See yourself as a 1940s detective, a Renaissance noble or a space explorer. These prompts use your own selfie as a reference in mainstream AI tools, with rules that keep it fun and fair.
Your own faceReference image12 prompts
Quick answer
In today's mainstream AI tools a 'face swap' is really a reference-guided portrait: you upload a selfie, describe a scene, and the model paints a new image where the person has your face. ChatGPT and Gemini do this from an uploaded photo; Kling and Midjourney have character or subject reference features that keep a face consistent across images.
Omni/character reference for stylised, cinematic portraits.
Paid plans
Face swap rules: read before you start
Only use your own face, or the face of someone who has clearly agreed to this specific use.
No celebrities or other real people without consent, and no impersonation: don't make it look like someone said, did or endorsed something.
Never use face swaps for fraud, scams, fake IDs, harassment, revenge or political deception.
No sexual or nude content of anyone, and never any image involving minors.
Label AI-edited images when you share them. Many platforms require it, and China's deep-synthesis rules (深度合成管理规定) require clear labelling of synthetic faces. Most AI tools forbid non-consensual face swaps in their terms.
drawcue gives no tips for hiding edits or evading AI detection, and never will.
Overview
What is an AI face swap (and what it isn't)
In today's mainstream AI tools a 'face swap' is really a reference-guided portrait: you upload a selfie, describe a scene, and the model paints a new image where the person has your face. ChatGPT and Gemini do this from an uploaded photo; Kling and Midjourney have character or subject reference features that keep a face consistent across images.
Used well, it's a great way to imagine yourself in another decade, a costume or a dream job. Used badly, it's how scams and harassment happen, so mainstream tools block real-person swaps without consent. Everything on this page is built around your own face.
Label it. When you post a face-swapped image, say it's AI-generated. Many platforms and laws (including China's deep-synthesis rules) require it.
How to
How to put your face into a scene with AI
Take a clear selfie
Face the camera in soft daylight, no sunglasses or filters. Add one or two more angles if the tool accepts several.
Open a tool with photo or character reference
ChatGPT and Gemini accept an uploaded selfie; Kling and Midjourney have dedicated subject/character reference options.
Paste a prompt
Pick an era or role below. The first sentence tells the model to use only your face.
Check the likeness
Generate 3–4 versions and keep the one that looks most like you. Re-upload the selfie if the face drifts.
Share with a label
Add 'AI-generated' when you post, and don't present it as a real photo.
Guide
A practical, responsible guide to AI face swaps
Why reference beats pasting
Old face-swap apps cut a face out and pasted it onto another body, which looks off and is easy to misuse. Reference-guided generation instead paints a new image with your features, matching light and angle, so results look natural and the tools can apply safety checks.
Give the model a good reference
A sharp selfie at eye level, in soft daylight, with a neutral expression is ideal. If the tool accepts several references, add a three-quarter angle. Avoid heavy beauty filters; the model will copy them.
Describe the era, not a person
Ask for '1940s film-noir detective, trench coat, smoky studio light' rather than naming an actor. You get the look without copying anyone's likeness, and the prompt keeps working across tools.
Fun ideas that stay fair
Historical costumes, your future job, a superhero of your own design, a vintage yearbook photo or an ID-style card for a fictional club are all great. Skip anything that could pass as real evidence: fake documents, news photos or 'proof' you were somewhere.
Label and respect
Add an 'AI-generated' note when sharing. Many platforms require it and China's deep-synthesis regulations mandate clear labels. Never include minors, never sexualise anyone, and remove images if someone in them asks.
Prompts
12 consent-first face swap prompts
Upload your own selfie first. No celebrity names, no real people.
12 of 12 shown
#01
1940s film-noir detective
Use my uploaded selfie as the only face reference: keep my facial features, skin tone and expression recognisable. Portrait of me as a 1940s film-noir detective in a belted trench coat and fedora, standing in a dim office with venetian-blind shadows across the wall, black-and-white film look with soft grain, 85mm.
Negative prompt: different person, face of a celebrity, distorted face, mismatched skin tone, visible seam around the face, extra fingers, text, watermark, logo
Use my uploaded selfie as the only face reference: keep my facial features, skin tone and expression recognisable. A Renaissance-style oil painting of me as a 16th-century noble in a dark velvet doublet or gown with a lace collar, three-quarter pose, dark background, Rembrandt lighting, rich brushwork, museum quality.
Negative prompt: different person, face of a celebrity, distorted face, mismatched skin tone, visible seam around the face, extra fingers, text, watermark, logo
Use my uploaded selfie as the only face reference: keep my facial features, skin tone and expression recognisable. Photo of me as an astronaut in a generic white space suit with the helmet visor raised so my face is visible, standing on the grey lunar surface with Earth rising behind, realistic NASA-style photography look but no agency logos or flags.
