ChatGPT for Character Creation: 20 Inspiring Prompts in Basic and Advanced Versions
- Nexxant
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Introduction
Finding inspiration is often one of the biggest challenges for artists, illustrators, and visual content creators. Whether you’re working with traditional drawing or digital art, coming up with original and impactful ideas can be a time-consuming—and sometimes frustrating—process. That’s where ChatGPT comes in as a powerful tool—not only for generating creative prompts but also for enhancing them to unlock the full artistic potential of each project.
In this article, we’ll explore how ChatGPT can become a true "creative hack" for artists by delivering detailed, bold, and out-of-the-box prompts. Additionally, we’ll include a direct comparison between ChatGPT’s prompt-enhancement capabilities and those offered by specialized platforms like Leonardo.AI.
ChatGPT vs Leonardo AI in Prompt Enhancement – Who Will Win This Creative Face-Off?
Note: When this article was originally written, ChatGPT’s image generation features were not as advanced, so the focus was on using ChatGPT solely for prompt improvement, while the actual image generation was done using Leonardo AI. However, with the latest updates, these prompts can now also be used directly for image creation inside ChatGPT, just like in Leonardo AI.
Why Use ChatGPT for Character Creation?
Artificial intelligence can be much more than just a brainstorming partner. With the right prompt, ChatGPT can help you:
✅ Create detailed character profiles with personality, motivations, and conflicts.
✅ Generate coherent backstories and unique settings.
✅ Suggest character traits, habits, dialogue styles, and narrative arcs.
✅ Adapt language and tone for different formats: literature, games, screenplays, or branding projects.
✅ Develop visual storytelling elements for both digital illustrations and traditional sketches.
Whether you’re designing a medieval hero, a sci-fi villain, or even a brand mascot, ChatGPT can help build characters quickly—with consistency and depth.
How to Use These Prompts
The prompts featured in this article are designed for both traditional artists—who prefer paper and pencil—and those exploring the world of digital art. The goal is to provide inspiration sources that can be interpreted and adapted in countless ways, depending on the artist’s style and intent.
You can use them as drawing prompts for skill practice, idea generators for digital illustrations, or even as part of professional creative workflows—gaining insights on how to integrate AI tools into your artistic process.
In Section 1, you’ll find a list of simple, numbered character prompts.In Section 2, you’ll see the same prompts enhanced using a basic ChatGPT prompt for refinement.
Here’s How to Use These Prompts Effectively:
✅ Free Interpretation: Use each prompt as a creativity trigger. You don’t need to follow the description word for word. Let your imagination lead the process.
✅ Style Exploration: Try creating multiple versions of the same prompt in different styles. This helps broaden your skills and discover new visual approaches.
✅ Idea Combination: Feel free to mix elements from different prompts. Unexpected mashups often lead to unique and innovative creations.
✅ Detail Enhancement: Use ChatGPT to refine or expand any specific prompt. Simply ask for more details, context, or variations that can enrich your artwork.
✅ Creative Comparison: We’ll compare four prompts from the list and show you the results. Evaluate which approach best aligns with your style and creative goals. Each character is numbered consistently between the original and improved versions.
No matter how you choose to use them, for each example you’ll find two ready-to-use prompt versions:
Basic Version: Ideal for quick use—practical and straight to the point.
Advanced Version: More detailed and designed to produce richer, more personalized results.
You can choose the one that best suits your project—or use both as a base for customization.
Ready-to-Use Character Prompts
1.0 Original Prompts
A warrior with a wild mane of black hair barely contained by braids.
The regal forest king.
An elderly wizard with a long beard and uncontrollable eyebrows.
An adorable, curly-haired toddler hugging her huge, hairy pet spider.
The man hid his harsh bearded face and hostile black eyes in the shadow of his hooded cloak.
A young boy walking his pet monster.
Medusa as a modern woman.
An infamous pirate captain.
A beautiful girl in the ugliest dress imaginable.
