{"id":5707,"date":"2023-11-21T15:55:52","date_gmt":"2023-11-21T06:55:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/test.ptcgic-cr.com\/?post_type=column&p=5707"},"modified":"2023-11-22T10:27:37","modified_gmt":"2023-11-22T01:27:37","slug":"article-9","status":"publish","type":"column","link":"https:\/\/test.ptcgic-cr.com\/en\/column\/article-9\/","title":{"rendered":"Behind Drawing Pok\u00e9mon TCG Illustrations
\u201cBringing an Illustration to Life\u201d (Part 2)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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takuyoa<\/strong><\/p>\n CG Illustrator. \u300cGreninja ex<\/span><\/a>\u300d Illus. takuyoa What are Pok\u00e9mon ex<\/span>?<\/strong> \u300cSpidops ex<\/span><\/a>\u300d Illus. takuyoa \u300cLucario ex<\/span><\/a>\u300d Illus. 5ban Graphics \u300cMagnezone ex<\/span><\/a>\u300d Illus. hncl \u300cLycanroc ex<\/span><\/a>\u300d Illus. kawayoo \u2015Tell us about the guiding principles you follow when creating Pok\u00e9mon TCG illustrations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n takuyoa: I try to make my illustrations as cool as possible. I want them to be cool in an obvious way. \u201cCool!\u201d is the first thing that I want people to think when they see them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2015You work on both 3DCG and 2D illustrations. Which type did you start with?<\/p>\n\n\n\n takuyoa: I started with 2D illustrations. When the second Pok\u00e9mon Card Game Illustration Grand Prix was held between 2019 and 2020, it featured a 3DCG illustration category, which is what motivated me to try my hand at it. The Genesect illustration that won the second Pok\u00e9mon Card Game Illustration Grand Prix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2015So, drawing 3DCG illustrations wasn\u2019t difficult for you to begin with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n takuyoa: Exactly. I’ve been drawing 2D illustrations since high school and started creating 3DCG ones in vocational school. I think that learning how to do both helped me achieve a more flexible approach to the challenges of 3DCG illustration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2015What supplies or software do you use to create your illustrations?<\/p>\n\n\n\n takuyoa: For the illustration I submitted to the second Pok\u00e9mon Card Game Illustration Grand Prix, I used Blender and Photoshop. Blender is a free and open-source application for creating 3DCG animations. These days, I use Maya for 3DCG illustrations and Photoshop for both finishing and creating effects for 3DCG illustrations or for drawing 2D ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2015Blender and Maya can both be used to create 3DCG illustrations, but are they different?<\/p>\n\n\n\n takuyoa: They\u2019re quite different. Maya has a lot of features, while Blender is easy to use and has a shallow learning curve. \u2015We would like to hear about your process for creating 3DCG illustrations. How do you do your research?<\/p>\n\n\n\n takuyoa: When I start an illustration, I receive some informational material and read it thoroughly. I try to understand everything written in it, such as the Pok\u00e9mon\u2019s characteristics, their little quirks, and so on. I also use the Pok\u00e9mon TCG Card Database<\/a>, where I can check older cards featuring that Pok\u00e9mon. I do that to see what compositions have already been used in the past. I wouldn\u2019t want to illustrate something too similar to an existing card. For me, research involves deepening my understanding of the Pok\u00e9mon subject and deciding on the composition to use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2015How do you create your drafts? Please tell us about your process. takuyoa: The good thing about 3DCG illustration is that it\u2019s easy to visualize the final product from the draft stage. For 3DCG illustrations, I try to draw drafts that are as close as possible to what I want to end up with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2015A major feature of Pok\u00e9mon ex<\/span> illustrations is the Pok\u00e9mon and certain effects seemingly popping out of the frame. How do you go about establishing the composition and the pose of the Pok\u00e9mon during the drafting phase?<\/p>\n\n\n\n takuyoa: I try to make the face of the Pok\u00e9mon as large as possible so that it looks cool and strong even when sized for cards. Next, I experiment with different poses, and I think of the effects last. When it comes to posing and effects, I pay particular attention to the way they \u201cflow.\u201d Using Greninja ex<\/span> as an example, the arm moves from the background to the foreground in a beautiful, flowing way. I also drew the tongue in a dynamic way, making it follow the arm. The water effect shows that moving trajectory beautifully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2015Do you like coming up with different compositions and poses for Pok\u00e9mon?