>>5139183>how you make a careerWell, pardon me for splitting hairs, but not necessarily. A lot of golden age illustrators, even old master artists, would often trace from photos or camera obscura respectively to maximise their productivity and minimise error. They're businessmen first and foremost, after all.
A quality artists can draw from imagination, sure, but quality/expertise and financial success don't always align. Just look at the amount of attention the guy in the OP gets, people like that can make bank off easily impressed normies via patreon/youtue/print sales/etc.
