is important information that you should mention in your prompts whenever you want to generate photorealistic images. Of course, you can choose any camera model and focal length you want.
/imagine glitch art style, futuristic warriors that look like templar knights are meeting around a table to talk about how they will conquer the world, dystopia --ar 16:9 --v 5.2
Some people like to use darker imagery as wallpapers, and I fully respect that. This one's for you. I often enjoy imagining a dystopian world and thinking what type of characters would be in it. I don't know how the templar knights popped into my head, but I'm glad they did.
Honestly, if I had millions of dollars to spend I'd develop a TV show based solely off this image.
/imagine hidden medieval kingdom where time stands still, the kingdom is the place where the world's biggest heroes were born who had to face challenges so big that the faith of the entire planet depended on them --stylize 1000 --ar 16:9 --v 5.2
There are different ways to generate quality images in Midjourney. One way would be to describe the details I want to see in the image. Another is to simply give sort of a backstory to the location in the image. Either way, it creates a beautiful image.
I want to add that I used the stylize parameter here to make sure the image is as alluring as it can be. This is a powerful parameter that should be used only on certain images. If I had tried to use it in that glitch art prompt above, it wouldn't have given me the results I wanted. So, be careful when and how you use it.
/imagine watercolor painting of a young couple sitting on a bench and basking in the sun, symbol of the birth of eternal love, wholesome, happy, joy --ar 16:9 --v 5.2
This is a very simple prompt and has resulted in a beautifully generated image. The best part about it is that you can personalize it by changing the prompt a bit. For instance, you can describe yourself and your significant other within the prompt, so that it looks like it's a watercolor painting of you.
/imagine abstract digital art, abstract representation of the feelings and emotions every living creature on this planet goes through --weird 1000 --ar 16:9 --v 5.2
Making abstract art in Midjourney became so much more fun ever since the weird parameter was released. In case you're not familiar with this parameter, it can be added to the end of your prompt if you want to see some unexpected changes made to the generated output.
I have an entire article dedicated to explaining how you can effectively use the weird parameter in Midjourney. I suggest that you read it if you're looking for more information about it.
/imagine photorealistic image shot with Sony A6400, 21mm lens, gorgeous oasis in the middle of the desert, a slice of heaven, peace, tranquility --stylize 250 --ar 16:9 --v 5.2
Okay, I wanted this image to look photorealistic but I also wanted it to appear like I had put some finishing touches on it in Adobe Lightroom, which is why I included the stylization parameter with a relatively low value in this prompt. It definitely did the trick because this image looks astounding.
/imagine high fantasy landscape where magical creatures live together in peace and harmony, colorful, vibrant --ar 16:9 --niji 5
The very moment I got the idea to write this article, I knew I had to include at least a few images generated with the Niji model 5. In case you're unfamiliar with this model, it's used to create anime-style images in Midjourney. As you can see from the image above, it's also a great model to choose if you want to make wallpapers.
/imagine the eternal fight between good and evil, there is no winner because the fight must continue through all eternity to maintain a delicate balance in the world --ar 16:9 --niji 5
The fight between good and evil is as old as time. I'm so happy with the generated output here that I can't really express it in words. This is without a doubt an incredible image with so much detail. I might end up using this for more than just a wallpaper.
/imagine hero who has found his life's mission embarks on an unforgettable journey filled with adventures that will help shape their character --ar 16:9 --niji 5
If you're into anime, you'll surely like a wallpaper like this. In most variations of images generated from this prompt, there was only one character in each image. Then I saw this shot and instantly knew that I had to pick it over the others. After all, what's a life filled with adventure if you don't meet a ton of interesting characters along the way?
/imagine abstract digital art, thoughts transform into ideas, ideas transform into concepts, concepts transform into realizations, everything started with only an idea --ar 16:9 --v 5.2
Depending on what I choose to create in Midjourney, there is always some sort of guideline that I follow to get the desired output. This is true in almost all cases, except for when I'm making abstract art. When I want to create abstract art, I write whatever comes to mind and then see what the AI model will generate using my words. When I make something I like, I save it and share it.
/imagine colorful planets of a solar system far away from the Milky Way, a portal into a completely different world with different laws of physics, colorful --ar 16:9 --v 5.2
I love using images of the cosmos as wallpapers, and I know many other people do the same thing. That's why I wanted to include this image in the article. You can expect at least one more image like this towards the end of the article.
