# Midjourney: different subjects, one style with Style Reference Build a coherent Midjourney illustration series: choose a Style Reference, separate subject from treatment, adjust its influence and review the whole set. Canonical URL: https://boswidget.ru/en/midjourney-different-subjects-one-style-with-style-reference/ ![A bridge, bird and teapot rendered as a black-and-fuchsia print.](https://boswidget.ru/assets/images/articles/midjourney-style-reference-series-1200.32c2268a3d80.webp) Two inks, carved hatching and a rough print texture connect three different motifs. A feature about neighbourhood workshops needs pottery, bicycle repairs and fabric work. Separate prompts can drift apart in palette and texture. Repeating one composition is no better: the series becomes monotonous. First decide what connects the pictures, then give each one its own action and viewpoint. ## Decide what “one style” actually means For this project, consistency comes from colour relationships, edge treatment, surface texture and contrast. A cup need not appear beside the bicycle, and the maker need not adopt the same pose. Write a short visual brief that could apply to any picture. A quiet neighbourhood magazine might use these criteria: - Muted earthy colours, with a bright accent occupying a small area rather than flooding the background. - A matte surface with visible but restrained texture; hands and tools remain legible. - Broad, calm shapes and breathing room around the main action, so the illustration can sit beside a headline. - Varied framing: a close action, a person in a setting and a wider workspace. Consistency does not require identical arrangements. Style Reference guides appearance. Image Prompt can guide content and composition. Edit Model supports edits and reference subjects. For a recurring person, make a separate character sheet: face, hair, clothes and silhouette. Check these features in every picture before reviewing texture. A well-matched palette should not distract from the question of whether this is the same person. ## Choose a reference that survives a change of subject Begin with one image whose treatment is easy to read. A restrained sample with clear edges, shadows and colour distribution is more useful than a striking picture whose appeal depends entirely on an unusual character. View it small: would anything remain distinctive without that subject? If an enormous red coat supplies all the impact, decide whether the series needs that garment or simply a limited colour accent. Make a separate note of what should not carry over: a particular face, lettering, a vessel shape or an arrangement of objects. These are selection notes, not a long negative prompt suffix. Compare candidates against them to catch repeated objects from the sample. The template uses --sref for the reference. ## Three subjects with one set of style settings Replace {style_reference_url} with the chosen image link. Each template describes a new picture; the repeated ending holds the settings steady. Here --ar 3:2 specifies proportions, not pixel dimensions. Before working through a full series, select the intended version in the available interface and check that the interface actually accepts these parameters. ``` Pottery workshop, close view of hands shaping a wide bowl on a potter’s wheel, wet clay and the clean rim clearly distinguishable, low sidelight, quiet background, open space on the left --sref {style_reference_url} --sw 100 --s 100 --ar 3:2 --v 8.2 ``` ``` Small bicycle repair workshop, full-length mechanic adjusting the front brake of a bicycle on a repair stand, wheel and tool clearly separated, daylight from a side window, open space on the right --sref {style_reference_url} --sw 100 --s 100 --ar 3:2 --v 8.2 ``` ``` Fabric-dyeing workshop, overhead view of hands arranging dried fabric strips beside plant material, separate containers around the table edge, open centre of the composition, soft diffuse light --sref {style_reference_url} --sw 100 --s 100 --ar 3:2 --v 8.2 ``` The bowl needs a visible open rim: the hands should not conceal the entire object. In the bicycle scene, keep the brake work visible; otherwise it becomes a generic mechanic’s portrait. In the fabric scene, readers should distinguish strips, not just containers and plants. These are different points of meaning. Assess the shared treatment afterwards, so an attractive sequence does not turn three distinct activities into decorative still lifes. ## Compare settings separately --sw: reference influence. --s: artistic interpretation. Give them separate fields in your comparison record. Note the starting state first, then change one control and record your decision against the same visual criteria. The templates use 100. For comparison, record one subject and --sw settings of 50, then 200. This is a proposed plan, not an established optimum. Under each candidate, separately assess action clarity and fit with the brief. Save the selected settings line. If another --s setting is needed, make a separate comparison without rewriting the subject or replacing the reference file. - An attractive picture with an unclear action: clarify the subject and activity before increasing style influence. - Clear subjects but a fragmented set: compare colour relationships, texture and contrast, then assess reference influence. - Every picture resembles the same scene with a replacement object: change the angle and framing while retaining the visual brief. ## Choose a series, not a collection of individual favourites Arrange candidates in the order readers will encounter them. Review small previews without captions first, then inspect each picture closely. The most striking image may be the wrong choice if it alone has a hard black background or glossy surfaces. Replacing it can be more sensible than reshaping the whole set around an exception. Do not flatten everything into the same silhouette, though: the sequence needs rhythm. - Is the main activity understandable without a caption? Important tools should look usable for the action shown. - Have fingers, the wheel rim, bowl edge or fabric strips merged? Inspect contact points and overlaps. - Does the visual language recur without repeating the content? Compare neighbours as well as each image against the reference. - Is there room for the actual headline, and does the meaning survive the required crop? Check inside the page layout. Record a short decision for each candidate: retain; clarify action; replace because the texture differs; revise composition. This is more useful than saying it “doesn’t match”. Save the brief, chosen reference, exact prompt and settings for later additions. Add a new illustration to the sequence only after comparing it with the selected set. ## Save the version alongside the prompt The current official default is V8.2. Documentation describes --sv for V6 and V7. The templates do not use it. Store the version beside the text and image link. Before moving an older series to a new environment, compare against the saved sequence rather than only the latest successful frame. If an interface does not offer the required version or Style Reference, check the available tools first. Keep the brief, reference and settings together. When adding an illustration, open that record and repeat the checks of subject, composition and neighbouring pictures. [Prompts for Midjourney](https://boswidget.ru/en/prompts-for-midjourney/) - [Midjourney: Style Reference](https://docs.midjourney.com/hc/en-us/articles/32180011136653-Style-Reference) - [Midjourney: model versions](https://docs.midjourney.com/hc/en-us/articles/32199405667853-Version) - [Midjourney: Stylize](https://docs.midjourney.com/hc/en-us/articles/32196176868109-Stylize) - [Midjourney: Image Prompts](https://docs.midjourney.com/hc/en-us/articles/32040250122381-Image-Prompts) - [Midjourney: Edit Model](https://docs.midjourney.com/hc/en-us/articles/48495453462797-Edit-Model) - [Midjourney: prompt basics](https://docs.midjourney.com/hc/en-us/articles/32023408776205-Prompt-Basics) - [Midjourney: aspect ratio](https://docs.midjourney.com/hc/en-us/articles/31894244298125-Aspect-Ratio)