How to Create 3D Animal Characters Using Midjourney

3D animal characters are everywhere these days – from social media posts to marketing materials. They’re cute, friendly, and people connect with them easily.

In this post, I’ll show you my process for making adorable 3D animal characters using Midjourney. I’ll break down the prompt structure I use, explain why certain elements work better than others, and share tips to help you avoid the mistakes I made early on.

When I first started making 3D animal characters, I noticed they looked best when I followed certain design principles.

The most appealing 3D animal characters often have exaggerated features – especially the head-to-body ratio. Think about characters like those in Zootopia or Kung Fu Panda. They have larger heads, bigger eyes, and smaller bodies than their real counterparts.

I found that simpler designs work better in Midjourney. Too many details can make the character look messy or confused. Focus on the key features that make each animal recognizable – a lion’s mane, a giraffe’s long neck, or a rabbit’s ears.

The Base Prompt Formula

I use this basic prompt structure for all my 3D animal characters:
3D cartoon [animal] character, small body with big head, plain background, joyful pose

Let’s look at why each part works:

“3D cartoon”

These words tell Midjourney to create a three-dimensional character with a cartoon style. I found this works better than just saying “cartoon” or “3D” alone. The combination gives that modern, rendered look similar to recent animated movies.

“[animal] character”

Adding “character” after the animal name makes a big difference. It tells Midjourney to create something more stylized and personified, rather than a realistic animal. Try it both ways – you’ll see what I mean.

“small body with big head”

This is key for getting those cute proportions. Without this part, Midjourney sometimes makes the characters too realistic or gives them normal body proportions. The big head helps make them more expressive and appealing.

“plain background”

I learned this the hard way – complex backgrounds can distract from the character. A plain background lets you focus on getting the character right and makes it easier to use the image later.

“joyful pose”

This helps avoid static or boring poses. “Joyful” usually results in dynamic, appealing positions that show personality. You can swap this for other emotions, but I find “joyful” works well as a starting point.

Example Animal Characters

Following are some examples I tried with the base prompt.

• 3D cartoon giraffe character, small body with big head, plain background, joyful pose. –ar 3:4 –v 6.1

• 3D cartoon lion character, small body with big head, plain background, joyful pose. –ar 3:4 –v 6.1

• 3D cartoon gorilla character, small body with big head, plain background, joyful pose. –ar 3:4 –v 6.1

• 3D cartoon tiger character, small body with big head, plain background, joyful pose. –ar 3:4 –v 6.1

• 3D cartoon cat character, small body with big head, plain background, joyful pose. –ar 3:4 –v 6.1

• 3D cartoon dog character, small body with big head, plain background, joyful pose. –ar 3:4 –v 6.1

• 3D cartoon cow character, small body with big head, plain background, joyful pose. –ar 3:4 –v 6.1

• 3D cartoon polar bear character, small body with big head, plain background, joyful pose. –ar 3:4 –v 6.1

• 3D cartoon panda character, small body with big head, plain background, joyful pose. –ar 3:4 –v 6.1

• 3D cartoon dragon character, small body with big head, plain background, joyful pose. –ar 3:4 –v 6.1

• 3D cartoon rabbit character, small body with big head, plain background, joyful pose. –ar 3:4 –v 6.1

• 3D cartoon fox character, small body with big head, plain background, joyful pose. –ar 3:4 –v 6.1

• 3D cartoon monkey character, small body with big head, plain background, joyful pose. –ar 3:4 –v 6.1

• 3D cartoon penguin character, small body with big head, plain background, joyful pose. –ar 3:4 –v 6.1

• 3D cartoon otter character, small body with big head, plain background, joyful pose. –ar 3:4 –v 6.1

• 3D cartoon squirrel character, small body with big head, plain background, joyful pose. –ar 3:4 –v 6.1

• 3D cartoon turtle character, small body with big head, plain background, joyful pose. –ar 3:4 –v 6.1

• 3D cartoon hamster character, small body with big head, plain background, joyful pose. –ar 3:4 –v 6.1

How to Improve Your Prompts

After making many characters, I found several ways to make the base prompt better. Here are my favorite tweaks:

Add Material Details

Instead of just “3D cartoon,” try:

• “3D cartoon character with glossy plastic texture”
• “3D cartoon character with soft matte finish”
• “3D cartoon character with subtle fur texture”

Enhance the Expression

Make “joyful pose” more specific:

• “giggling with paws up”
• “bouncing with excitement”
• “sitting playfully”
• “dancing happily”

Refine the Style

Add style references:

• “Pixar-inspired 3D cartoon”
• “chibi-style 3D cartoon”
• “cute mascot-style 3D cartoon”

Color Control

Direct the color scheme:

• “pastel color palette”
• “simple two-tone design”
• “soft natural colors”

Better Backgrounds

Replace “plain background” with:

• “solid pastel background”
• “gentle gradient background”
• “simple color-matched background”

Lighting Improvements

Add lighting details:

• “soft ambient lighting”
• “subtle rim light”
• “warm lighting from above”

Here’s an example of an improved prompt:
3D cartoon lion character with soft fur texture, small body with big head, gentle gradient background, sitting playfully with a big smile, warm lighting –ar 3:4 –v 6.1

Making 3D animal characters in Midjourney is simple. With these prompts and some practice, you can now create cute characters quickly and consistently.

The key things that helped me most:

• Using a solid base prompt
• Making small, careful changes
• Learning from both successes and mistakes
• Keeping things simple

If you’re just starting out:

• Try the base prompt first
• Pick an easy animal like a cat or dog
• Make small tweaks
• Keep notes on what works

After you get comfortable with basic prompts, play around with different styles and details. Each animal has its own quirks, and finding them is part of the fun.

What surprised me most was how a few small changes to a prompt could make such a big difference in the results. The best characters often came from the simplest prompts.

I hope sharing my experience helps you create your own awesome 3D animal characters. Good luck with your creations!