Cards by Ken Sugimori: TCG Illustrator Guide

Ken Sugimori (Japanese: 杉森建 Sugimori Ken; born January 27, 1966) is a friend of Satoshi Tajiri and illustrator of the original artwork for Pokémon games. He also has developed conceptual artwork for the movies, and illustrates cards and merchandising.

The original artwork for all 151 Generation I Pokémon was done by Ken Sugimori. In Red and Green, the in-game sprites were initially drawn by various artists. Sugimori later redrew each Pokémon in watercolor for promotional use. While doing so, he revised and refined many elements, which ultimately shaped how the designs were perceived by the public, with potential examples being Pikachu, Vaporeon, Dragonite, and Mew.

Sugimori's change of style over the years has been noticeable. Initially, he used a stiff, lightly shaded style using watercolors that was very reminiscent of Akira Toriyama's visual style, particularly that from 1989 onward. However, his now digitally-produced drawings of people and creatures have gradually gained more muscle definition, significantly rounder corners, heavier shading, and more natural and fluid poses.