The Pokémon Company wants fan artists to send in their own Pokémon card illustration designs, in a new Pokémon TCG Illustration contest that will award cash prizes to the winners. Produce the best Pokémon card art, and you’ll win $5,000. While it’s not listed as a reward, based on the illustration contests the company has run in the past, we’d also be shocked if your art isn’t stuck on a real life Pokémon card too.
The Pokémon Company wants to see ‘Magical Pokémon moments’ and tasks entrants with drawing their chosen monster “enjoying a moment in its day or looking cool or dynamic”. The contest will open on October 12, 2023 and you’ll have until January 21, 2024 to submit your art.
You have the option of drawing an illustration for a standard or ex Pokémon card, but whichever you pick, you need to draw one of the following fan-favorite Pokémon:
- Charizard
- Pikachu
- Eevee
- Feraligatr
- Flygon
- Absol
- Bidoof
- Melmetal
- Toxtricity (Amped Form)
- Koraidon
In previous years these illustration contests were Japan-only, but in 2021, the playing field was expanded to the US, and in this latest contest, artists from the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand are all eligible. The prizes, as outlined by the Pokémon Company website, are as follows:
- One Grand Prize Winner: $5,000 cash prize
- One Best Standard Card Illustration: $3,000 cash prize
- One Best ex Card Illustration: $3,000 cash prize
- Six First Place Runner Ups: $1,000 cash prize
- 15 Judge’s Awards: $500 cash prize
In the contest description, The Pokémon Company says that “the artwork of the Pokémon TCG continually inspires fans to imagine and portray Pokémon in their own unique style.” Now you have the chance to earn cash by doing so!
It’s great that so many different styles can be incorporated, since this allows Pokémon cards to provide some of the coolest depictions of Pokémon ever created.
That’s especially true since recent Pokémon generations have started releasing a lot of official artwork with more neutral, less dynamic poses. Just look at these Baxcalibur and Lokix cards for instance; they blow their official art clean away!
You have to pick one of just 10 Pokémon for this contest, but do you know how many Pokémon there are now? Hint, it’s a blooming lot. If you’re more interested in power than looks, check out the most powerful Pokémon cards, and the best Pokémon decks of 2023.