Posted in: Comics, DC Comics, Marvel Comics | Tagged: A.I., ai, Stanley Artgerm Lau

Stanley "Artgerm" Lau Having To Prove He's Not A.I.

Stanley "Artgerm" Lau on having to keep proving that he's not A.I. to new readers who presume that he is.

Published Tue, 20 Jan 2026 10:57:07 -0600

Article Summary

Stanley "Artgerm" Lau is a renowned digital illustrator known for work with Marvel, DC, and major game studios.
His distinct digital art style is often mimicked by AI, leading to false accusations about his process.
Many AI-generated artworks are actually inspired by Lau's unique visual techniques and signature flair.
He shares Sketch to Finish posts online to prove that his vibrant creations are 100% crafted by hand.

Stanley "Artgerm" Lau is a digital illustrator, graphic designer, concept artist, creative director, educator, and co-founder of Imaginary Friends Studios, based in Singapore, which creates artwork for clients in entertainment, gaming, and comics. Born and raised in Hong Kong, he now lives and works in Singapore, blending Eastern and Western influences. He is especially popular for his work with Marvel and DC Comics, which have released poster portfolios featuring his covers. He has also created concept art and character designs for game companies such as Capcom (Street Fighter), Valve, Riot Games, Square Enix, and, more recently, Marvel Rivals, including Luna Snow. He also co-runs an award-winning full-time diploma course in Digital Design & Illustration in collaboration with 3dsense Media School in Singapore. He has also been vocal about the impact of A.I. on art, emphasizing the value of human-made creativity and "real artists" in interviews, and not using A.I. Which is ironic as that A.I. uses him, a lot, his work stolen, stripped and sifted by generative A.I. model that people who generate images on popular A.I. models often create something based on his work.

And, as a result, he is often accused of using A.I. to create his paintings, because they have an A.I. style. In reality, A.I. is basing many of its procedures on his work. Stanley "Artgerm" Lau posts to social media about this, saying, "It's funny to see that there has been an increasing number of young audiences accusing me of AI. For what it's worth, here is another round of Sketch to Finish posts for those who find them useful. Thank you!"