Are you a fan of post-apocalyptic art? Look no further! This collection of 30 art prompts offers a wide range of creative ideas to inspire your next masterpiece. From desolate landscapes to ruined cities, these prompts explore the consequences of human actions and the struggle for survival in a hypothetical future after a catastrophic event. Each prompt includes detailed descriptions of the subject to be drawn, along with modifiers such as art genres, styles, mediums and techniques, lighting settings, and color settings. You’ll find inspiration from the likes of famous artists such as Edward Hopper, J.M.W. Turner, and Salvador Dali. Whether you prefer realism, impressionism, or surrealism, there’s something for everyone in this collection.

30 creative text-to-image prompts for your next Post-Apocalyptic masterpiece

1. A sprawling, abandoned metropolis swallowed by the encroaching wilderness; Industrial, Realism; Oil, Charcoal; Harsh, overhead lighting casting deep shadows; A predominantly cool color palette with hints of muted red; by Edward Hopper, Anselm Kiefer, and Banksy; Unreal engine 5
2. A group of survivors huddled around a campfire amidst the ruins of a city; Narrative, Expressionism; Mixed media, Collage; Dim, flickering light casting long, ominous shadows; A desaturated, gritty color palette with occasional pops of neon; by Kathe Kollwitz, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Kara Walker; Unreal engine 5
3. A towering statue of a fallen leader overgrown with vines and moss; Monumental, Surrealism; Sculpture, Oil; Soft, diffuse lighting highlighting the intricate details of the statue’s decay; A monochromatic palette with muted greens and browns; by Salvador Dali, Barbara Hepworth, and Jeff Koons; Unreal engine 5
4. A makeshift market set up in the ruins of a post-apocalyptic city; Documentary, Realism; Photography, Digital Art; Harsh, direct lighting revealing the squalor and desperation of the survivors; A heavily desaturated color palette with occasional pops of bright, artificial colors; by Dorothea Lange, Steve McCurry, and Cindy Sherman; Unreal engine 5
5. A barren wasteland covered in a thick layer of toxic fog; Atmosphere, Abstract; Watercolor, Ink; Soft, diffused lighting obscured by the fog; A monochromatic palette with a focus on blues and purples; by Wassily Kandinsky, Mark Rothko, and Kazimir Malevich; Unreal engine 5
6. A desolate, abandoned cityscape with overgrown vegetation and dilapidated buildings; Futuristic, Realism; Oil on canvas, Mixed media; Harsh, stark lighting; Monochromatic with rusted browns and grays; by Edward Hopper, Anselm Kiefer, and Gerhard Richter; Unreal engine 5
7. A post-apocalyptic landscape featuring a lone survivor navigating through a hazardous environment; Surrealism, Impressionism; Digital painting, Charcoal sketch; Stark, high-contrast lighting; Limited color palette with blues and grays; by Frida Kahlo, Yves Tanguy, and Salvador Dali; Unreal engine 5
8. A scene of a post-apocalyptic society living in a bunker underground; Cyberpunk, Expressionism; Oil on canvas, Digital art; Dim, artificial lighting; Neon color palette with pinks and purples; by Francis Bacon, Kazimir Malevich, and Osamu Tezuka; Unreal engine 5
9. A depiction of a post-apocalyptic wasteland ravaged by a deadly virus; Dark Fantasy, Realism; Watercolor, Ink; Diffused, eerie lighting; Grayscale with pops of vibrant red; by Albrecht Dürer, Gustave Doré, and H.R. Giger; Unreal engine 5
10. A haunting portrait of a post-apocalyptic survivor plagued by haunting memories; Neo-expressionism, Portraiture; Oil on canvas, Digital art; Dark, moody lighting; Limited color palette with muted greens and browns; by Edvard Munch, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Cindy Sherman; Unreal engine 5
11. A cyberpunk cityscape ravaged by a catastrophic disaster, with remnants of futuristic technology scattered throughout; Post-apocalyptic; Realism, Cyberpunk; Oil on canvas, Digital painting; Stark, neon lighting; High contrast with shades of blue and red; by Simon Stalenhag, Syd Mead, and H.R. Giger; Unreal engine 5.
12. An abandoned amusement park overtaken by nature, with rusted roller coasters and dilapidated attractions; Post-apocalyptic; Surrealism, Pop art; Mixed media, Digital art; Faint, eerie lighting; Vibrant, contrasting colors; by Banksy, Mark Ryden, and Ron English; Unreal engine 5.
13. A group of survivors traveling through a barren wasteland, with a sense of despair and hopelessness in their expressions; Post-apocalyptic; Expressionism, Realism; Watercolor, Pencil; Harsh, direct lighting; Monochromatic with shades of gray and brown; by Edward Hopper, Edward Munch, and Caspar David Friedrich; Unreal engine 5.
14. A floating city in the clouds, constructed after the earth below became uninhabitable due to a man-made disaster; Post-apocalyptic; Steampunk, Fantasy; Oil on canvas, 3D modeling; Soft, diffused lighting; Muted colors with pops of gold and silver; by Hayao Miyazaki, Jules Verne, and James Gurney; Unreal engine 5.
