Deep Dive: How to use Neon and Synthwave style in generative AI Art
A quick guide to channeling the retro-futuristic vibes of the 1980s in your Midjourney prompts
A quick guide to channeling the retro-futuristic vibes of the 1980s in your Midjourney prompts
Synthwave, a nostalgic musical genre inspired by 1980s action movies and video game soundtracks, has found a fascinating visual counterpart in generative AI. The vibrant neon colors, chrome grids, and retro-futuristic landscapes synonymous with synth wave are being reimagined through powerful AI algorithms. This fusion is leading to the creation of captivating art pieces, music videos, and even virtual worlds, all dripping with 80s nostalgia.
How to achieve the Synth wave look in Midjourney
I have generated more than 9,000 images in Midjourney, and I’ve found out there are different paths and tokens to achieve the desired style.
Here is a list of tokens that will help you achieve the desired look:
Synthwave
Retro-futuristic
Neon
Cyberpunk
Vaporwave
Future Nostalgia
Dystopian-neon
Holographic
Hyperpop
Let’s dive in.
The Basics
Midjourney recognizes the synthwave style, and uses it properly. Just adding one or two basic tokens is enough to deliver good results.
Prompt: Synthwave, cyberpunk, a neon grid road leading to a big futuristic neon city with neon lights, classic synthwave style sun in the sky, the road is lined with sparse palm trees and hills, simple details, highest quality — v 6.0
Cyberpunk synthwave Greek statue with swords floating in the cosmos art, shape that frames the subject — v 6.0
Gorgeous woman in a modern and futuristic city with neon lights behind her. Vibrant synth wave colors, artistic style — v 6.0
Alternative methods
Now, let’s test other ways to get the same aesthetic.
Minimal and hallucinatory illustration with a color scheme of iridescent hues; using pictorialism and grid and album cover; inspired by hyperpop and fine art; the focus is the Deloren Car; mood is dreamy and intense. — v 6.0
The keywords here are iridescent / hyperpop / dreamy. We get a different type of synthwave.
Beautiful futuristic fashion photoshoot model, flowing-transparent-cloth-dress, lasergrid landscape, digital cityscape, neon mountains — v 6.0
Lasergrid / neon is an interesting combo. Test it with different objects.
Cover playlist spotify, style electro-house 90’s — v 6.0
Apparently, electro-house deliver the same purple results, in a modern style.
Final experiments
Let’s try a few extra things.
Video cover that fuses a futuristic cyberpunk aesthetic with a tropical Tech House vibe. The central figure is inspired by a popular female singer with vibrant blue hair and a powerful presence, reminiscent of Karol G. She wears reflective, neon-lit glasses and is styled with a modern, tropical fashion sense that suggests a blend of street style and beach flair. The backdrop is an energetic underground club scene, bursting with a combination of neon lights and tropical elements such as palm tree silhouettes and floral motifs. — v 6.0
All the keywords are there. Midjourney delivers awesome colors.
A wallpaper large of an elite special forces team with tech visors in a retro/synthwave world, high detailed, brightly colored, with a synthwave pyramid retro style in the background — no purple — stylize 750 — v 6.0
Using the parameter — no to remove purple.
a neon shaped frame with the word VIBES, in the style of realistic landscapes with soft, tonal colors, futuristic spacecraft design, trance compilation cd, reductionist form, velvety textures, nightcore, blurry details — v 6.0
Obviously, neon type works well with this aesthetic. Create awesome signs!
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