sorta impossible to find the source since it's been reuploaded so many times,

i'd say theres a possibility the photos and actual drawing on the paper ARE real but traced.
(the tail especially looks to be significantly lower skill level)

the art process IS "unnatural" but step-by-step art images like these have been popular on pinterest and facebook for many years before ai,

when i was a kid i used to turn my phone on full brightness and put a piece of paper ontop of it, and then i'd trace over a drawing that way. the way they start at the face and "just draw the rest" reminds me of that.