Updated: 31 October 2026

Oil pastel seaside scene

This prompt creates an oil pastel drawing with thick waxy strokes and rich blended colours of a harbour or village at golden hour, with small boats and whitewashed houses. Ask for visible strokes and rough paper texture.

image-oil-pastel-scene — midjourney — 35 words

Oil pastel drawing of a [COASTAL VILLAGE / HARBOUR] at golden hour, thick waxy strokes, rich blended colours, small boats, whitewashed houses, glowing sky, rough paper showing through, expressive childlike energy, warm palette. --ar 3:2

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Ask for visible strokes and rough paper texture for an authentic hand-drawn feel.

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What you will get

A warm oil pastel drawing of a coastal village or harbour at golden hour, with thick waxy strokes, small boats, whitewashed houses, a glowing sky and rough paper showing through the colour.

Why it works

Oil pastels have a look of their own: thick, waxy and a little rough, so the prompt names the marks, not just the medium. The golden hour light and whitewashed houses give the warm palette something bright to bounce off. Asking for childlike energy keeps it loose, which is the charm of the medium.

Common mistake

It looks like a smooth digital painting.

Fix: Keep “thick waxy strokes” and “rough paper showing through”, as the tip says, and add “visible crayon marks”.

Also watch for

The houses are drawn with neat straight lines. Keep “expressive childlike energy” and add “wobbly hand-drawn edges” for a real pastel feel.
The colours turn muddy. Ask for a few bold colours placed side by side, not blended everywhere, the way pastel artists layer them.

Try a variation: try a rainy day

Ask for the same harbour on a grey rainy day with blue and violet strokes and yellow window lights.

Still not right? Add this and run it again

visible waxy crayon strokes, rough paper showing through, wobbly hand-drawn edges, a few bold colours side by side