Blending & Reference Images

Combining two images or ideas, a face and a galaxy, a product and a scene, two photos into one, used to mean manual photobashing or fiddly Midjourney blends. Now the reliable route is multi-image reference input: give the model the images and describe how to combine them. This guide covers the methods and the prompt patterns that make blends look intentional rather than pasted.

Works in: Midjourney, GPT Image, Flux, Nano Banana, Stable Diffusion.

How to use this skill

When the user asks for an image prompt in this style, compose one using the formulas and vocabulary below. Fill each slot with a concrete choice, then return the finished prompt. Prefer naming a real camera/lens, a light, and a colour or film treatment, which is what makes the output read as a real photograph rather than an AI render.

Formulas

The blend recipe

[image A] + [image B] + how they combine (double exposure / composited into / textured with)

The relationship word matters: 'a double exposure of X and Y' reads differently from 'X composited into Y' or 'X with the texture of Y'. Name the one you want.

Worked prompt examples

_Reference blend vs word blend_

Reference (GPT Image / Nano Banana): [attach face image] + [attach forest image], blend them as a double exposure, face filled with the forest.  ·  Words only: 'double exposure portrait of a woman's profile filled with a misty pine forest, elegant, monochrome'.

_Double exposure_

Double exposure portrait of a woman's profile filled with a misty pine forest, elegant, monochrome, blended seamlessly

_Texture blend_

A portrait of a woman blended with autumn leaves, her skin taking on the texture and colour of the leaves, artistic, seamless

_Composite into a scene_

A perfume bottle composited into a dramatic mountain landscape at sunset, the product integrated with matching light and reflections, seamless

Vocabulary

The methods

Multi-image reference (most control)

• How: Attach two or more images and describe how they combine. GPT Image and Nano Banana are the strongest; they can genuinely merge provided images.
• When: You have the source images and want a controllable, faithful blend.
• Catch: Be explicit about which image is the base and which is the overlay, and about matching the light.

Double exposure (words only)

• How: Describe both subjects and use 'double exposure of X filled with Y'.
• When: You want the double-exposure look and have no source images.
• Catch: Works best with a clear silhouette (a profile, a head) as the container.

Compositing a product into a scene

• How: 'product] composited into scene], integrated with matching light and reflections'.
• When: Advertising: placing a product into an environment believably.
• Catch: Name 'matching light and shadow' or it will look pasted on.

From God of Skills: a curated, hand-tested directory of AI skills, prompts, templates and image style guides. Source: https://godofskills.com/playbooks/ai-blending-reference-images?ref=claude-skill