Introduction
In this guide, I give my method to identify 'seed' characters which are recognized by the checkpoint models.
No Need for a LORA model
I saw some articles recommending to train a LoRA model using a small set of images that look like the character you are trying to build.
This article will show you a faster and lighter workflow to create your own unique character.
How to find the name?
First, you have to decide what features your new character will have:
is it a realistic human, or a fantasy creature?
where does it live?
which historical period is it belong to?
Then, I usually rely on websites like https://www.fantasynamegenerators.com for fantasy characters, or https://www.name-generator.org.uk for realistic names.
I also had success using chatGPT to generate names based on a mythological theme (e.g., chilli pepper dryad).
Testing candidates
All my experiments were conducted with Stable Diffusion A1111 WebUI.
I recommend using a simple positive prompt with a focus on the face
RAW photo, Nelly_Solange, 20yo woman, beautiful, 8K, portraitAt this stage, I keep the images at low-resolution (e.g., 512x512) and do not use any outscaling/high.res
A1111 has the option to create batches and depending of you VRAM, I recommend at least batch-size to 4. It will create a 2x2 grid with 4 images from the same prompt and only varying the random starting seed.
If across one (or multiple) batches, you notice stable facial features (same skin color, hair color, haircut, ...), you are likely in presence of a character seed.
If you had a more specific scenario in mind for your character, I suggest to do the batch screening using a more developed prompt.
A stunning portrait of (Hlif Brunidottir:1.4) epic tattooed Valkyrie, Vikingcore
Using 'seed' characters
Once identified and tested, a strong candidate can be used in positive prompt with a strong weight and a '_' between first and last name. For instance, (Nelly_Solange:1.4).
Current list of my 'seeds'
At the moment, I will share my key findings here, but I might move it to a separate file.
Nelly Solange: blond hair, dark skin, soft, gentle --> https://civitai.com/posts/524358
Hlif Brunidottir: viking girl with warrior features and strong facial features --> https://civitai.com/posts/1358447
Valborg Thorgilsdottir: Scandinavian girl with soft features https://civitai.com/posts/1601997
Caerulea: dryad with blue features --> https://civitai.com/posts/1534840
Fellelone: dryad with red roses
Capsaicaina: red chilli pepper dryad https://civitai.com/posts/1613611
Chantico: red chilli pepper dryad
Cumbella: Aboriginal woman from Australia https://civitai.com/posts/1572002
Please let me know if this article was useful and also if you have your own seed characters you are willing to share with us.