How do you search for character images in today's world?

[Galactic Druid]

I don't know how to find good stuff for RP anymore. It used to be that when I started talking about an idea with someone, I'd do a google search for something like "Anime style characters - fantasy swordsman" or "middle aged businessman images" and browse for a few pages until I found something I like.

Now I can't search for anything without being flooded with nothing but pages of AI images. I'm sure there's a better option out there for finding things, I just don't know what it is. Any advice on how to find good character images in today's world? (Ideally both SFW and NSFW options would be best)

[Aethyrium]

If you prefer to avoid AI images, one strong suggestion I make to people is to:

* Go to google image search - type in whatever you want, like "Anime style characters - fantasy swordsman" or <whatever>.
* On the results page, about middle of the page beneath the search bar, there is a tab called tools. Click that and it'll bring up a small bar above the images with things like: size, color, usage rights, etc.
* One of them will say "Any time", click that and go to "Custom range". Leave 'from' blank, and set 'to' to around 2020 or so.

This will only show you results from before that date, and before the giant AI flood, which will make finding things a bit easier. While it obviously has some limits and downsides, this is where I suggest as a solid starting place!

[Revelation]

If you aren't averse to -booru style sites and anime art, I use gelbooru for character images. It's a tag based site, and doesn't allow AI artwork at all.

You do kinda have to learn how to use the tags on the site, and it is host to both SFW and NSFW content, however.

[Oniya]

There's also safebooru, which is specifically for SFW images.

[Esoterica]

Something I used to do, that helped me tremendously was did model based websites like Jurgita.com that wouldn't have AI generated images on them. Hope that helps a bit.

[RedPhoenix]

"Custom range". Leave 'from' blank, and set 'to' to around 2020 or so.

This will only show you results from before that date, and before the giant AI flood

This is very clever. Thank you!

[Galactic Druid]

These are all fantastic ideas, thank you all so much!

If you prefer to avoid AI images, one strong suggestion I make to people is to:

* Go to google image search - type in whatever you want, like "Anime style characters - fantasy swordsman" or <whatever>.
* On the results page, about middle of the page beneath the search bar, there is a tab called tools. Click that and it'll bring up a small bar above the images with things like: size, color, usage rights, etc.
* One of them will say "Any time", click that and go to "Custom range". Leave 'from' blank, and set 'to' to around 2020 or so.

This will only show you results from before that date, and before the giant AI flood, which will make finding things a bit easier. While it obviously has some limits and downsides, this is where I suggest as a solid starting place!

I just tried this this morning, and it works perfectly! Thank you so much for the idea!

If you aren't averse to -booru style sites and anime art, I use gelbooru for character images. It's a tag based site, and doesn't allow AI artwork at all.

You do kinda have to learn how to use the tags on the site, and it is host to both SFW and NSFW content, however.

I didn't know gelbooru banned AI! That's a fantastic idea, since I tend to use art more than RL pics in general. I guess I never thought to use them for SFW stuff because when I have used them before it's been for different reasons. Like, umm, video game fanart!

Something I used to do, that helped me tremendously was did model based websites like Jurgita.com that wouldn't have AI generated images on them. Hope that helps a bit.

I'm having trouble getting that one to load, might be my region. It's a good idea though, I should do a search for modeling websites. It will be nice to have that resource when I'm writing with people that don't like art or anime style faceclaims. Thank you!

[Sara Nilsson]

Thanks people, it has been driving me NUTS too just getting so much useless AI slop.

[Esoterica]

I'm having trouble getting that one to load, might be my region. It's a good idea though, I should do a search for modeling websites. It will be nice to have that resource when I'm writing with people that don't like art or anime style faceclaims. Thank you!

I cant get the site to load either so it may not be a thing anymore. I admit I did not check before placing it up there for you. That basic idea should help though.

[Lou]

Setting -AI on my google searches also cuts out a bulk of the generator sites, though doesn't stop the pinterest AI plague.