Now, let's take a minute to talk about what Midjourney generated from this prompt. Is it just me or is this absolutely breathtaking? I love that I mentioned the word 'colorful' twice in the prompt because it obviously had a big impact on the image.
/imagine photorealistic image taken with Canon EOS R6, 21mm lens, sunset at a beautiful beach with small tides rolling over, shades of pink in the sky --ar 16:9 --v 5.2
Sunset at the beach is one of the most legendary scenes you can experience in life. It's also one of the most common wallpapers used today since many people living urban life spend a lot of time daydreaming about going to the beach to listen to the sounds of the ocean and relax.
/imagine abstract digital art, minimalist design, every shape is a sound and every sound is a shape, construct an image filled with various shapes and sounds --ar 16:9 --v 5.2
In case you were wondering - I am fully aware that I'm not making any sense right now. And that's kind of the point. I shouldn't have to make sense if I want to create an abstract work of art. Abstract thoughts lead to abstract art and if you disagree just look at the gorgeous image above.
/imagine recursive minimalistic pattern that symbolizes freedom, honesty, transparency, morals, and principles --ar 16:9 --v 5.2
The prompt above is what I sound like when I'm running low on inspiration. All jokes aside, sometimes I just write whatever random stuff I come up with and see what Midjourney will generate. I'm not really into using patterns as wallpapers, but I know some people love them so I had to include at least one image like this.
/imagine psychedelic art, the knowledge of the ancients is buried beneath an old, forgotten structure --ar 16:9 --v 5.2
When I write prompts for psychedelic art, I take a similar approach to when I'm creating abstract images. I try to make sure that my prompt sounds somewhat abstract, as I think that's usually the best way to create art like this.
/imagine abstract digital art, minimalist abstract artistic visual representation of different wavelengths --ar 16:9 --v 5.2
I usually don't write prompts for abstract art like this, but I had the idea to see what would happen if I instructed the AI model to create an artistic visual representation of different wavelengths and I was so happy with the result that I decided to include it in the article. If you love minimalist design, you'll likely want to use this image as a wallpaper.
/imagine strange but beautiful alien planet from which you can observe other planets in its binary star system, breathtaking, awe, wondrous, science fiction --ar 16:9 --v 5.2
I promised another cosmos-themed image, and here it is. I included a bunch of keywords here to give the AI model clear instructions on how the image should look. Don't underestimate the power of including a few keywords at the end of your prompt. They can have a significant effect on the output.
/imagine the underworld is not a scary place, it's filled with friendly ghosts who keep you company and show you that existing for eternity can be fun --ar 16:9 --niji 5
This is a really random thought I had, so I decided to put it in a prompt and see what will be generated from it. This type of description fits well with the Niji model 5, which is why I used it to create this image. The ghosts are so cute in this one.
/imagine winter wonderland filled with majestic and friendly creatures --stylize 750 --ar 16:9 --niji 5
For this prompt, I chose to use a combination of the Niji model 5 and the stylization parameter with a fairly high value. The result is spectacular. The prompt is quite short, which is perfectly fine because it contains just enough information for the AI model to generate what I imagined.
Final Thoughts
Well, that was quite the visual adventure. I tried my best to share as much knowledge as I could in this article, all while creating quality images. These are all images that vary heavily in art style and the overall theme.
Apart from being good wallpapers, I chose these images to share some tips and tricks that I picked up along the way. I also wanted to show you how and when to use certain parameters in Midjourney.
I might write a more detailed advanced guide for Midjourney at some point in the future that includes some formal knowledge that isn't positioned underneath prompt examples. But my opinion is that it's best to learn from prompt examples, hence why I wrote this specific article. It was the perfect place to include all of this random info.
Before I finish the article, I want to mention that you should motivate yourself to create more art in Midjourney by setting a specific goal. For instance, try to create 10 wallpapers in different art styles as a fun challenge.
After you're finished, send them to your friends but don't tell them they're wallpapers. See if anyone likes one of your images so much that they end up using it as a wallpaper anyway. It's an amazing feeling when you impress your friends so much that they want to feature it as the background on their desktop/smartphone devices.
