Manaphy<\/a>\u201c illustrator: Narumi Sato \nIncluded in Pok\u00e9mon TCG: Shining Fates<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sato<\/strong>\uff1a I do pay a lot of attention to how I draw a Pok\u00e9mon\u2019s gaze. With Manaphy, my idea was to draw it as if it had just left the sea and was looking at new vistas for the first time.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\nThings to Take into Account When Creating Illustrations for the Pok\u00e9mon Trading Card Game<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Q<\/strong>: When drawing illustrations for the Pok\u00e9mon TCG, you focus on making sure that they belong in the Pok\u00e9mon world. What do you need to pay attention to in order to give that \u201cPok\u00e9mon feel\u201d to an illustration?<\/p>\n\n\n\nEgawa<\/strong>\uff1a I think of Pok\u00e9mon as living creatures that are separate from both humans and animals. You can start from information such as the Pok\u00e9dex entries and the look of each Pok\u00e9mon, and fill in the blanks based on the theme of the illustration\u2014in the case of this contest, that would be their daily life. Being imaginative within this mindset is essential.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSato<\/strong>\uff1a That\u2019s so deep! I pay particular attention to the Pok\u00e9mon\u2019s proportions, making sure that they feel right to me. Just as Egawa said, Pok\u00e9mon are special and mysterious creatures, so I try not to focus too much on giving realistic shapes to their skeletons and muscles. I also try to stay true to the original sources while at the same time putting my own spin on each Pok\u00e9mon, trying to give a sense of softness to their appearance. I always keep in mind this balance while I draw.<\/p>\n\n\n\nQ<\/strong>: How do you achieve originality when drawing Pok\u00e9mon illustrations?<\/p>\n\n\n\nEgawa<\/strong>\uff1a I personally pour a lot of attention into giving Pok\u00e9mon a detailed, uneven texture. I think of how it would feel to touch a Pok\u00e9mon, making sure that the idea I\u2019ve built in my mind doesn\u2019t stray from the source. For example, I try to emphasize the fluffiness of a Pok\u00e9mon\u2019s fur or the firmness of their muscles. On the other hand, I don\u2019t put too many details into the background, leaving a bit to the imagination and making the Pok\u00e9mon pop!<\/p>\n\n\n\nSato<\/strong>\uff1a I think that if you draw with a style you like, originality will naturally follow. Earlier, when I said that I want to draw Pok\u00e9mon while they\u2019re in the middle of something, I was referring to how I try to capture the soft and unassuming atmosphere of a Pok\u00e9mon\u2019s daily life. Layering a lot of colors will make a Pok\u00e9mon look more three-dimensional, but this can make the illustration too weighty. I want to layer colors, of course, but I want to maintain a soft, lighthearted atmosphere. Trying to balance these two things is what eventually led me to using transparent watercolor. That is what I use to draw all my illustrations for the Pok\u00e9mon TCG. I make sure that the materials I use are the right tools I need to express my art.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThese are the painting materials that Sato uses to draw her illustrations.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nQ<\/strong>: Tell us about other things that you pay attention to when drawing a Pok\u00e9mon TCG illustration.<\/p>\n\n\n\nEgawa<\/strong>\uff1a Something that I always take into account is whether the Pok\u00e9mon I\u2019m drawing actually look alive. I mentioned earlier that Pok\u00e9mon are different from humans and animals, but they\u2019re still living creatures, and as such, I think that they actually have blood in their veins. I\u2019m just guessing. (Laughs) Regardless of whether or not they have blood, I still think it\u2019s important to make it look like they have an inner warmth, a sort of fighting spirit to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSato<\/strong>\uff1a I\u2019ve been saying that I want to make my illustrations look natural a lot, but this really is my ultimate goal when drawing. Since the Pok\u00e9mon franchise has been part of my life since I was a child, it\u2019s easy for me to imagine Pok\u00e9mon as if they were living in the same world as me. I try to draw them in a casual, unassuming way, avoiding having their gaze directed at the viewer. This is what I always take into account when making my illustrations.<\/p>\n\n\n\nQ<\/strong>: How do you try to improve yourself as an illustrator when drawing for the Pok\u00e9mon TCG?