Yeah, mate. You have to work on your prompting.
I have consistently good results with “a nearly-photorealistic colored pencil style in 1000 x 1000 px.” I’ve actually had literal colored pencils once or twice, but not to the degree you’ve experienced.
Your problems with the water color is that you’re asking for an “image” which you emphasize a few times. Therefore, it produces an image of watercolors being created.
“Please create a serene and artistic image of a lion amidst lush greenery in rich watercolors at 1920 x 1080 px. The background is a soft wash of light greens and browns with a light gaussian blur. Sunlight filters through the leaves, casting dappled shadows and giving the scene a serene, almost magical quality.”
In your prompting, keep the technical details of the image—dimensions and style—separate from your requests of what the image will be. It will clear up the confusion.