Style Reference Lexicon

On-demand reference for aesthetic naming. Use these names in prompts to invoke specific visual characteristics.

tools-only Updated Sep 29, 2026 7 repo stars

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Style Reference Lexicon

On-demand reference for aesthetic naming. Use these names in prompts to invoke specific visual characteristics.

Film Stocks

Film	Effect
Kodak Portra 160/400/800	Warm skin tones, pastel highlights, fine grain, nostalgic
Kodak Ektar 100	Vivid colors, high saturation, fine grain
Kodak Gold 200	Consumer warmth, golden tones, everyday nostalgia
Fujifilm Pro 400H	Soft pastels, muted tones, airy highlights
Fujifilm Velvia 50	Saturated colors, high contrast, punchy greens/blues
Fujifilm Superia	Consumer look, versatile, slight green cast
Cinestill 50D/800T	Cinematic, halation around lights, film-set feel
Ilford HP5	B&W, medium contrast, versatile grain
Ilford Delta 3200	B&W, high ISO, pronounced grain, night scenes
Kodak Tri-X 400	B&W, classic photojournalism, gritty texture
Kodak Vision3 500T	Tungsten cinema film, blue shadows, warm highlights

Modifiers: "pushed to 1600" (more grain, contrast), "cross-processed" (color shifts)

Camera Systems

Camera	Association
Hasselblad 500C/X1D/X2D	Medium format, exceptional detail, fashion/portrait
Leica M6/M10/Q2	Street photography, micro-contrast, documentary feel
Phase One IQ4	Ultra-high resolution, commercial, studio
Mamiya RZ67	Portrait, medium format, classic rendering
Contax T2/G2	90s aesthetic, Zeiss rendering, compact luxury
Fujifilm X100V	Modern street, Fuji colors, retro design
Canon AE-1	70s-80s consumer photography
Nikon FM2	Mechanical reliability, photojournalism
Rolleiflex 2.8F	Twin-lens, square format, vintage portrait
Pentax 67	"Medium format look," portrait favorite

Lenses

Lens/Type	Effect
Zeiss Otus 85mm	Razor sharp, smooth bokeh, clinical precision
Helios 44-2	Swirly bokeh, vintage Soviet character
Leica Summilux	Soft glow wide open, classic rendering
Anamorphic	Oval bokeh, horizontal flares, cinematic 2.39:1 feel
Tilt-shift	Miniature effect, selective focus plane

Animation & Studios

Reference	Style
Studio Ghibli	Lush nature, soft lighting, whimsical, hand-painted feel
Makoto Shinkai	Hyper-detailed skies, light rays, emotional realism
Spider-Verse	Ben-Day dots, chromatic aberration, comic frames
Arcane (Netflix)	Painterly textures, dramatic lighting, stylized realism
MAPPA/Ufotable	Modern anime, dynamic action, high production value
Trigger	Exaggerated motion, bold colors, kinetic energy
Disney Renaissance	Clean lines, expressive characters, rich colors
Pixar	3D polish, emotional storytelling, detailed textures
Satoshi Kon	Psychological, reality-bending, adult themes
Fleischer Studios	1930s rubber hose, surreal, black and white
Cartoon Network/Adult Swim	Varied, often irreverent, stylized

Illustration & Comics

Artist/Style	Effect
Moebius / Jean Giraud	Intricate linework, surreal sci-fi landscapes
Alphonse Mucha	Art Nouveau, ornate borders, flowing forms
Frank Frazetta	Fantasy, muscular figures, dramatic action
Yoshitaka Amano	Ethereal, delicate lines, Final Fantasy aesthetic
Kim Jung Gi	Dense, ink-heavy, no preliminary sketches
Mike Mignola	Heavy shadows, angular, Hellboy style
Ukiyo-e	Japanese woodblock, flat colors, bold outlines
N.C. Wyeth	Golden age illustration, adventure, painterly

Game Art

Reference	Style
Breath of the Wild	Soft cel-shading, painterly skies, open world
Dark Souls/FromSoftware	Dark fantasy, intricate armor, oppressive mood
Hollow Knight	Hand-drawn 2D, bug aesthetic, moody underground
Cuphead	1930s Fleischer, hand-drawn animation, jazz age
Cyberpunk 2077	Neon-soaked, high-tech dystopia, chrome
Vanillaware	Painterly 2D, rich colors, fantasy (Odin Sphere)
16-bit SNES/Genesis	Limited palette, chunky pixels, nostalgic
MS-DOS aesthetic	CGA/EGA colors, dithering, early PC

Graphic Design & Eras

Movement/Era	Characteristics
Swiss International Style	Grid-based, clean sans-serif, asymmetric
Bauhaus	Geometric shapes, primary colors, functional
Art Deco	Geometric elegance, gold/black, 1920s glamour
Psychedelic 60s	Warped letterforms, vibrant, Art Nouveau influence
Y2K aesthetic	Chrome, gradients, futuristic optimism
Vaporwave	80s nostalgia, pink/cyan, Roman busts, glitch
Brutalist	Raw, unconventional layouts, stark typography