For reverse image searching to find artists: https://saucenao.com/

If an artist does not show even after checking their search engines - it's either deleted by artist, ai, or came from a non-english speaking website (as other countries have their own artist platforms)

Sadly all the major art platforms I know of permit AI. On those, you'll be lucky if people tag ai work as ai. For those situations you end up developing a sense for ai work - confusing details, illogical hair strands, uncanny valley posing/compositions, colors, rendering. It's not foolproof though as generators have scraped enough work to be mistaken as human art on first glance.

To narrow your search you will want to:
- Research the games, movies, tv, and other media you like. Find their fandoms & search for fanarts there. You will now have a wide pool to pick from w/ styles you can pick and choose. If they employ actors, you can find fanartists who draw in semi-realistic or realistic styles. If an actor has a strong fandom (See: Mads Mikkelsen) there's an ocean of reference for you to look at.
- Look at the credits of said media. For games & such these will usually be done by in house artists. This will point you to studios & artists (if they've been credited).
- Learn about the "popular figures/iconic names" in the digital art world and other types of art. This will be your Craig Mullins (the pioneer of digital painting), Ruan Jia, James Gurney, Kim Jung Gi, Peter Han, Karl Kopinski, Krenz Artwork.
- If you seek a style, go for style-focused media. If you want your mercenary-in-armor you'll want to hop on artstation or look at TTRPGs (tabletop) source books.
- If you are seeking OC artwork aka not identifiable as coming from a fandom (ex. Superman), you will have to look for artists you like the same way we all find our favorite actors, movies, shows, etc. But you can just get away with referencing fanart if it looks distinct from the source material. But really, middle aged businessman is like the load bearing support pillar for a lot of comics in the BL/Yaoi sphere if that style is up your alley. Overshadowed by all the 20-something male characters but if all you need is a stylized guy in a suit... I can tell you right now there's a fair number of artists out there where all they draw is [guy] in suit, really, really well.

Off the top of my head, the in-use art sites are now:
https://www.artstation.com - A professional portfolio site for industry artists. Permits AI, though has an AI filter tag. Best for "concept art" levels of references - your mecha characters (I've noticed AI to be more common there), armors, setting art, what have you.
https://x.com/home - A fair number of artists have moved from Twitter to bluesky due to AI, though many remain
https://bsky.app/ - Permits AI, but has a strong (yet small) art community. Check the #s for artists. You will need to dig through reposts and accounts reposting artist's posts to find art.
https://www.tumblr.com/ - Old but still good. I suggest finding tumblrs through looking at an artist's linked socials - if they post on twitter they might have a tumblr linked. Tough to get started there if you don't know any names.
Deviantart has fallen off. It's not a popular art website these days.
https://www.furaffinity.net/ - Still chugging along.

For websites outside of the US or fail to show on Google reverse images:
https://www.pixiv.net/en/ - For JP artists, though CN and other Asian artists may post here. Allows AI.
https://www.xiaohongshu.com/explore - For CN artists, though slightly convoluted sign up process. I can't help there. Permits ai, just try not to click on them and the algo should avoid it.
Youtube - Twitch has closed shop in south korea, meaning SK artists may now post on YT. Use a translator and search for "livestreams" to find those channels. Same goes for JP artists.

Also check the fan wikis of games/comics/etc. If you're sourcing pictures from, say, a game like League of Legends, Final Fantasy, etc it's highly probable someone has uploaded their art to a fan wiki.

Misc sites I know of:
https://conceptartworld.com/
https://www.creativeuncut.com/

[Esoterica]

Setting -AI on my google searches also cuts out a bulk of the generator sites, though doesn't stop the pinterest AI plague.

This is great information Lou. Thanks for sharing it with everyone.

[Karma]

In addition to -ai, you can subtract any specific websites that continue to come up, with -craiyon and the like. Add enough and it'll stop showing up - but that won't ultimately help with how bad search has become even aside from AI, unfortunately. I also make heavy use of tagged image sites like the boorus for illustration type works. If there's a particular look I want for a photo of a real person I will sometimes start on a booru to get the right ballpark look, then look for cosplayers of whatever character I ended up on.