<\/p>\n\n\n\nEgawa<\/strong>\uff1a I like to cultivate my eye and my artistic sensitivities by constantly engaging with all different kinds of designs and cultures\u2014not only illustrations, but also photographs, text, music, food, conversations, and more… In this way, I can be ready to fulfill any kind of commission I get, whether it\u2019s to draw something cute, something cool, or something with a very unique concept or theme. You can\u2019t just look at one of your works and go, \u201cThis is absolute perfection.\u201d That kind of training helps you keep a wide perspective. And psychological training is important, too!<\/p>\n\n\n\nSato<\/strong>\uff1a I\u2019m trying to improve my skills in drawing backgrounds, as I think they\u2019re a very important part of Pok\u00e9mon TCG illustrations. I\u2019ve studied documents provided by Creatures on background details of the character, and read a lot of introductory books on background references, perspectives, and composition. \nSometimes, when I\u2019m out for a walk and see a panorama that would make for a good background, I try to make a quick sketch or take a picture of it. I accumulate new ideas on a daily basis in this way.<\/p>\n\n\n\nEgawa<\/strong>\uff1a No wonder the sea in the Manaphy illustration looks so realistic! Did you go to the beach for inspiration?<\/p>\n\n\n\nSato<\/strong>\uff1a I wanted to, but it wasn\u2019t the right season, so I ended up watching YouTube videos of the sea on a loop. (Laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\nQ<\/strong>: What do you think is the hardest part of creating a Pok\u00e9mon TCG illustration?<\/p>\n\n\n\nEgawa<\/strong>\uff1a Each Pok\u00e9mon has its own unique shape and colors. I have the bad habit of detailing the lighting and poses too much, which can end up making the illustration stray too much from the Pok\u00e9mon\u2019s original design. Restraining myself in that sense can be hard. Thankfully, since all Pok\u00e9mon have a clear and well-defined design, you can make one realistic while also making it look like a Pok\u00e9mon. Reading the reference material and finding the balance between the official designs and my own originality is a difficult but very rewarding challenge. \nRight now, one of the hurdles I\u2019m personally facing is finding new poses, compositions, and perspectives that make an illustration look better and cooler.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSato<\/strong>\uff1a I can really sympathize with that. (Laughs) Sometimes, I\u2019ll get an idea for a nice angle or composition, but it won\u2019t fit within the frame of a Pok\u00e9mon TCG card. So making sure that the composition actually fits the frame can be a challenge right from the start. Another difficult part is how I often end up drawing what feels comfortable to me. I make a conscious effort to make each Pok\u00e9mon resemble the original design as much as possible, but after applying the fixes suggested by the art review team, it\u2019s incredible how much more fitting they start looking. This always reminds me of how delicate the balance is behind Pok\u00e9mon expressions.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSome of the cards illustrated by Sato and Egawa. (Left: Narumi Sato, right: Akira Egawa)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe Fun of Being Part of the Pok\u00e9mon TCG as an Illustrator<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Q<\/strong>: Tell us about the goals you want to achieve in the future regarding Pok\u00e9mon TCG illustrations.<\/p>\n\n\n\nEgawa<\/strong>\uff1a I\u2019m always trying to draw Pok\u00e9mon that look cool and that make one want to fight alongside them. So my goal is to find new ways to make my illustrations cooler and cooler.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSato<\/strong>\uff1a I\u2019d also like to make my illustrations cooler and more impressive. My art is not very dynamic\u2014I\u2019d say it\u2019s kind of static. What I\u2019d like to achieve are illustrations that, while being static in showing a lighthearted moment in a Pok\u00e9mon\u2019s everyday life, manage to convey dynamism and strength. I also want to try illustrations that use tilted or bird\u2019s-eye view perspectives, fish-eye lens effects, and so on.<\/p>\n\n\n\nQ<\/strong>: How does it feel to see your illustration printed onto an actual Pok\u00e9mon TCG card?