Fine Art Movements

Movement	Visual Language
Impressionism	Visible brushstrokes, light/color focus, en plein air
Post-Impressionism	Van Gogh swirls, Cézanne geometry, expressive color
Art Nouveau	Organic curves, nature motifs, decorative
Surrealism	Dreamlike, impossible scenes, subconscious imagery
Pop Art	Bold colors, commercial imagery, Warhol/Lichtenstein
Baroque/Caravaggio	Dramatic chiaroscuro, theatrical lighting
Pre-Raphaelite	Vivid colors, medieval subjects, intricate detail
Hudson River School	Romantic American wilderness, dramatic light
De Stijl/Mondrian	Primary colors, black grid, geometric abstraction

Photographers & Directors

Name	Known For
Gregory Crewdson	Cinematic suburban tableaux, uncanny
Annie Leibovitz	Editorial portraits, dramatic, intimate
Wes Anderson	Symmetry, pastels, whimsy, centered compositions
Roger Deakins	Naturalistic cinematography, atmospheric
Terrence Malick	Magic hour, existential beauty, nature
Junji Ito	Horror manga, spiral patterns, body horror
Hiroshi Nagai	Japanese city pop, nostalgic summer, poolside
Zdzisław Beksiński	Surreal, nightmarish, organic decay
William Eggleston	Saturated color, mundane subjects elevated
Saul Leiter	Abstract color street photography, painterly

Quick Combinations

These patterns work well together:

Portraits: "shot on Kodak Portra 400, Hasselblad medium format, soft window light"
Street: "Leica M10, 35mm Summicron, Cinestill 800T at night"
Product: "Phase One IQ4, studio softbox lighting, commercial quality"
Fantasy: "Studio Ghibli style, Makoto Shinkai lighting"
Horror: "Junji Ito aesthetic, high contrast black and white ink"
Retro: "Y2K aesthetic, chrome text, gradient background"

The lexicon is vast—these are samples. If you know a specific name, try it directly.