<\/p>\n\n\n\n takuyoa: For each illustration, I draw two to three drafts on average. Here, I started by drawing pose A [image on the left], so I could go on and freely create variations, like pose B [image in the center] and pose C [image on the right], which are both quite different from the original draft. I create these additional drafts to make sure the finished product will be as good as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n takuyoa created three drafts for Greninja ex<\/span>. In the end, draft B, in the middle, was chosen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2015The supervision of illustrations is carried out by both Creatures Inc. and The Pok\u00e9mon Company. Among the feedback they\u2019ve given you to make your illustrations more representative of the Pok\u00e9mon subjects and the Pok\u00e9mon TCG, is there anything that has particularly stuck with you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n takuyoa: I often receive feedback about the colors I use. I use some very dramatic coloring on the Pok\u00e9mon to make them look as cool as possible, but this can sometimes make them deviate from their original colors. That\u2019s one of the things I struggle with the most.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Translation for the note above:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2015How do you create the final copy? Please tell us about your method.<\/p>\n\n\n\n takuyoa: I use Photoshop to apply 2D retouches to the Pok\u00e9mon I drew in 3DCG.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, my illustrations are 2D\/3D hybrids. I create as much as I can with 3DCG and use 2D for the details for which it would be more effective to do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2015So, you create the effects in 2D and overlay them on the 3DCG model.<\/p>\n\n\n\n takuyoa: The Genesect illustration I won the second Pok\u00e9mon Card Game Illustration Grand Prix with was also done in this way. I first drew Genesect in 3DCG and then retouched it in 2D.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2015We heard that sometimes you also redraw the faces of Pok\u00e9mon in 2D.<\/p>\n\n\n\n takuyoa: For example, when I was drawing the 3DCG illustration of Pidgeot ex<\/span>, I noticed that its facial proportions looked odd. So I made some adjustments to Pidgeot\u2019s face in 2D. This is why creating the final copy takes so long. I adjust anything that doesn\u2019t look right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nHe has been illustrating Pok\u00e9mon TCG cards since 2021.
\nHe won the second Pok\u00e9mon Card Game Illustration Grand Prix held exclusively in Japan between 2019 and 2020. He mainly works on Pok\u00e9mon ex<\/span> illustrations and is also in charge of package illustrations for the Chinese version of the Pok\u00e9mon TCG. His favorite Pok\u00e9mon is Lechonk.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\nIncluded in the Pok\u00e9mon TCG: Greninja ex<\/span> Battle Deck<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nThey are special Pok\u00e9mon with higher-than-normal HP and powerful attacks and Abilities. Basic Pok\u00e9mon, Stage 1 Pok\u00e9mon, and Stage 2 Pok\u00e9mon can be Pok\u00e9mon ex<\/span>.
\nThese cards have special illustrations where the Pok\u00e9mon seems to pop out of the frame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\nIncluded in the Pok\u00e9mon TCG: Scarlet & Violet expansion<\/p>\n
\nIncluded in the Pok\u00e9mon TCG: Lucario ex<\/span> Battle Deck<\/p>\n
\nIncluded in the Pok\u00e9mon TCG: Scarlet & Violet expansion<\/p>\n
\nIncluded in the Pok\u00e9mon TCG: Scarlet & Violet\u2014Paldea Evolved expansion<\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cWhat I think about when illustrating\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
I used to work as a 3DCG animator. My job was making 3DCG character models move. I was already familiar with 3DCG at that point, so creating my own 3DCG illustrations didn\u2019t feel particularly daunting. Drawing from that experience, I applied to the Pok\u00e9mon Card Game Illustration Grand Prix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
If you are starting out with 3DCG illustration, you may want to try using Blender.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Step 1: Research<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Step 2: Drafting and Supervision<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Your illustrations are already surprisingly detailed at this stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Step 3: Final Copy Creation and Supervision<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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