In Focus

Stickers with Midjourney AI

Nina Fokina
Nina Fokina
November 18, 2024

In this episode of the In Focus series, we dive into the art of creating unique stickers using Midjourney AI, inspired by the diverse styles of renowned artists.

Marc Johns

Minimalist artist Marc Johns is known for whimsical illustrations and anthropomorphized objects. His style is light, airy, and humorous. Use low stylize values for a muted color palette and simple lines that capture Johns' characteristic charm.

Pro Tips

Avoid highly detailed settings to stay true to Johns’ whimsical simplicity.

Sample prompt: Marc Johns's cut sticker depicting two animals engaging in human activities, muted colors, solid background --style raw --s 11

Michael DeForge

Canadian cartoonist Michael DeForge is known for his avant-garde, surreal designs. His works mix absurdity with day-to-day elements and feature bold colors and abstract characters. To capture DeForge’s style, keep stylize low, highlighting clean lines and vibrant, contrasting colors.

Pro Tips

Avoid realism; it detracts from DeForge's distinctively surreal, fantastical appeal.

Sample prompt: Michael DeForge's cut sticker depicting (subject), solid background --style raw --s 15

Bill Amend

Creator of the popular comic strip FoxTrot, Bill Amend’s style embodies humor around family life, gaming, and pop culture. To emulate Amend's style, use low stylize values and detailed prompts. His style is clean, with flat colors and expressive lines.

Pro Tips

Include elements like modern culture or tech to maintain the humor of FoxTrot.

Sample prompt: Cut sticker by Bill Amend depicting (a comic strip character tackling a computer bug), flat colors, expressive lines --s 15 --v 6.1

Edvard Munch

Known for his intense emotional imagery, Edvard Munch’s style can be captured in Midjourney with prompts like “round cut sticker by Edvard Munch,” paired with intense, expressive brushstrokes and vivid colors.

Pro Tips

Use color choices that match the desired emotion: red and yellow for passion, blues and greens for melancholy.

Sample prompt: Round cut sticker by Edvard Munch depicting (subject), soft greens and blues, expressive brushstrokes --style raw --s 75 --niji 6

Liu Ye

Liu Ye’s artwork often combines simplicity with deep emotion, using soft pastels and childlike figures. To capture his style, select minimalist themes and soft color schemes. Using low stylize values emphasizes his unique proportionate character traits like large eyes and small bodies.

Pro Tips

Start the prompt with Liu Ye’s name for consistency in style.

Sample prompt: Die-cut sticker depicting fictional figure painting by Liu Ye --style raw --s 50

Allie Brosh

American illustrator and writer Allie Brosh is celebrated for her expressive yet minimal characters that delve into personal identity and mental health struggles. To replicate Brosh's style in Midjourney, set the stylize parameter low, as her characters are best rendered simply, with minimal detail, exaggerated features, and large, expressive eyes. Lower stylize values lead to characters with stick-like limbs and an endearing, caricature-like quality.

Pro Tips

Lower stylize settings to enhance the simplicity and humor of Brosh’s style.

Add solid background to the prompt to minimize distracting elements and avoid complex hand detailing.

Sample prompt: Allie Brosh’s die-cut sticker depicting (subject), isolated background --style raw --s 34

Louis Wain

Louis Wain, known for his iconic cat illustrations, uses bold colors and anthropomorphic themes. Lower stylize values help Midjourney retain the early naturalistic style, while higher values add a more psychedelic edge.

Pro Tips

Include terms like “anthropomorphic cats” or “surreal colors” to maintain Wain’s unique touch.

Sample prompt: Louis Wain's cut sticker, depicting (subject), solid background --s 11 --style raw

Gemma Correll

British cartoonist Gemma Correll uses simple, cartoonish lines to humorously portray anxiety and modern life. For Correll’s approachable style, keep stylize values low and use prompts that describe everyday themes.

Pro Tips

Include character traits like “whimsical” and “approachable” for consistency.

Sample prompt: Gemma Correll's cut sticker depicting (subject), solid background --style raw --s 26

René Magritte

Belgian surrealist René Magritte’s work is known for its mystery and placing familiar objects in unusual contexts. Set stylize around 50 and keep prompts short and surreal.

Pro Tips

Include muted colors and soft blues and grays for a calm, mysterious effect.

Sample prompt: René Magritte’s round sticker depicting (subject), mystery and surreal quality, flat muted colors

Shaun Tan

Australian artist Shaun Tan explores surreal, modern themes through his characters. Midjourney generates Tan’s style well with low to medium stylize values, blending surrealism with detailed, thoughtful backgrounds.

Pro Tips

Use dramatic lighting and muted colors for added depth.

Sample prompt: Shaun Tan’s cut sticker depicting (subject), dramatic lighting, muted color palette

Stickers are more than fun—they’re a tool for expressing unique ideas. Let these artist-inspired styles spark your imagination as you experiment with Midjourney. Whether humorous, whimsical, or surreal, the possibilities are endless!

Happy creating!

— Nina, Midlibrary Experimentalist