<\/p>\n\n\n\nSato<\/strong>\uff1a Whenever I see that, I can barely believe that my work is on a real Pok\u00e9mon TCG card. Taking the card into my hands makes me really emotional. I sometimes look at the card side by side with my original drawing, rejoicing in how they show the same thing, and I even put the cards in my notebook so I can always bring them with me, like a good-luck charm. (Laughs) I can\u2019t wrap my head around the fact that a card with my illustration on it is available throughout the world. As a kid, I used to collect Pok\u00e9mon TCG cards and the ones with my favorite illustrations. Now that I\u2019m the one illustrating the cards, I feel a lot of gratitude for being able to do so and the drive to always deliver as well as I can. Just thinking that someone out there might be collecting the cards I\u2019ve drawn like I used to do makes me incredibly happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\nEgawa<\/strong>\uff1a I feel the exact same way! Seeing the finished card is always moving… What makes me especially happy is seeing people online posting pictures of the cards I\u2019ve drawn and saying that they look cool. When a card I\u2019ve drawn is released outside of Japan, I sometimes see pictures of it in foreign supermarkets and card shops, kids in their living room playing with their new cards, or collectors taking selfies after buying a huge number of expansion packs. That makes me think that Pok\u00e9mon is like a universal language that transcends all borders. And thinking that my illustrations are making someone happy in some distant part of the world I don\u2019t even know truly gives me joy. I constantly feel honored and impressed that I\u2019ve been given the opportunity to illustrate Pok\u00e9mon TCG cards, and I feel the responsibility to keep on improving myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSome of the package illustrations made by Akira Egawa for release outside Japan. (Pok\u00e9mon TCG: Sword & Shield\u2014Chilling Reign<\/em>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nQ<\/strong>: Please give a piece of advice to the Pok\u00e9mon Trading Card Game Illustration Contest 2022 applicants.<\/p>\n\n\n\nEgawa<\/strong>\uff1a First of all, try to keep in mind what the illustration is going to look like when it is printed on an actual card. For example, it\u2019s important to adjust the color and make sure that it doesn\u2019t turn out too dark or too washed-out when put on paper. \nNext, try to consider how the Pok\u00e9mon and its background coexist, and whether they have a good synergy between them. The crucial thing is using the background to emphasize the subject Pok\u00e9mon and to show what kind of place it\u2019s living its daily life in. \nLastly, remember that each Pok\u00e9mon has its own unique shape and colors. Look at them as if you were observing a real-life animal, and try to understand their colors and textures. While keeping all of this in mind, the most important thing is to impart your personality on the Pok\u00e9mon… Make it your very own, unique creature!<\/p>\n\n\n\nSato<\/strong>\uff1a Keep in mind the psychological aspect of drawing. The more you like Pok\u00e9mon and feel like you want to illustrate one of them, the harder the process can feel. However, I want you to do your best without giving up in frustration. When I applied for the first Pok\u00e9mon Card Game Illustration Grand Prix, I felt that I didn\u2019t have enough time and that I wasn\u2019t drawing as well as I possibly could. However, I\u2019m really glad I didn\u2019t give up just because I felt that way. Applying can feel like an accomplishment in itself, so try your best to complete your illustration and submit it. Since this contest\u2019s theme is the daily life of Pok\u00e9mon, you should also try to relax, imagine how Pok\u00e9mon spend their day, and draw them in a fun, lively way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\nComposition and text: Shusuke Motomiya (One-up) Photos: Kayoko Yamamoto<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Akira Egawa Illustrator \/ character designer. She has been drawing as an Official Pok\u00e9mon Trading Card Game Illustrator since 2019. Taking advantage of her experience as a 3D modeler, she is active in various fields such as games, books, exhibitions, product development, and more. She is on a never-ending learning journey to find the answer […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":4920,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
A Conversation with Two Pok\u00e9mon TCG Official Illustrators Akira Egawa and Narumi Sato - Column - Pok\u00e9mon Trading Card Game Illustration Contest 2024 - PTCGIC2024<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n