ILLUSTRATION CONTEST 2024
Pokémon Trading Card Game
Illustration Contest 2022—Final Results
This contest has ended.
Theme: “The daily life of Pokémon”
Number of entries: 10,830
Gallery of the Top 300 Entries.
Gallery of the Top 100 Entries.
FINAL RESULTS
Grand Prize
REND
Artist’s comment
Judge's Comments
It’s a scene that captures wild Pokémon as they are in nature. After the yawn, maybe Arcanine will go back to sleep? And maybe that movement would cause the Fletchling on Arcanine’s back to fly away? Those are the kinds of things it calls to mind.
The artist made good use of edge lighting to convey the warmth of the sunlight.
And I really like how they used blurring in the perspective to force the focus to be on the main subject, Arcanine, and to make it stand out.
People, birds, and other animals all yawn. And so do Pokémon!
Even Arcanine, which usually comes off as brave, can have a relaxed day of big yawns, enveloped in the scent of greenery from the sunlight-softened grassy ground, oblivious to the Fletchling perched on its warm fur.
Yawns show the connectedness of life and are part of the shared language of organisms—this piece gently evokes daily life through such things.
It makes me want to plop right down next to them!
In contrast to the grand aura of Arcanine that you normally see, this illustration snips out a scene of the daily life of the Pokémon, with the artist skillfully showing it having a little rest in the forest. The illustration shows a good grasp of the theme, and it conveys a gentleness that gives you a sense of relief from looking at it.
One thing that stays with me is the sense of excitement of happening to spot an Arcanine yawning in the forest.
First Runner-Up (Japan)
Taiga Kasai
Artist’s comment
I’m thankful to have been chosen.
I’m really happy to have won a prize with Greninja, my partner who journeyed together with me through the Kalos region.
I really racked my brains on how to show Greninja being as cool as possible.
This is a huge honor for me as a Pokémon fanatic with Pokémon on my mind all around the clock.
I’m happy to have gotten interested in Pokémon. Thank you.
Judge's Comments
The unique art style draws my eyes to the illustration. If you look closely, you can see Froakie and Frogadier in the background, and you wonder if Greninja is monitoring the pack and what it’s thinking about. You get a feeling there’s a new story here.
At first glance, it seems like a quiet illustration. But color has been applied only to the main subject, Greninja, for an impactful presentation with a strong sense of Greninja’s presence. You can feel stillness and motion at the same time with this piece that calls to mind the phrase “simple is best.”
It skillfully brings together the serious, fighting atmosphere through soft touch, pared-down information content, and subdued color tones. The storylike appeal of a movie scene is well incorporated into the card illustration.
First Runner-Up (United States)
Julie Hang
Artist’s comment
As a young aspiring artist, Pokémon was a wonderful source of inspiration for me. Today, I feel so very honored to have my artwork featured alongside countless masterpieces, and to contribute to the expansive collection that is the Pokémon Trading Card Game!
Judge's Comments
Do we live to learn, to fulfill desires, or just out of force of habit? Or do we live to laugh loudly? That’s what this illustration calls to mind. I chose this one for the composition and the exuberant smile. I thought, "Oh, I guess that’s how Bulbasaur laughs." You might think you’d laugh from the weird sensation when your body is floating. But then you remember the hard-to-express sickening sensation when you fall. I hope through this period of innocence that Bulbasaur will become an excellent Venusaur.
This illustration does a good job expressing the cuteness of Bulbasaur having fun with its friends—you feel you’re getting a peek at the daily life of Pokémon that you wouldn’t normally see. I sense a tenderness in the way it was drawn and I can't help but smile.
Its innocent expression lets me instantly picture Bulbasaur’s fun and energetic daily life. The illustration does a good job showing this Bulbasaur’s individual charm.
Second Runner-Up
RossDraws
Artist’s comment
I'm so, so, so honored that my piece was chosen, thank you so much! It makes my heart so full because as a kid—and still to this day—Arcanine has had a special place in my heart. I know Arcanine are seen as big and powerful, but I wanted to illustrate another side to them—relaxing in a calm field after a hard day of battling. The sleepy warm vibe was so fun to paint! Again, thank you so much.
Judge's Comments
In this scene, you can almost hear the peaceful snoozing of the Pokémon under the sunlight filtering into the forest.
In addition to the skillful depiction of the shape of Arcanine’s fur through clever use of the pen tool, the artist also did well to convey the shadows and reflected light—this piece had me sighing.
In the background, the artist was clear in areas they wanted to show and rough elsewhere, which naturally draws your eyes to the main Pokémon. It’s really a great illustration!
It’s irresistibly sweet how Oddish and Arcanine are sleeping alongside one another in this illustration. The artist has applied their skills in depicting the light, resulting in an impressive illustration. The contrast with the background further accentuates the gentle aspect of Arcanine.
You can feel the high degree of expertise in the color usage and creation of the composition showing Arcanine in the leading role. This is a heartwarming piece. Oddish's totally relaxed expression conveys its sense of trust in Arcanine.
