My digital painting got flagged for AI use at a contest in Denver last month

I entered a digital art contest in Denver last month with a fantasy landscape I made in Procreate. The judges said my brushwork looked 'too perfect' and flagged it as possible AI art. I had to show them my 47-layer file with all the sketches and color tests to prove I painted it myself. It took over 30 hours across three weeks. Has anyone else had to prove their work is handmade because the style is too clean?

3 comments

3 Comments

finley_clark202mo ago

Worry this could accidentally hurt artists with disabilities. Some people use really steady digital tools or special brushes because of motor control issues. Their work might look "too perfect" to judges who don't know their process. We're setting a standard where only visible, messy brushstrokes equal "real" art, and that's not fair to everyone.

masontorres2mo ago

That's a really good point I hadn't considered. It turns a style choice into an unfair gatekeeper. Judges need to know the artist's intent, not just the tools.

jason9587d ago

That accessibility angle is something the whole conversation keeps missing. Perfect control shouldn't automatically disqualify someone, especially when that control comes from a need not a cheat code. The "visible struggle" standard is kind of an ableist trap when you really sit with it. Hard to see how that makes art judging more fair.