or - 8 ways to spot if your illustrator is REAL!
Hello peeps!
I’ve seen this many times on the Indie author forums. Indie authors paying an illustrator who they think is legitimate only to discover that they are creating work using AI, and slowly the things don’t add up and after a few requests things go quiet…and their money is gone.
How can you avoid this nightmare yourself?
I CANNOT stress this enough. Learn the code to spot AI and then run away before you put money on the table and fall foul to their scams.
I have a background of 15 years in 3D digital animation, so I still find it pretty easy to spot AI, but I know not everyone can. So here are a few things to look out for which should set off the alarm bells!
CHECKLIST TO SPOT THE AI IMPOSTER!
1. Consistency
It’s rare that an illustrator has work in many different styles in a portfolio. Ask to see a selection of work, and compare the line work and the colourwork of the various images to see if they are consistent ie : drawn by the same human hand.
Quite often the ‘dead’ eyes, or the stiff poses give it away for me too!
2. Consistency pt 2
AI is getting better all the time but it’s rare that it manages to draw the same character believably in different poses and situations. If you are unsure of an illustrator you can either ask them to show you, or pay them to produce one drawing of the same character in different poses.
3.Website
Most professional illustrators have a website. On this website you will be able to see their portfolio, read about them and understand the history of their work, like previous clients, and client reviews, including previous publications.
4. Preparatory work
If they can‘t show you the sketch work that lead to the final images that they are presenting you, then it’s likely that it doesn’t exist! This can be a BIG giveaway that they aren’t actually sketching at all.
5.No process.
Similarly to no preparatory work, if they can’t tell you what their process is to arrive at the final image this is another big giveaway. Don’t be afraid to ask how they work, and what you can expect.
A real illustrator will discuss your book with you, they will make preparatory sketches of your main characters and layouts which you can discuss, BEFORE they render them as final artwork.
6.A Member of something
Most professional illustrators are also a member of a professional illustrators association. Even young illustrators can be found there as these places have favourable rates to support students and beginners. ( and they don’t allow AI imagery!) Here are a few of the best known associations. Do they belong to:
- The Association of Illustrators
- SCBWI
- Society of illustrators
- The Professional Cartoonists Organisation.
If the answer is no.. beware. Go back and check points 1 to 5 carefully.
7. All change
Because there is no process, and because AI generates a whole image at once, making small changes to artwork becomes very difficult, if not impossible without regenerating the image again. If they offer no revisions then beware.
8.Money and contracts
If they are asking for money upfront.. but there are no guarantees… Don’t go there! I cannot stress this enough, that you NEED a contract. It protects YOU and THEM. Any project needs a contract.
To see an example contract go here
Any project should have Payment Staging too so the trust is built and no-one goes out of pocket ( there are bad authors too!)
Typical staging might be:
- 10% payment upfront upon signature of contracts
- 20% on completion of Character designs
- 20% on completion of thumbnails storyboards
- 20% on completion of ink work
- 20% on completion of colourwork and typesetting
- Final 10% – Delivery of final files
This spreads the payment over the project and if the worst happens and someone ‘disappears’ no-one is too far out of pocket.
Books are a serious business...
Bookwork is involved. You need someone who knows what they are doing and who understands how to make your words dance with the images, to make a truly engaging experience for your target audience. It’s teamwork, a double act and the best books are born with that process.
Not just that but someone who can take your story and craft it into a print ready PDF that you can publish!
AI is generic, and quite frankly, boring!
Hey, just for fun I also have a series about AI and how it can impact the world of illustration, that maybe you’d be interested to read.
This snail below is a generated image which I have some fun with on my other blog haha
Thanks for reading, I hope it helped!
Good luck out there Peeps! x
Use a real illustrator and make a great book for the children who are reading it!