Second Runner-Up
Mingo
Artist’s comment
It’s a huge honor to be selected as second runner-up from among so many excellent works. I came up with a story based on the theme, and then drew it while being particular about Pikachu’s expression and motions, and the color scheme. I’m really happy to win a prize. Thank you.
Judge's Comments
The Pikachu by the window isn’t looking our way.
It’s gone upstairs, and there’s terra-cotta tile. The water sparkles in the dusk.
These ordinary moments can somehow make a big impression.
Regarding the vividness also felt in the pop art style, the color relationship-based image layout, which won’t fade even after the image is printed, makes a strong impression like a nostalgic memory.
The Pikachu has beautiful cheeks that are pinker than the sunset—this work makes you feel the breeze and the humidity as though they were a memory from your own life.
The aggressive coloring is such that the yellow of Pikachu is placed at the center and its surroundings are done in vivid colors. Despite this, you can feel a mellowness in the balance of the combination of colors—it’s well-done, and that’s why I chose this work. At the center of the Pokémon content is Pikachu, who has been standing for a long time. It’s well-depicted together with the ennui of summer dusk. Good work, Pikachu. Keep fighting! Never stop fighting.
It’s well-drawn, with Pikachu enjoying the twilight scene amid colorful and pop art-style coloring. It’s a unique illustration with a stylish feeling overall. The work brings me joy as it shows a special day from life.
Judges’ Award (15)
Shinnosuke Yajima
Judge's Comments
There’s Arcanine's expression where it seems to be feeling really good as though it’s sniffing the air, and there’s the setting that makes you feel the clear, sharp cold. The gap between those things naturally conveys Arcanine’s traits--the artist did a good job.
Heeyun Chung
Judge's Comments
I thought of someone picking this up at it’s trading card size, so I liked the simple composition that makes the Pokémon stand out. I feel affectionate toward how Cramorant looks in its earnestness in this work.
Lico
Judge's Comments
The more you look at it, the more you see--you can hear the sound of the wind and the murmuring of the water as you perceive the flow of time and the sense that Cramorant is in a comfortable place, so it’s an excellent drawing from daily life.
Susumu Maeya
Judge's Comments
I bet many people struggled with the balance between background and Pokémon, but this illustration has a superb sense of scale. The fluttering leaves are a good accent to convey mood--I could feel the pride of Galarian Rapidash.
Xous54
Judge's Comments
This piece conveys the gallantry of Galarian Rapidash through powerful strokes of thick paint. And the vitality of its living with strength each day comes through. I thought the artist did a good job with color usage to make you feel the passage of time from dusk to evening.
Aldo Kcomt
Judge's Comments
Greninja sits planted on a rock. It’s relentlessly pounded by spray. The illustration lets you feel the source of Greninja’s power within the impression of calmness.
kobayamato
Judge's Comments
It’s a stylish finish, with the artist not using a thick contour line. Among the condensed information content, they’ve carefully created areas of light and shadow in communicating the three-dimensionality of Greninja and the feel of being hit by the waterfall.
hashi96
Judge's Comments
This piece is cool for the harsh glare of the still and robotic Scizor. What impressed me in this piece was the sense of surprise like I really encountered a wild Pokémon, and the overwhelming presence in the stillness that sends little chills down your spine.
Katkichi
Judge's Comments
This work is appealing in that it can generate different stories for different people in that you can imagine a range of situations from the scene of the Pokémon cooling its body in the waters of the river.
Aziro Yuji
Judge's Comments
In this piece, I’m totally pulled in by the presence of the living creature when it comes to the beauty of Bulbasaur as the sunlight hits it, like veins in the palm of one’s hand as light passes through. I admire the artist’s technique to make the Pokémon stand out by narrowing the focus through pared down information, subtle color gradation and lively descriptive ability.
Pochinokuro
Judge's Comments
This piece lets you imagine living your daily life with Bulbasaur. I like how it heart-warmingly sums up being with Bulbasaur everyday using sweet comic-book-style touch and unique coloring.
Takashi Shiraishi
Judge's Comments
It’s like Pokémon paradise. I liked the setting and world in which these Bulbasaur live in a place surrounded by tenderness and warmth.
Marina Chikazawa
Judge's Comments
It’s an excellent illustration in that it skillfully depicts a tranquil time for Charizard by the contrast between the warmth of the slightly swaying flame and the night sky. The unique composition helps you feel the sense of time and the ambience.
Miyanose Natsumi
Judge's Comments
You can feel refreshment in the expression of Charizard and the post-battle scorched earth. The work encourages me from the forward-looking feel of Charizard as it looks to tomorrow at the close of today--you imagine the next battle at the edge of its vision.
Rondo
Judge's Comments
The synergy between the friendly, everyday situation and soft touch makes this illustration appealing. It feels like a tranquil time due to the subdued color saturation.
It’s such an honor to receive this award. I’m really thankful. I’m really happy because it took a lot of trial and error to draw this piece in a way that depicts the Pokémon in a lively manner. I won’t let this result get to my head and will continue to work hard to draw good illustrations.