Can I Add a Character Without a Photo?
Yes. With Lullaby's "Describe instead" option, you can add any character to a story using a text description of their appearance — no photo upload required. Lullaby reads your description and generates an illustrated version of the character in your chosen art style.
This is perfect for a fictional friend, a grandparent you don't have a good photo of, a made-up creature, or for parents who simply prefer not to upload photos of their child online.
Privacy-friendly by design. If you'd rather not upload a photo of your child, you don't have to. Describe their appearance in words instead and Lullaby creates a personalized storybook without you ever sharing a photo.
How to Use "Describe Instead"
When adding a character during story creation:
- Open the character panel — Click "Add Character" or edit an existing character slot.
- Switch to description mode — Click "No photo? Describe instead" below the photo upload area.
- Describe the character — Type a description of their appearance in the text box. Include details like hair color, eye color, skin tone, clothing, and build.
- Fill in the other fields — Add the character's name, gender, age (required for people), and type (person or pet).
- Continue — The rest of story creation works exactly as usual.
The more detail you include in your description, the more accurate the illustrated character will be. Aim for 2–4 sentences covering their most distinctive features.
What to Include in Your Description
Focus on physical appearance — that's what Lullaby uses to create the illustration:
- Hair: color, length, style (e.g., "long wavy red hair with a braid")
- Eyes: color and shape (e.g., "bright green eyes")
- Skin tone: (e.g., "warm brown skin")
- Clothing: style and colors (e.g., "wears a yellow raincoat and purple boots")
- Build or height: if relevant (e.g., "tall and slim", "small and round")
- Distinctive features: freckles, glasses, a specific accessory, etc.
Example description:
Curly dark brown hair, big brown eyes, golden skin, and always wearing a superhero cape — red with gold stars.
For Authors & Illustrators: Build Original Characters
The "Describe instead" option isn't only for real people. Authors, illustrators, and hobbyist storytellers can use it to bring original fictional characters to life — a brave little fox, a purple dragon, a robot sidekick — without sourcing or drawing reference art first. Describe the character once and Lullaby illustrates them consistently throughout the story.
Mixing Photos and Descriptions
You can combine both types of characters in the same story. For example:
- Upload a photo of your child (photo character)
- Describe a fictional best friend (description character)
The two methods work side by side — Lullaby handles both and blends them seamlessly into the same illustrated story.
What Happens After You Describe a Character?
Lullaby uses your description to generate a cartoon version of the character in your chosen art style — the same process used for photo-based characters. You'll see a preview of all characters (both photo and described) before the story is generated, so you can check they look right.
Limitations
- Descriptions must be at least 10 characters long.
- Descriptions are used for appearance only — personality traits and backstory belong in your story prompt, not the character description.
- Described characters may be slightly less precise than photo-based characters, since the AI is working from text alone.
If you have a photo available — even an imperfect one — uploading it will generally give you a more recognizable character than a description alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make a personalized storybook without uploading any photos?
Yes. Every character in your story can be added with a text description instead of a photo. You can create a complete, fully illustrated storybook without uploading a single image.
Is it safe to create a storybook without sharing my child's photo?
It's the most private way to use Lullaby. When you describe a character in words, no photo of your child is uploaded or stored. Many parents choose this option specifically because they prefer not to put images of their children online.
Do described characters look as good as photo-based ones?
Described characters are fully illustrated in the same art style as photo-based characters and look great in the finished story. A photo will usually produce a slightly more recognizable likeness of a real person, but for fictional characters — or when you want privacy — descriptions work beautifully. You'll always see a preview before the story is generated.
Can authors and illustrators use this to create original fictional characters?
Absolutely. Describing a character is an easy way to design original characters — animals, creatures, or invented people — for your stories without needing reference photos or drawing them yourself.
How detailed does my character description need to be?
A description must be at least 10 characters long, but 2–4 sentences covering hair, eyes, skin tone, clothing, and any distinctive features give the best results. The more specific you are, the closer the illustration will match what you imagined.
Can I mix described characters and photo characters in one story?
Yes. You can upload a photo for one character and describe another in the same story. Lullaby blends both into a single, cohesive illustrated storybook.
See also: What photos should I upload? · Writing a great story prompt · Getting started with Lullaby