This style aims for soft watercolor edges, glowing bokeh lights, and a warm paper-and-film grain texture. In animation, layers move subtly at different speeds (painterly parallax) to suggest depth while preserving brushy, organic qualities.

Key traits:

• Watercolor: bleeding edges, granulation, paper tooth
• Bokeh: soft circular highlights, shallow depth cues, rim glow
• Warm grain: amber-tinted film grain over paper texture
• Parallax: multi-layer, slow camera drift (no rubbery warps or over-distortion)

Use a clear subject, watercolor and bokeh cues, warm grain language, and soft-focus modifiers.

Base formula:

• Subject: [character/scene/product]
• Medium: watercolor, wet-on-wet, soft edges, paper texture
• Optics: soft bokeh lights, shallow depth, glow highlights
• Texture: warm film grain, warm paper grain, subtle vignette
• Color: warm palette (ochre, sienna, coral, tea-stain)
• Composition: layered foreground/mid/background for parallax potential

Example (portrait): "cozy evening portrait of a reader by a window, watercolor wash, soft bokeh fairy lights outside, warm film grain, cotton paper texture, gentle glow, ochre and coral palette, soft edges, subtle vignette, layered depth"

Example (landscape): "misty riverside town at dusk, watercolor panorama, wet-on-wet skies, soft bokeh lanterns, warm grain over paper tooth, sienna and ultramarine mix, layered foreground reeds, midground houses, distant hills"

Example (product hero): "handcrafted notebook on wooden desk, watercolor illustration style, soft bokeh string lights, warm film grain, paper texture evident, gentle top-light, shallow depth, cozy amber highlights"

Stable Diffusion/SDXL (typical):

• Steps: 30–50
• CFG: 4–7 (higher risks crunchy edges)
• Sampler: DPM++ 2M Karras or SDE Karras for smooth gradients
• Resolution: start 768–1024px on the long side
• Hires pass: 1.2–1.5x, denoise 0.25–0.4 (keeps watercolor softness)
• Negative cues: harsh outlines, plastic sheen, photoreal pores, oversharp edges, neon saturation

Midjourney (typical):

• Style: --style raw (keeps painterly cues from being over-smoothed)
• Aspect: match composition (e.g., --ar 3:2 or 4:5)
• Quality: --q 1–2
• Subtle grain: include "warm film grain, paper texture" in prompt rather than relying on high detail settings

General tips:

• Add "soft bokeh" or "glowing bokeh" near the subject to anchor depth.
• Keep lighting warm (golden hour) for cohesive amber grain.
• If edges look too digital, re-run with lower CFG or add "wet-on-wet bleed" language.

To reinforce paper and warm grain:

• Overlay: a fine warm grain (amber-tinted noise) at 10–20% opacity
• Paper: cold-press watercolor paper scan overlay in multiply/soft-light
• Color: warm LUT or slight orange/teal split with bias toward warm mids
• Bokeh: add a light, defocused highlight layer in screen/add mode, low opacity

Keep sharpening minimal. Favor clarity/structure only in midtones to avoid crunchy edges.

Goal: subtle depth without breaking the watercolor feel.

Prep:

• Generate image with clear foreground, midground, background separation.
• Duplicate and manually paint repair areas hidden behind foregrounds.
• Export layers: subject/foreground plants, midground structures, background sky wash, bokeh overlay.

In-editor (AE, Nuke, Blender 2.5D):

• Place layers on Z with modest separation; set a 35–50mm virtual camera.
• Camera move: 2–4 seconds, gentle push or pan; ease in/out.
• Bokeh overlay: screen/add blend; slight independent drift to suggest depth.
• Maintain watercolor integrity: avoid mesh warps that create elastic textures.

AI video option:

• Use minimal motion strength (e.g., 0.1–0.25) and keyframes for slow drifts.
• Keep denoise low to preserve paper texture. Re-introduce grain after frames if needed.

• Muddy colors: restrict palette; add "transparent washes, limited palette"; lower CFG.
• Crunchy outlines: add "soft edges, feathered strokes"; reduce sharpness; lower steps slightly.
• Bokeh turns into hard circles: say "soft glowing bokeh, diffused discs"; reduce contrast; lower detail emphasis.
• Grain looks dirty, not warm: ensure "warm film grain" and apply a warm tint; lighten grain opacity.
• Parallax looks fake: reduce Z distance, shorten camera move, avoid large rotations; constrain motion to 1 axis.

Works well for:

• Editorial headers and lifestyle features
• Cozy product hero images and packaging mockups
• Title cards for short films or reels
• Seasonal campaigns (autumn/winter) and café ambiance scenes
• Art prints and stationery with tactile appeal

Helpful vocabulary:

• watercolor wash, wet-on-wet, granulation, cold-press paper
• soft bokeh lights, glowing highlights, shallow depth
• warm film grain, amber grain, paper tooth
• layered depth, parallax drift, painterly parallax

Variations:

• Night city bokeh with rain on glass
• Indoor candlelight with tea-stained paper
• Misty forest with lantern bokeh and indigo washes