I can’t remember who put me onto kawayoo’s Pokémon TCG art but I’m glad they did because it’s awesome. kawayoo (real name Kawaguchi Yoohei) is a Japanese digital illustrator who has worked on the Pokémon Trading Card Game since 2008 when he illustrating the Walrein, Hippopotas, and Nidorino cards in the Rising Rivals expansion1.
What I love about his work is the energy that every Pokémon has. They’re often in the midst of battle and and the backgrounds are surreal and foreboding—you just know the next attack is gonna be a big one. Aside from the Pokémon themselves, kawayoo has also done landscape and map illustrations for ORAS and SM/USUM.
