A client said my AI art looked too perfect and it clicked

I was showing a client some character designs for their book, all made with my usual workflow. They paused and said, 'These feel sterile, like they were made by a machine.' That feedback stuck with me for a week. I started adding a single, specific prompt like 'with a slightly uneven ink line' or 'minor texture overlay' to my process. It adds that human touch the AI misses on its own. Has anyone else found a simple prompt tweak that fixed a 'too perfect' look?

4 comments

4 Comments

lewis.terry1mo ago

My last AI portrait looked so flawless it felt like a stock photo for a dental ad. I started adding "with a messy pencil sketch underlayer" to everything, which is basically how I draw in real life anyway (lots of eraser crumbs). It's funny that we have to tell the machine to be less perfect to make it feel more real. That client gave you the key to the whole thing.

kim.jake1mo ago

I used to think adding more detail made it better, but @lewis.terry is right. Asking for the messy bits is what makes it feel human.

kelly3851mo ago

Read that in an art blog somewhere...

avery_ross1mo ago

That's a really smart fix. It makes me wonder about the client's side though. Did they say what felt "off" about the perfect look? Was it just a gut feeling, or could they point to something specific like the symmetry or the colors? Knowing what tipped them off could help find other weak spots in the process.