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Midjourney
Midjourney for Beginners: Create AI Art
Learn to generate stunning images with Midjourney, from account setup to your first masterpiece.
8 min read5 April 2026
midjourney
AI image generation
beginner guide
AI art
creators
visual content
Start with simple prompts describing your vision and let Midjourney's AI generate four variations
Refine your favourite variation using upscaling and variation tools to perfect your image
Understand Midjourney's subscription plans and how to maximise your monthly generation credits
Why This Matters
Midjourney democratises image creation for creators, marketers, and designers across Asia. Whether you're building a personal brand, creating content for social media, or developing visual assets for your business, you no longer need expensive design software or years of training. The platform handles the technical complexity whilst you focus on your creative vision.
For Asian creators, this means competing globally without geographic or resource limitations. A designer in Manila can create professional-quality images at the same speed as someone in Silicon Valley. Content creators in Jakarta can produce unlimited visual variations for their YouTube channels or TikTok accounts in minutes rather than days.
The barrier to entry is remarkably low: a basic subscription costs less than hiring a designer for a few hours, yet produces unlimited possibilities. This shift has already transformed how independent creators monetise their work across Southeast Asia.
For Asian creators, this means competing globally without geographic or resource limitations. A designer in Manila can create professional-quality images at the same speed as someone in Silicon Valley. Content creators in Jakarta can produce unlimited visual variations for their YouTube channels or TikTok accounts in minutes rather than days.
The barrier to entry is remarkably low: a basic subscription costs less than hiring a designer for a few hours, yet produces unlimited possibilities. This shift has already transformed how independent creators monetise their work across Southeast Asia.
How to Do It
1
Set up your Midjourney account and Discord
Visit midjourney.com and click 'Sign Up'. You'll be directed to create or connect a Discord account. If you don't have Discord, set up a free account at discord.com. Midjourney operates entirely through Discord, so this is your primary workspace. Once you've created your Midjourney account, you'll receive an invitation to their official Discord server. Join it and explore the #newbies channel where you can test your first commands.
2
Choose your subscription plan and purchase credits
In the Midjourney Discord, click your user profile and select 'Manage Sub'. The Basic plan costs £8/month and includes 3.33 fast GPU hours and unlimited relaxed generations. This is sufficient for most beginners experimenting with the platform. Beginners should understand 'fast' means your image generates within 60 seconds, whilst 'relaxed' means up to 10 minutes but consumes no fast hours. Most beginners start with the Basic plan.
3
Learn the basic command structure
In any Discord channel where Midjourney is active, type /imagine to open the prompt input. The basic structure is /imagine followed by your description. For example: '/imagine a serene Japanese garden with cherry blossoms at sunset, oil painting style, 4k quality'. Midjourney will generate four image variations. Experiment with different description styles: photorealistic, illustrated, abstract, oil painting, watercolour, and so on.
4
Use upscaling to refine your favourite image
When your four variations generate, you'll see buttons labelled U1, U2, U3, U4 (upscale) and V1, V2, V3, V4 (create variations). Click 'U' on your favourite image to increase its resolution to full quality. This takes 1-2 minutes. You now have a high-resolution image suitable for printing or posting on social media. Save this image by right-clicking and selecting 'Save Image As'.
5
Iterate and refine using variation controls
Click 'V' buttons to create similar variations with subtle differences. This helps you explore different styles within the same concept. If you want to make bigger changes, adjust your prompt and run /imagine again with revised keywords. Keep experimenting: test different art styles, adjust lighting descriptions, add or remove elements, and change the mood or colour palette.
Prompts to Try
Product photography for e-commerce
/imagine {product} on clean white background, product photography, studio lighting, professional, sharp focus, high resolution, e-commerce ready, minimal shadowsWhat to expect: Clean, professional product images suitable for online shops. Midjourney excels at creating product variations in different angles and colours.
Social media post backgrounds
/imagine minimalist {topic} background, modern flat design, pastel colours, Instagram aesthetic, bright and clean, suitable for social media, 1080x1080What to expect: Polished backgrounds perfect for Instagram posts, stories, or TikTok thumbnails. The minimalist style works well for educational content.
Character design for games or animation
/imagine {character description}, game character design, anime style, character sheet, full body, colourful, detailed, professional game art, 2D characterWhat to expect: Consistent character designs suitable for games, comics, or animation projects. You can iterate on the design by adjusting the style or characteristics.
Common Mistakes
Using extremely long, detailed prompts expecting more realistic results
Longer isn't always better. Midjourney can get confused by excessive detail, leading to incoherent or distorted images. Shorter, focused prompts typically produce better results.
Not understanding the difference between fast and relaxed generation
New users burn through fast GPU hours quickly, then wonder why everything is slow. Relaxed mode is free but slower.
Ignoring image aspect ratios and ending up with stretching or cropping issues
Images generated at the wrong aspect ratio look awkward on social media or print materials, requiring extra editing.
Not iterating on prompts and settling for the first generation
The first generation is rarely the best. Small adjustments yield dramatically different and often superior results.
Tools That Work for This
Discord— Accessing Midjourney and managing your generation history
The interface where Midjourney operates. You'll need it to run commands and save your images.
Figma— Combining AI-generated images with text, layouts, and additional design elements
Design tool that integrates well with Midjourney-generated images for further customisation and layout.
Canva— Creating polished social media graphics and marketing materials
Drag-and-drop design platform where you can quickly incorporate Midjourney images into social media posts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Any images you generate on a paid Midjourney plan are yours to use commercially. This includes selling prints, using them in marketing, or incorporating them into products. This is one reason Midjourney is so popular with Asian entrepreneurs and content creators.
The Basic plan (£8/month) gives you 3.33 hours of fast generation monthly, plus unlimited relaxed generations. This translates to roughly 100 fast images or thousands of relaxed images. Most creators find this sufficient.
Your generations switch to relaxed mode, which is free but slower (up to 10 minutes per image). You can purchase additional fast hours if needed, or wait until your monthly allowance resets.
Absolutely. Midjourney images are standard PNG files. Download them and edit in Photoshop, GIMP, or any image editor. Many creators use Photoshop to make final adjustments or combine multiple AI images.
Next Steps
Experiment with at least 10 different prompts over the next week. Test different art styles, subjects, and aspect ratios. Join Midjourney's community channels to see what others are creating and gather inspiration. Once you're comfortable with basic generation, explore parameters like --quality and --stylize to refine your outputs further.