Step 1: Define Your Character Design Brief

Before touching any AI tool, create a character design brief: name, personality, visual traits (hair color, eye shape, clothing style, body proportions), and reference art. Collect 10–20 images that represent your desired aesthetic — these could be from existing games, anime, or hand-drawn sketches. Upload these references to Leonardo AI’s Image Guidance section. This brief becomes your anchor for every generation.

Step 2: Choose and Configure the Right Model

Navigate to Leonardo AI‘s model selection panel. For stylized game characters, the Anime or Phoenix model works best. Select the model and set parameters: choose “Dynamic” generation quality for higher detail, set image dimensions to match your game’s sprite or portrait resolution (e.g., 512×512 for 2D, 1024×1024 for 3D renders), and adjust the “Prompt Magic” toggle to enhance prompt interpretation without over-stylizing.

Step 3: Craft Your Character Prompt with Consistency Anchors

Write a detailed prompt that includes all character traits from your brief: “A fierce warrior woman with silver braided hair, amber eyes, wearing dark leather armor with gold trim, holding a flame sword, standing in a dramatic pose against a stormy sky.” Always start with the character’s fixed traits (hair, eyes, clothing) before describing action or background. Use the same fixed trait description in every generation to maintain consistency.

Step 4: Use Image Guidance for Character Locking

Upload your best reference image or a previously generated character image to Leonardo’s Image Guidance. Set the “Strength” parameter to 0.5–0.7 — this balances creative variation with structural consistency. Higher strength locks the output closer to the reference; lower strength allows more creative interpretation. Generate variants (different poses, expressions, backgrounds) while keeping the character’s core appearance locked to your reference.

Step 5: Train a Personal Model for Long-Term Consistency

For projects requiring hundreds of consistent character images, train a custom model. Navigate to “Personal Models,” create a new dataset, and upload 30–50 images of your character across different angles, poses, and expressions. Click “Train Model” and wait 30–60 minutes. Once trained, select your personal model from the model dropdown and generate new character images that automatically match your trained style — no need for lengthy prompts or image guidance.

Step 6: Export and Organize Your Character Assets

Download generated images in PNG format with transparent backgrounds (enable “Remove Background” in post-processing). Organize assets in folders by character, pose type, and resolution. Create a naming convention (e.g., CharacterName_Pose_Background_Size.png) for efficient retrieval in your game engine. Leonardo AI’s batch generation feature lets you produce entire sprite sheets — generate 10 pose variations in one session, export, and compile them into your animation timeline.