Hella Illustrated
Could AI become my illustrator and capture a little East Bay attitude along the way?The Challenge
I wanted to see whether AI could work as an illustrator, not just generate random images, but follow a specific visual direction across an entire series.
The Idea
Create a collection of fictional postage stamps inspired by familiar East Bay places, phrases, and local moods. Some are playful, some are dramatic, and some make everyday locations look far more glamorous than they probably deserve.
My Role
I developed the concepts, chose the locations and headlines, directed the AI-generated artwork, and refined everything in Adobe. I also created the stamp system so each illustration could feel different while the collection stayed consistent.
The Outcome
A colorful set of unofficial East Bay stamps and a useful experiment in treating AI like an illustrator rather than a one-click solution. It could create the raw artwork, but it still needed direction, editing, and human judgment to make the collection feel intentional.