Fake Pokémon Character Designs

Style mimicking is a fascinating process, especially with Fakémon ( a punny portmanteau of the words ‘fake’ and ‘Pokémon’) 
In order to capture the aesthetic and ‘feel’ of the style, I study and take detailed notes of what makes it different: lineart colours and weights, anatomy and posing, colour palettes, colouring and rendering processes, and the little polishing details that bring it all together. 
 
Mimicking the late 90’s Pokemon style was relatively simple once I looked further into it’s origins; the lightly washed watercolour illustrations of artist Ken Sugimori- the primary character designer and art director for the Pokemon franchise. I maintained the hand drawn, almost wobbly quality of the lineart, and used digital watercolour brushes to recreate the banded/harsh gradient for colour and shading.
 
The client was very pleased with the results of this commission and noted that they were particularly happy with the harmonious colours schemes and shading quality that made the Pokemon seem ‘real’ to them.