If Little Red Riding Hood was a boy.
Now imagine Little Bo Peep as a buccaneer.
A steampunk bounty hunter.
A withered, old shaman teaching his young disciple.
A rugged cowboy and his trusty horse.
A soldier and his K-9 unit.
A burly, axe-wielding lumberjack.
The guardian of the woods.
An affluent woman in an ornate Victorian dress.
An archer with bow drawn, ready to strike.
A futuristic policeman in sleek riot gear.
2.0 Prompts Aprimorados
In this section, you’ll see a list of the previous prompts that were enhanced using a simple ChatGPT instruction:
"Imagine you’re competing with Leonardo AI to see who generates the best improved input prompts. Refine the following prompts to win the comparison."
A simple and generic prompt, but effective for this comparison purpose.
1. A warrior with hair like dark wildfire, braided with fragments of starlight, and eyes that burn with echoes of lost battles.
2. The forest king crowned not with gold, but with living antlers intertwined with glowing vines and ancient spirits whispering through the leaves.
3. An ancient wizard whose beard flows like mist, and whose eyes hold galaxies, with tattoos of forgotten runes pulsing beneath his skin.
4. An adorable toddler with curls like spun gold, hugging her giant pet spider whose legs shimmer with crystalline patterns.
5. A man with a face carved by shadows, hidden beneath a cloak stitched from nightmares, his black eyes reflecting endless voids.
6. A young boy walking his pet monster, a floating, translucent creature that shifts shapes with every emotion.
7. Medusa as a futuristic rebel, with neon serpents for hair and holographic tattoos glowing with forbidden codes.
8. An infamous pirate captain with cybernetic implants, a mechanical parrot on his shoulder, and a grin sharp enough to slice through lies.
9. A radiant girl wearing the most chaotic dress imaginable, a fusion of mismatched colors and fabrics that somehow exudes elegance.
10. If Little Red Riding Hood was a rogue boy with a crimson cloak made of shadows and a wolf spirit as his guardian.
11. Imagine Little Bo Peep as a cosmic buccaneer, commanding a crew of star-forged sheep through intergalactic storms.
12. A steampunk bounty hunter with mechanical wings, steam-powered gauntlets, and a monocle that deciphers hidden truths.
13. A withered shaman with glowing tribal tattoos, teaching his disciple to summon spirits from the echoes of forgotten realms.
14. A rugged cowboy riding a biomechanical horse with neon veins and plasma hooves, traversing dystopian deserts.
15. A soldier fused with alien technology, his loyal K-9 unit now a sleek cybernetic beast with glowing circuitry.
16. A towering lumberjack wielding an axe forged from crystallized thunder, his flannel shirt scorched from elemental battles.
17. The guardian of the woods, part human, part tree, with roots that stretch for miles and eyes glowing like forest embers.
18. An affluent woman in a Victorian dress woven from threads of stardust, her jewelry whispering the secrets of fallen empires.
19. An archer with a bow crafted from the spine of a celestial beast, his arrows trailing cosmic light as they soar. 20. A futuristic policeman clad in adaptive armor, equipped with holographic shields and reflexes enhanced by neural implants.
3. Comparison: ChatGPT vs Leonardo AI
The image generation for this comparison was done using Leonardo AI. We’ll present images from the original version, the ChatGPT-enhanced version (using a simple prompt, with no details), and another version improved directly by the image generation tool itself.
3.1 Original: A warrior with a wild mane of black hair barely contained by braids.
Simple Version of ChatGPT: A warrior with hair like dark wildfire, braided with fragments of starlight, and eyes that burn with echoes of lost battles.
Leonardo AI Version: A fiercely noble warrior, his untamed mane of jet-black hair intricately braided yet struggling to contain its wildness. The image, perhaps a striking painting, captures his powerful presence and raw intensity. Every strand of hair seems imbued with a sense of untamed strength, flowing with an almost primal energy. The contrast between the controlled braids and the rebellious locks adds depth to his character, making him a captivating subject for any viewer.