---name: style-reference-lexicondescription: On-demand reference for aesthetic naming. Use these names in prompts to invoke specific visual characteristics.---# Style Reference LexiconOn-demand reference for aesthetic naming. Use these names in prompts to invoke specific visual characteristics.---## Film Stocks| Film | Effect ||------|--------|| Kodak Portra 160/400/800 | Warm skin tones, pastel highlights, fine grain, nostalgic || Kodak Ektar 100 | Vivid colors, high saturation, fine grain || Kodak Gold 200 | Consumer warmth, golden tones, everyday nostalgia || Fujifilm Pro 400H | Soft pastels, muted tones, airy highlights || Fujifilm Velvia 50 | Saturated colors, high contrast, punchy greens/blues || Fujifilm Superia | Consumer look, versatile, slight green cast || Cinestill 50D/800T | Cinematic, halation around lights, film-set feel || Ilford HP5 | B&W, medium contrast, versatile grain || Ilford Delta 3200 | B&W, high ISO, pronounced grain, night scenes || Kodak Tri-X 400 | B&W, classic photojournalism, gritty texture || Kodak Vision3 500T | Tungsten cinema film, blue shadows, warm highlights |**Modifiers**: "pushed to 1600" (more grain, contrast), "cross-processed" (color shifts)---## Camera Systems| Camera | Association ||--------|-------------|| Hasselblad 500C/X1D/X2D | Medium format, exceptional detail, fashion/portrait || Leica M6/M10/Q2 | Street photography, micro-contrast, documentary feel || Phase One IQ4 | Ultra-high resolution, commercial, studio || Mamiya RZ67 | Portrait, medium format, classic rendering || Contax T2/G2 | 90s aesthetic, Zeiss rendering, compact luxury || Fujifilm X100V | Modern street, Fuji colors, retro design || Canon AE-1 | 70s-80s consumer photography || Nikon FM2 | Mechanical reliability, photojournalism || Rolleiflex 2.8F | Twin-lens, square format, vintage portrait || Pentax 67 | "Medium format look," portrait favorite |---## Lenses| Lens/Type | Effect ||-----------|--------|| Zeiss Otus 85mm | Razor sharp, smooth bokeh, clinical precision || Helios 44-2 | Swirly bokeh, vintage Soviet character || Leica Summilux | Soft glow wide open, classic rendering || Anamorphic | Oval bokeh, horizontal flares, cinematic 2.39:1 feel || Tilt-shift | Miniature effect, selective focus plane |---## Animation & Studios| Reference | Style ||-----------|-------|| Studio Ghibli | Lush nature, soft lighting, whimsical, hand-painted feel || Makoto Shinkai | Hyper-detailed skies, light rays, emotional realism || Spider-Verse | Ben-Day dots, chromatic aberration, comic frames || Arcane (Netflix) | Painterly textures, dramatic lighting, stylized realism || MAPPA/Ufotable | Modern anime, dynamic action, high production value || Trigger | Exaggerated motion, bold colors, kinetic energy || Disney Renaissance | Clean lines, expressive characters, rich colors || Pixar | 3D polish, emotional storytelling, detailed textures || Satoshi Kon | Psychological, reality-bending, adult themes || Fleischer Studios | 1930s rubber hose, surreal, black and white || Cartoon Network/Adult Swim | Varied, often irreverent, stylized |---## Illustration & Comics| Artist/Style | Effect ||--------------|--------|| Moebius / Jean Giraud | Intricate linework, surreal sci-fi landscapes || Alphonse Mucha | Art Nouveau, ornate borders, flowing forms || Frank Frazetta | Fantasy, muscular figures, dramatic action || Yoshitaka Amano | Ethereal, delicate lines, Final Fantasy aesthetic || Kim Jung Gi | Dense, ink-heavy, no preliminary sketches || Mike Mignola | Heavy shadows, angular, Hellboy style || Ukiyo-e | Japanese woodblock, flat colors, bold outlines || N.C. Wyeth | Golden age illustration, adventure, painterly |---## Game Art| Reference | Style ||-----------|-------|| Breath of the Wild | Soft cel-shading, painterly skies, open world || Dark Souls/FromSoftware | Dark fantasy, intricate armor, oppressive mood || Hollow Knight | Hand-drawn 2D, bug aesthetic, moody underground || Cuphead | 1930s Fleischer, hand-drawn animation, jazz age || Cyberpunk 2077 | Neon-soaked, high-tech dystopia, chrome || Vanillaware | Painterly 2D, rich colors, fantasy (Odin Sphere) || 16-bit SNES/Genesis | Limited palette, chunky pixels, nostalgic || MS-DOS aesthetic | CGA/EGA colors, dithering, early PC |---## Graphic Design & Eras| Movement/Era | Characteristics ||--------------|-----------------|| Swiss International Style | Grid-based, clean sans-serif, asymmetric || Bauhaus | Geometric shapes, primary colors, functional || Art Deco | Geometric elegance, gold/black, 1920s glamour || Psychedelic 60s | Warped letterforms, vibrant, Art Nouveau influence || Y2K aesthetic | Chrome, gradients, futuristic optimism || Vaporwave | 80s nostalgia, pink/cyan, Roman busts, glitch || Brutalist | Raw, unconventional layouts, stark typography |---## Fine Art Movements| Movement | Visual Language ||----------|-----------------|| Impressionism | Visible brushstrokes, light/color focus, en plein air || Post-Impressionism | Van Gogh swirls, Cézanne geometry, expressive color || Art Nouveau | Organic curves, nature motifs, decorative || Surrealism | Dreamlike, impossible scenes, subconscious imagery || Pop Art | Bold colors, commercial imagery, Warhol/Lichtenstein || Baroque/Caravaggio | Dramatic chiaroscuro, theatrical lighting || Pre-Raphaelite | Vivid colors, medieval subjects, intricate detail || Hudson River School | Romantic American wilderness, dramatic light || De Stijl/Mondrian | Primary colors, black grid, geometric abstraction |---## Photographers & Directors| Name | Known For ||------|-----------|| Gregory Crewdson | Cinematic suburban tableaux, uncanny || Annie Leibovitz | Editorial portraits, dramatic, intimate || Wes Anderson | Symmetry, pastels, whimsy, centered compositions || Roger Deakins | Naturalistic cinematography, atmospheric || Terrence Malick | Magic hour, existential beauty, nature || Junji Ito | Horror manga, spiral patterns, body horror || Hiroshi Nagai | Japanese city pop, nostalgic summer, poolside || Zdzisław Beksiński | Surreal, nightmarish, organic decay || William Eggleston | Saturated color, mundane subjects elevated || Saul Leiter | Abstract color street photography, painterly |---## Quick CombinationsThese patterns work well together:```Portraits: "shot on Kodak Portra 400, Hasselblad medium format, soft window light"Street: "Leica M10, 35mm Summicron, Cinestill 800T at night"Product: "Phase One IQ4, studio softbox lighting, commercial quality"Fantasy: "Studio Ghibli style, Makoto Shinkai lighting"Horror: "Junji Ito aesthetic, high contrast black and white ink"Retro: "Y2K aesthetic, chrome text, gradient background"```The lexicon is vast—these are samples. If you know a specific name, try it directly.

tools-only/X-Skills/tree/main/commercial/2532-style-reference_1406cd42 commit 7176b155ef

Frequently asked questions

npx skillmds@latest add tools-only/style-reference-lexicon