How Do You Achieve the Somewhat Distinct Style that Pokémon Uses for its Illustrations?

How Do You Achieve the Somewhat Distinct Style that Pok?mon Uses for its Illustrations?

I feel as though there is a "look" that Pok?mon official art has that I can't seem to pin down. I know it definitely has something to do with the linework but there's more to it than that. Something about it is distinct enough that when you look at it you know "This is Pok?mon" even if you've never seen the character before. I usually do my own thing with my art but I still have always wanted to be able to emulate this style for fun. Plus, as a tattoo artist in the making I would love to be able to do Pok?mon pieces for people. So I figured that this would probably be the place to ask about stylistic details you may have noticed about Pok?mon's art.

This is a very, very complicated question with just as many complicated answers. When it comes to the much older (first and second gen) official art by Ken Sugimori, one of the unifying factors is his use of color layering in a very "watercolor" way to illustrate texture and shading. A somewhat patchy and washed out color scheme but still thin and clean in the outlines. The Pokémon also tend to have very active poses and dynamic angles.

As for more recent work, like the Dream World artwork, I'd say those are typified by a more cell shaded, block color style with emphasis on bold, black outlines. More geared towards showing all the characteristics of the Pokémon and less posed. They're meant to look modernized and saturated unlike the older designs.

However, all of this is up to interpretation. Remember that there's been 20+ years for those artists to refine their craft. And I can promise you that it's much more rewarding to develop your own personal style when it comes to drawing Pokémon! I'm very sure more people would enjoy seeing your original take on a design rather than a Sugimori clone, you know?

I hope you post some of your completed works if you're able! Artists here will definitely be able to give you a more accurate critique if we can see what you're capable of producing.

Best of luck to you! :)

There's something to the palette's as well. It's generally called "Sugimori Art" and there are plenty of tutorials on the style if you stroll on over to deviantArt. Or at least there used to be.