3.2 Original: An adorable, curly-haired toddler hugging her huge, hairy pet spider.
Simple Improvement with ChatGPT: An adorable toddler with curls like spun gold, hugging her giant pet spider whose legs shimmer with crystalline patterns.
Leonardo AI Version: In a heartwarming scene, a cherubic, curly-haired toddler wraps her arms around a massive, furry pet spider. The image, whether a painting or photograph, captures the tender bond between the unlikely pair. The toddler's bright eyes and rosy cheeks contrast beautifully with the spider's intricate, hairy legs and gentle expression. Every detail in this heartwarming depiction conveys an undeniable sense of love and acceptance, making it a truly remarkable work of art.
3.3 Original: A steampunk bounty hunter.
Simple Improvement on ChatGPT: A steampunk bounty hunter with mechanical wings, steam-powered gauntlets, and a monocle that deciphers hidden truths.
Leonardo AI Version: A mechanized, ruggedly dashing steampunk bounty hunter, every component gleams with a mix of sophistication and grit: polished brass accents against worn leather, meticulously crafted gears and gadgets hinting at a storied past, and fiery, determined eyes peering out from beneath a battered top hat. This stunning image, whether a digitally rendered painting or a meticulously detailed photograph, perfectly captures the fusion of Victorian-era elegance and futuristic technology. Its flawless execution and striking details elevate it to a level of artistry that is truly awe-inspiring.
Usually, the best results come from more detailed prompts—but everything depends on the author’s goal and desired style. During the creative process, you can start with ChatGPT to "warm up" while thinking through the details.
If you already have experience with creative projects or a clearer idea of the specifics you want, ChatGPT becomes even more useful, as it can adjust and refine prompts based on your instructions.
With Leonardo AI, however, you don’t have that level of control over how the prompt improvements are made.
Prompt Engineering Tips and Techniques
Prompt engineering is an essential skill for anyone looking to fully harness the potential of artificial intelligence in image creation. The key is knowing how to craft descriptions that encourage the AI model to generate surprising and visually aligned results.
In this section, we’ll take ChatGPT one step further—using techniques that push the tool’s creative capabilities even more.
Here are some tips for creating effective prompts for AI art:
✅ Be Specific and Detailed: The more precise your description, the more refined the result will be. Include details about the artistic style, environment, dominant colors, and even the emotional atmosphere you want to convey.
✅ Use Powerful Keywords: Words like “realistic,” “surreal,” “minimalist,” or “futuristic” help guide the AI toward your desired style. Mix strong visual and descriptive adjectives to enrich the scene.
✅ Explore Unusual Combinations: Experiment with mixing concepts that don’t usually go together. For example: “a cybernetic dragon in a submerged metropolis” creates a visually striking and original image.
✅ Test Variations: Slightly alter the details in your prompts to observe how each change affects the final result. This helps you better understand how the AI model responds and improve your prompt-writing technique.
✅ Use ChatGPT to Start and Refine Prompts: ChatGPT can serve as your brainstorming partner—helping expand ideas and suggesting creative variations based on your initial concept.
See How ChatGPT Enhances One of the Compared Prompts Using These Tips:
Example Prompt:"A warrior with hair like dark wildfire, braided with fragments of starlight, and eyes that burn with echoes of lost battles."
Prompt Used to Instruct ChatGPT for Enhancement:"Put yourself in the shoes of a digital illustrator known for creating epic fantasy artworks. Capture the essence of the following prompt and enhance it for an epic, fantasy yet high-tech environment. The image should be realistic and depict a battle-scarred warrior."
The following table presents the enhanced versions generated by each tool.
Just a reminder: Leonardo AI performs automatic enhancements, meaning you don’t provide details on what to improve—it generates upgrades based on its own interpretation of the input prompt.