15. A lone figure wandering through a deserted city, with towering skyscrapers in the background and a sense of isolation and loneliness; Post-apocalyptic; Minimalism, Realism; Charcoal, Photography; Stark, direct lighting; Monochromatic with shades of black and white; by Edward Hopper, Ansel Adams, and Giorgio de Chirico; Unreal engine 5.
16. A futuristic cityscape of a once-thriving metropolis now destroyed by natural disasters and climate change; Cyberpunk, Realism; Digital Painting, Mixed Media; Low-key lighting, Illuminated signs and billboards; Muted tones with neon accents; by Syd Mead, Simon Stalenhag, and Masamune Shirow; Unreal engine 5
17. A haunting image of a lone survivor trekking through a barren wasteland with a gas mask and a backpack; Dark Fantasy, Surrealism; Oil Painting, Charcoal; Harsh sunlight casting deep shadows; Cool grays and blues with warm highlights; by Zdzisław Beksiński, HR Giger, and Richard Corben; Unreal engine 5
18. A scene of a group of rebels fighting against a tyrannical government in a dystopian world; Action, Expressionism; Acrylic, Spray Paint; Explosions and gunfire illuminating the scene; High contrast with bold, bright colors; by Banksy, Keith Haring, and Jean-Michel Basquiat; Unreal engine 5
19. A post-apocalyptic landscape of a world overtaken by a rampant virus, with ruins of the former civilization in the background; Horror, Realism; Watercolor, Ink; Moody, misty atmosphere; Desaturated with rusty, muted tones; by Hokusai, Alphonse Mucha, and Gustav Klimt; Unreal engine 5
20. A futuristic, industrial city overrun by robots, with a lone human survivor standing in defiance; Sci-fi, Minimalism; Digital Art, 3D modeling; Stark, artificial lighting casting sharp shadows; High contrast with metallic, monochromatic tones; by Moebius, David A. Trampier, and Peter Elson; Unreal engine 5
21. A surrealistic painting of a post-apocalyptic world where the sky is green and the landscape is covered in toxic waste; Surrealism, Expressionism; Oil, Charcoal; Strong, directional lighting; Green and yellow hues with black accents; by Salvador Dali, Edvard Munch, and Francis Bacon; Unreal engine 5
22. A hyper-realistic painting of a desolate wasteland with a crumbling city skyline in the background; Realism, Impressionism; Acrylic, Oil; Soft, diffused lighting; A muted, monochromatic color palette with hints of red; by Edward Hopper, Thomas Cole, and Anselm Kiefer; Unreal engine 5
23. A digital painting of a futuristic city ravaged by war with robots and cyborgs fighting in the streets; Futuristic, Cyberpunk; Digital Painting; Neon lights and artificial lighting; A high-contrast, monochromatic color palette with bold pops of color; by Syd Mead, Simon Stålenhag, and Hajime Sorayama; Unreal engine 5
24. An oil painting of a barren wasteland with a lone traveler walking towards a distant, ominous-looking structure; Realism, Impressionism; Oil, Watercolor; Soft, diffused lighting; A muted, earthy color palette with hints of orange and red; by Caspar David Friedrich, J.M.W. Turner, and Albert Bierstadt; Unreal engine 5
25. A painting of a post-apocalyptic world where nature has reclaimed the cities and turned them into overgrown jungles; Nature, Surrealism; Watercolor, Acrylic; Soft, diffused lighting; A lush, vibrant color palette with shades of green and blue; by Henri Rousseau, Leonora Carrington, and Remedios Varo; Unreal engine 5
26. A haunting painting of a deserted laboratory in an abandoned research facility; Industrial Decay; Realism, Surrealism; Oil paint, Charcoal; Dim and flickering light from broken fluorescent bulbs; Dominant shades of rusty brown and metallic grey; by Zdzisław Beksiński, H.R. Giger, and Edward Hopper; Unreal engine 5
27. A surreal landscape of a deserted city with overgrown vegetation and abandoned structures; Nature’s Revenge; Impressionism, Surrealism; Watercolor, Oil paint; Soft, diffused light from the setting sun; A monochromatic palette with shades of green and blue; by René Magritte, J.M.W. Turner, and Salvador Dalí; Unreal engine 5
28. A post-apocalyptic portrait of a lone survivor in a barren wasteland; The Last Hope; Realism, Expressionism; Graphite, Oil paint; Stark contrast of harsh, direct lighting and deep shadows; A monochromatic palette with shades of black and grey; by Edward Munch, Grant Wood, and Andrew Wyeth; Unreal engine 5
29. A chilling painting of a dilapidated subway station filled with mutated creatures; Mutant Underground; Realism, Horror; Oil paint, Ink; Flickering red and green lights add to the eerie atmosphere; Dominant shades of sickly green and deep red; by Hieronymus Bosch, Francis Bacon, and H.P. Lovecraft; Unreal engine 5
30. A dramatic painting of a barren wasteland with a solitary figure in the distance; The End of Civilization; Realism, Romanticism; Acrylic, Pastel; Stark contrast of harsh sunlight and deep shadows; A monochromatic palette with shades of beige and brown; by Caspar David Friedrich, J.M.W. Turner, and Edward Hopper; Unreal engine 5