The world of Pokémon cards has made a resurgence in popularity as the sun sets on the year 2020. In particular the practice of finding, appraising, and selling the rarest cards, thanks to influencers like Logan Paul documenting their personal experiences of these cases. Whether they be due to stats, a certain number of copies made, or artwork; many factors can contribute to a card’s rarity.
But what about truly one of a kind cards?
One prospective artist had similar thoughts. SumiPaints, of Tik Tok fame, breathed life into certain cards in order to express their love for Pokémon and add their own personal touch. These images were pulled from their Etsy account where you can find them in more detail and hopefully knab new cards as they become available.
10 Vulpix
While some purists may gawk at the idea of slandering an original card’s art by trying to paint over and around it, the results for those that are truly great speak for themselves. Each of the cards on this list is always painted with their original pokémon and backgrounds serving as the “canvas” so to speak. SumiPaints builds off of their original imagery, giving us the impression that they have peeled back the layer of stats and rules in order to reveal a larger picture that has always existed beneath the surface. This Vulpix is captured just outside of a forest in what appears to be a blossoming meadow. Possibly, Veridian Forest of Gen I fame?
9 Jigglypuff
Jigglypuff, the famous singing-balloon Pokémon from Gen I, enjoys a blissful scene on a windy hillside in this delightful painting. It is quite impressive how this card seems to be barely modified from the original art.
The surreal look of the flowers that were painted on, as well as the added clouds, give the entire picture a dream-like quality. Almost as if the viewer is falling asleep to a Sing move, and as their vision fades, Jigglypuff is the last clear thing they see, singing adorably into a flower as dreams of grandeur fill its eyes.
8 Plusle and Minun
It is difficult to imagine Plusle without an accompanying Minun or vice versa, so the original image of the dynamic duo frolicking through the woods of Hoenn is a great one. But SumiPaints’s faithful fulfillment of the details transforms the image from great to splendid. Everything from the extra sunbeams being placed due to the original shaded detail on Plusle to the sense of movement given to us by the painted grass, meant to highlight that the pair is moving at a brisk pace. The skill of an artist is found in many facets and attention to detail is certainly one of them.
7 Pidgeotto
Pidgeotto is a Pokémon most veterans of the franchise will be familiar with. Many beginning teams in the Gen I games chose between the Pidgey and Spearow lines as their primary flying types. The original art of this card evokes an almost savannah-esque scenery with the haziness of the morning light and the implication of grasslands stretching far into the background. The artist takes the liberty of adding more to the mainstay of the river, showing the movement of currents with additional swirls, as well as adding a bit more to the riverbank in the foreground with extra grass and extending the tree limb.
6 Clefairy
For this particular Clefairy card, it would be beneficial to check out SumiPaints’s TikTok page: @sumipaints to watch in detail how they constructed this fantastical scene. For example, the vast majority of the spectral flowers are themselves, products of the artist.
They noted the originals that bordered the edges of the frame and Clefairy respectively and they meticulously recreated additional flowers of various sizes in different angles to demonstrate the mysterious yet fascinating origins that propagate the lore of Clefairy. The fact the scene is at night only alludes to this further.
5 Totodile
Totodile is famous in the Pokémon community for its playful, energetic, if not mischievous at times, nature. So this scene capturing one leaping out of a field of flowers over a white fence perfectly encapsulates the “ideal” Totodile that fans all know and love. Just below the crocodile Pokémon’s feet is where the original border of the frame was. That means that the majority of the fence line, the meadows, and even the trail are not part of the original artwork.
4 Dragonair
Dragonair and its evolutionary line always felt like a rare find and such an “endgame” Pokémon to acquire, especially in the early generations. So it makes sense that such an elusive Pokémon would adopt the pose of one of history’s most elusive monsters: Nessie. This coupled with the dazzling arctic setting complete with a muted aurora borealis and great star work. This card felt like one that was especially loved by the artist and passion begets work worth having.
3 Squirtle
The work on this Squirtle card is actually quite minor.
The higher definition droplets that the turtle Pokémon is kicking up are part of the original art, yet the way SumiPaints builds upon them and gives more detail to the body of water, as well as the rocky background, gives us an image that tells the story of a solitary Squirtle who enjoys a playful moment to itself as the day winds down to a close.
2 Ivysaur
It has only been more a recent phenomenon in the Pokémon games where a grass-type might have a changed appearance based on the seasons, so the sight of this ever verdant Ivysaur amidst a field of autumn grass is a welcome contrast that most fans probably would not have known they wanted. What really shines here is the artist’s ability to turn a square framed image into one with rounded edges and dynamic depth. The altered perspective is almost as if we are looking up at the Ivysaur from low on the ground. Plus, the pumpkin is an excellent and irrevocable addition.
1 Espeon
The final beautiful card to be displayed is arguably the most beautiful one of the set. It is the light and how it is manipulated in the painting that makes this card particularly exceptional. Everything blends gorgeously and in such deep colors, it makes one feel as if the world of Pokémon is a reachable place. Espeon is truly a Pokémon of the morning.
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