Create an AI character: their portrait first, then the same face in every image
An AI character starts with a portrait: you describe them, the model draws them, then the Reference node holds that face (up to 6 images) and you call them with @name in any prompt.
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Start with the portrait. Write who the character is (age, hair, what they wear, one detail you can spot from across the room), generate a few AI portraits and keep the one you like. That portrait becomes their sheet in a Reference node, alongside two or three other angles of the same face, six images at most. From then on, writing @their-name in a prompt sends the sheet to the model.
Without a sheet, every image invents a new hero: the eyes change, so does the nose, the jacket goes from blue to green. With one, the face holds from scene to scene. The sheet saves to My characters and works in all your projects, so you never redo the portrait.
Not every model reads references. Seedream 5 Lite (5 credits) and Nano Banana (6 credits) take them into account, and an alert appears on the node if the selected model ignores them. Kling 2.5 Turbo then animates the character in video.
The button on this page opens the AI e-commerce influencer template: EMMA's sheet is already filled with three angles of her face (front, profile, three-quarter), next to a product sheet, an image and a video. Look at how it is wired, then swap her for your own character. Starting from your own photo and after a portrait for LinkedIn or a CV? The AI headshot page is built for that. To turn a single selfie into a four-view sheet, see keep the same character.
The article on consistent AI characters goes further, from reference images to a finished film, and the canvas nodes guide explains every connection.
How it works
- 1
Write the portrait
A tight portrait, facing the camera, soft light, plain background, then the character's description. Run three or four versions with Flux Schnell at 1 credit and keep the best.
- 2
Build their sheet in a Reference node
Give the character a name (for example @lea), a one-sentence description, and add the chosen portrait with two or three other angles: profile, three-quarter. Images that match each other give a face that holds better.
- 3
Call @name in your prompts
"@lea walks through a night market in the rain": autocomplete inserts the mention, and the model receives the sheet's images and description.
- 4
Spin off scenes, then video
Change the setting, the outfit, the light: the face stays. Plug the image into a Video node to animate the scene, and save the sheet to My characters for your next project.
Recommended models
Seedream 5 Lite
Nano Banana
Kling 2.5 TurboFrequently asked questions
How do I make an AI portrait of an invented character?
Describe them in one sentence in an Image node (age, hair, clothing, one distinguishing detail), ask for a tight front-facing portrait on a plain background, and generate several versions. The portrait you keep becomes the first image of their Reference sheet.
How many reference images do I need?
Two or three are often enough, six at most. Different angles of the same face give the best results.
Which models respect the character best?
Seedream 5 Lite and Nano Banana read the sheet's images. If the selected model ignores them, an alert on the node tells you and lists the ones that use them.
Can I start from my own photo?
Yes: put your photo in the Reference node instead of a generated portrait. For a professional profile picture, the AI headshot page starts from two or three selfies.
Can I have several characters in the same scene?
Yes: create one Reference node per character and mention @each-one in the prompt of the same image.
Does the character carry over from one project to the next?
Yes. The Save to My characters button keeps the sheet, with its name, description and images, and you find it in all your projects.
Create an AI character: their portrait first, then the same face in every image
Open this template in the canvasFree account, no card required. Credits are bought as needed.