Half-Orc

AI defaults to "orc warrior" because that's overwhelmingly what exists in the training data. The key insight: state profession before race. "Scholarly half-orc librarian" produces a radically different portrait than "half-orc in robes."

The Human-Orc Balance

Mostly Human (20-40% Orc)

Visual markers: "strong jaw with slight underbite", "greenish tint to skin", "small tusks barely visible", "slightly pointed ears"

Balanced (50%)

Visual markers: "prominent lower tusks", "olive-green skin", "strong brow ridge with human-like eyes", "muscular but proportional"

Mostly Orc (60-80%)

Visual markers: "large protruding tusks", "deep green skin", "heavy brow ridge", "massive build", "broad flat nose"

Tusks

Tusk style tells a story about the character's relationship with their heritage:

• Subtle: "small lower tusks barely past lips"
• Prominent: "prominent tusks extending past upper lip"
• Broken: "one tusk chipped from an old fight"
• Capped: "tusks capped with silver"

Skin Tone

Don't default to bright green:

• "ashen olive" — subtle, urban
• "warm olive-green" — middle ground
• "earthy brown with green undertones" — natural
• "stone-gray" — some lean gray, not green

Inpaint in Action

AI sometimes misses key features. This portrait came out too human — missing the tusks.

Fix: Inpaint with "add tusks, this is a half orc"

Before:

After:

One pass, thirty seconds. Fix what's missing without regenerating.

Prompt Structure

[Profession + personality] + [half-orc] + [Balance level] + [Tusk style] + [Skin tone] + [Clothing] + [Expression] + [Setting]

Example: "gentle half-orc herbalist with warm olive-green skin and small neat tusks, soft brown eyes under a mild brow ridge, linen tunic with dried herbs on belt, kind patient expression, sunlit garden cottage, warm afternoon light, detailed fantasy portrait"

Troubleshooting