Negative prompt: different person, face of a celebrity, distorted face, mismatched skin tone, visible seam around the face, extra fingers, text, watermark, logo
Use my uploaded selfie as the only face reference: keep my facial features, skin tone and expression recognisable. Cinematic poster of me as an original superhero with a midnight-blue suit and a glowing teal emblem of my own design (abstract shape, no letters), standing on a rooftop at dusk, wind in the cape, dramatic rim light. Not based on any existing character.
Negative prompt: different person, face of a celebrity, distorted face, mismatched skin tone, visible seam around the face, extra fingers, text, watermark, logo
Use my uploaded selfie as the only face reference: keep my facial features, skin tone and expression recognisable. A 1970s high-school yearbook portrait of me with era-appropriate hair and a wide-collar shirt, mottled blue studio backdrop, warm faded film colours, slight soft focus.
Negative prompt: different person, face of a celebrity, distorted face, mismatched skin tone, visible seam around the face, extra fingers, text, watermark, logo
Use my uploaded selfie as the only face reference: keep my facial features, skin tone and expression recognisable. Me as a figure in a Tang-dynasty court painting, wearing respectful Tang-style robes, painted in gongbi style on aged silk with fine lines and mineral colours. A generic portrait, not any real historical person.
Negative prompt: different person, face of a celebrity, distorted face, mismatched skin tone, visible seam around the face, extra fingers, text, watermark, logo
Use my uploaded selfie as the only face reference: keep my facial features, skin tone and expression recognisable. Me in a 1990s Hong Kong film still: neon-lit night street, leather jacket, motion-blurred taxis behind, step-printed film look, green and magenta grade, heavy grain. No readable signs.
Negative prompt: different person, face of a celebrity, distorted face, mismatched skin tone, visible seam around the face, extra fingers, text, watermark, logo
Use my uploaded selfie as the only face reference: keep my facial features, skin tone and expression recognisable. Sepia photograph of me as a Victorian-era explorer in a khaki field jacket with a map case and compass, standing beside a canvas tent in the desert, 1890s glass-plate photo texture.
Negative prompt: different person, face of a celebrity, distorted face, mismatched skin tone, visible seam around the face, extra fingers, text, watermark, logo
Use my uploaded selfie as the only face reference: keep my facial features, skin tone and expression recognisable. Editorial photo of me as a head chef in a crisp white double-breasted jacket, plating a dish in a busy modern restaurant kitchen, warm practical lights, shallow depth of field.
Negative prompt: different person, face of a celebrity, distorted face, mismatched skin tone, visible seam around the face, extra fingers, text, watermark, logo
Use my uploaded selfie as the only face reference: keep my facial features, skin tone and expression recognisable. Me as an original fantasy elf archer in a moss-green leather tunic, holding a carved wooden bow in a misty ancient forest, soft god rays, painterly realism. No existing franchise characters.
Negative prompt: different person, face of a celebrity, distorted face, mismatched skin tone, visible seam around the face, extra fingers, text, watermark, logo
Use my uploaded selfie as the only face reference: keep my facial features, skin tone and expression recognisable. A 1920s silent-film-style portrait of me with period hair and costume, soft-focus glamour lighting, black-and-white with a faint vignette, ornate Art Deco frame border with no text.
Negative prompt: different person, face of a celebrity, distorted face, mismatched skin tone, visible seam around the face, extra fingers, text, watermark, logo
Use my uploaded selfie as the only face reference: keep my facial features, skin tone and expression recognisable. A playful membership card for a fictional 'Moon Gardeners Club' with my portrait on a pastel background, rounded corners, illustrated moon and plants, clearly a novelty card with no barcodes, seals or government-style elements.
Negative prompt: different person, face of a celebrity, distorted face, mismatched skin tone, visible seam around the face, extra fingers, text, watermark, logo
Using your own face for fun is fine almost everywhere. Using someone else's face without consent can break privacy, defamation and impersonation laws, and many places now require AI images to be labelled.
Can I swap my face with a celebrity?
No. Mainstream tools block it and it can violate their rights. Use the era and role prompts here instead; they give the same cinematic feel without copying anyone.
Can I put my friend in the picture?
Only if your friend agrees to that specific image and where you'll post it. Ask first, and delete it if they change their mind.
Why doesn't the result look like me?
Use a sharper, front-facing selfie in even light, add a second angle, and keep the prompt short so the face reference carries more weight.
Is there a free face swap tool on drawcue?
No, on purpose. We share prompts for mainstream tools that have their own safety checks.