Leonardo AI (Prompt Enhancement Feature) | Prompt Enhanced with ChatGPT |
A warrior with hair like dark wildfire, braided with fragments of starlight, and eyes that burn with echoes of lost battles. This warrior is depicted as a fierce and mystical figure, with a hauntingly captivating presence. The image is a beautifully detailed painting that showcases the warrior's strength and otherworldly aura. Every aspect of the warrior is intricately depicted, from the fiery hair to the intense gaze, creating a truly mesmerizing visual experience. The artist's skill and attention to detail elevate this image to a level of breathtaking magnificence. | A battle-hardened warrior stands amidst the ruins of a forgotten world, his hair like dark wildfire, braided with shimmering fragments of starlight that pulse with faint cosmic energy. His piercing eyes burn with echoes of countless lost battles, reflecting both sorrow and unyielding defiance. Scars etched across his weathered face and cybernetic armor tell tales of ancient wars fought beyond the stars. He wields a blade forged from crystallized nebula shards, its core glowing with ethereal light. The background reveals a vast, dystopian landscape where towering structures merge with colossal trees, their roots intertwined with remnants of high-tech machinery. Neon-lit clouds swirl overhead, casting an otherworldly glow upon the warrior, embodying the fragile balance between myth and advanced technology. |
Here are the images generated from the respective prompts:
What did you think of the result?
The key takeaway here is that we should always aim to get the best out of each tool and align it with our creative goals. Having access to multiple tools expands our possibilities and gives us more flexibility in the creative process.
Trends in Digital Art
The future of digital art is closely tied to the advancement of language models for image generation. AI in creative processes is no longer seen as a passing trend, but as a true revolution that’s redefining what’s possible in the art world. And with the progression of quantum computing, this evolution is expected to accelerate even further.
Here are some innovations and trends currently shaping the digital art landscape:
✅ Advanced Language Models: The development of increasingly sophisticated models allows the generation of images with impressive levels of detail and complexity. This opens up new possibilities for illustration, concept art, and graphic design.
✅ Generative Art Creation: Artists are using AI to create artworks that evolve and transform over time, resulting in dynamic and interactive visual experiences.
✅ AI Integration with Traditional Tools: Graphic design software is incorporating AI features to streamline the creative process—offering automated suggestions for composition, color palettes, and visual styles.
✅ Extreme Customization: AI enables a level of artwork personalization never seen before—allowing artists and clients to fine-tune every detail according to their preferences.
✅ Exploration of New Visual Styles: With AI support, artists can explore hybrid styles and experiment with visual combinations that would be difficult—or nearly impossible—to conceive manually.
Conclusion
ChatGPT has proven to be an essential tool for artists and visual creators—offering far more than just simple prompt suggestions. It acts as a true creative partner—capable of refining ideas, expanding horizons, and transforming basic concepts into powerful sources of inspiration. With the recent update, ChatGPT can also be used to create images with great quality even tough there are tools specialized on it.
Throughout this article, we’ve explored how original prompts can evolve into more complex and impactful versions, demonstrating ChatGPT’s potential when compared with specialized platforms like Leonardo AI. But rather than choosing between one or the other, the real advantage comes from exploring the strengths of both tools to make your creative process even more productive.
One additional point: with no detail, the Tool will use its own "criativity" to add the necessary elements. So result can be very good sometimes.
Beyond streamlining creative workflows, ChatGPT stands out for its ability to generate descriptions that balance rich detail with artistic freedom. Whether you’re a traditional artist, a digital illustrator, or an enthusiast of generative art, this technology marks a significant advancement in how we find inspiration and develop visual projects.
If you’re looking to sharpen your skills, expand your creative repertoire, or simply find that spark of inspiration you’ve been missing — ChatGPT is the “hack” you needed. And this is just Part 1.
Get ready to explore even more possibilities in the upcoming editions, where we’ll continue refining original drawing prompts using ChatGPT.
Once published, each article in this series will be available under this tag/link: Creative Journey. The Tag is also placed just below after the article.
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