Stylized AI art: stack styles like a concept artist

Build a stylized image by layering style, medium, and mood — not just naming one artist:

'[MEDIUM TEXTURE] illustration of [SUBJECT], in the style of [STYLE A] blended with [STYLE B], [COLOR PALETTE], [MOOD], [COMPOSITION], [RENDERING DETAIL] --ar [RATIO]'

Example 1 — Style stack: 'Ink wash and gold leaf illustration of a dragon coiled around a lighthouse, Art Nouveau linework blended with Japanese ukiyo-e composition, deep indigo and metallic gold palette, mythic and serene, symmetrical, intricate hatching detail --ar 2:3'

Example 2 — Medium-driven: 'Gouache painting of a bustling night market, thick visible brushstrokes, Studio Ghibli warmth blended with Edward Hopper lighting, warm lantern oranges against cool blue shadows, nostalgic, wide establishing shot --ar 16:9'

How style-stacking works:
• Combining two references creates a third thing — 'Moebius + Alphonse Mucha' is different from either alone. Pick one for COMPOSITION and one for RENDERING.
• Medium texture is the secret layer most people skip. 'Watercolor' = soft bleeds and paper grain. 'Cel-shaded' = flat color, hard edges. 'Oil paint' = visible impasto and rich darks. 'Risograph' = halftone dots, limited palette, slight misregistration. The medium changes the output as much as the style reference.
• Color palette should be SPECIFIC, not vague. 'Warm tones' gives you nothing. 'Burnt sienna, ochre, and dusty rose against charcoal' gives you a painting.

What NOT to do:
• Skip 'trending on ArtStation' — it was useful in 2022 but now just biases toward generic polished CG. Instead, name the actual aesthetic you want.
• Don't stack more than 2-3 style references or they cancel each other out.
• Don't say 'highly detailed' for styles that shouldn't be detailed — a minimalist ink drawing should say 'clean linework, negative space' instead.