Module 3 of 5 · Beginner · 7 min read
Editing and consistent characters
Change one thing without breaking the rest, and keep a character recognisable across images.
- 1Name what to change and explicitly what to keep.
- 2Reference images are the key to consistency.
- 3Character sheets help anchor identity across a series.
01Precise edits
Conversational editors are powerful but literal. Say exactly what should change and list what must stay the same: faces, pose, lighting direction, composition and colour grade.
For small fixes, use masking or region selection where the tool supports it, so the rest of the image is untouched.
02Keeping characters consistent
Provide one or more reference images of the character and describe stable features (hair, clothing, distinguishing marks) in every prompt. Generate a character sheet with front, side and back views as a reusable reference.
Nano Banana and GPT Image 2 lead on multi-image consistency in our races; Midjourney offers character reference features too.
03Common failure modes
Most editing problems come from ambiguity.
- Drift: the face slowly changes over several edits. Restart from the original.
- Over-editing: the whole image changes. Narrow the instruction or mask the area.
- Style mismatch: inserted objects look pasted on. Ask to match lighting and grain.
Finished reading?
Mark it complete to track your progress, then test yourself with the Image & Video AI quiz.