classical-images

name	classical-images
description	Create repeatable classical historical oil-painting images using a bundled five-image reference set. Use when the user wants AI-generated bitmap images with the same 3:2 landscape aspect ratio, academic realism, visible canvas texture, warm earth palette, dramatic chiaroscuro, mythic or historical subject matter, and painterly narrative style as the classical reference images.

Classical Images

Purpose

Generate new images that match the bundled classical oil-painting reference set. The goal is consistency across repeated generations: same aspect ratio, medium, palette, lighting, composition language, and reject criteria.

This skill is for generated bitmap images. Use the normal image-generation path available in the environment. Do not create SVG, HTML, vector placeholders, or prompt-only output unless the user explicitly asks.

Reference Images

Before generating, load these bundled images as style references when local image viewing is available:

• assets/references/classical-reference-01-lion-and-man.png
• assets/references/classical-reference-02-stone-steps.png
• assets/references/classical-reference-03-forest-dialogue.png
• assets/references/classical-reference-04-river-king.png
• assets/references/classical-reference-05-procession-fire.png

Treat all five as style references only, not edit targets. Do not copy a specific composition unless the user asks. Match the shared visual language across the set.

Fixed Image Contract

Keep these constants unless the user explicitly overrides them:

• Aspect ratio: 3:2 landscape
• Preferred final size: 1920x1280
• Acceptable same-ratio draft size: 1344x896
• Use case: historical-scene
• Medium: traditional oil painting on canvas
• Style: late academic historical illustration, painterly realism
• Surface: visible canvas grain, thick brushwork, impasto highlights, dry-brush texture, glazed shadows
• Palette: ochre, umber, sienna, cream linen, muted gold, dark forest green, charcoal black, stone gray, weathered wood brown, occasional deep red
• Lighting: dramatic directional light, warm highlights, deep cool shadows, chiaroscuro
• Mood: solemn, mythic, grounded, emotionally serious
• Composition: cinematic 3:2 landscape, strong foreground figures, readable gesture, expressive faces, supporting background architecture or landscape

Workflow

1. Identify the user's scene subject and any required characters, objects, setting, or historical period.
2. Load the five bundled reference images if they are not already visible in the conversation.
3. Build the prompt from the template below, changing only the scene-specific fields.
4. Generate with the normal image-generation tool.
5. Inspect the output against the validation checklist.
6. If it fails, iterate with one targeted correction. Keep the reference set and fixed contract unchanged.
7. Report the final prompt and saved path for any project-bound asset.

Prompt Template

Use case: historical-scene
Asset type: narrative illustration / cinematic historical painting

Input images:
The five bundled classical reference images are style references only. Match their shared visual language: classical historical oil painting, visible canvas texture, thick painterly brushwork, warm earth pigments, dramatic chiaroscuro, academic realism, expressive faces, grounded anatomy, and cinematic 3:2 landscape composition.

Primary request:
[USER SCENE REQUEST]

Scene/backdrop:
[SETTING, ERA, ARCHITECTURE, LANDSCAPE, WEATHER, OR INTERIOR DETAILS]

Subject:
[MAIN FIGURES, CLOTHING, POSE, EXPRESSION, OBJECTS]

Style/medium:
Large-format oil painting on canvas, late academic historical illustration, painterly realism, impasto highlights, dry-brush texture, glazed shadows, hand-painted surface detail.

Composition/framing:
Strict 3:2 landscape aspect ratio, preferably 1920x1280. Strong foreground figures, readable gesture and eye contact, background details supporting the story without overpowering the figures.

Lighting/mood:
Dramatic directional light, warm highlights, deep cool shadows, solemn mythic atmosphere, emotionally serious and grounded.

Color palette:
Ochre, umber, sienna, cream linen, muted gold, dark forest green, charcoal black, stone gray, weathered wood brown, occasional deep red accents.

Materials/textures:
Rough linen, carved stone, aged wood, bronze or muted gold ornament, weathered skin, thick paint ridges, visible brushstrokes, canvas grain.

Constraints:
Preserve the shared style of the bundled references. Make it look like a traditional historical oil painting, not digital fantasy art. Keep the image in 3:2 landscape composition.

Avoid:
photorealism, modern clothing, modern objects, CGI, 3D render, anime, comic-book linework, smooth airbrushed skin, plastic surfaces, neon colors, overly clean digital concept art, text, watermark, logo.

Subject Adaptation

For public-domain or folklore characters, create an original interpretation that fits the classical oil-painting style. Avoid modern franchise-specific designs, mascot proportions, or cartoon visual signatures.

For mythic, biblical, ancient, or literary scenes, prefer grounded period materials: linen, wool, leather, bronze, carved wood, stone, dust, smoke, lamplight, candlelight, or natural daylight.

For scenes outside the ancient Mediterranean, preserve the same painterly treatment while adapting clothing, architecture, and props to the requested culture or period.

Validation Checklist

Accept an output only if it satisfies most of these:

• 3:2 landscape composition, with no square or portrait crop.
• Reads as oil on canvas rather than photo, CGI, anime, or flat illustration.
• Visible brushwork and canvas texture are present.
• Warm earth palette dominates, with deep shadows and restrained accents.
• Faces and hands are expressive but painterly, not plastic or overly smooth.
• Setting supports the story without becoming cluttered.
• No visible text, watermark, logo, modern objects, or franchise-specific design leakage.

If the output fails, correct only the failure:

Revise the image while keeping the same bundled reference style and 3:2 landscape ratio. Change only this: [TARGETED CORRECTION]. Keep the traditional oil-on-canvas look, warm earth palette, visible brushwork, and dramatic chiaroscuro.

Reference Details

Read references/style-contract.md only when deeper style diagnosis, sample prompts, or reject-language examples are needed.