Back in October 2021, the Pokémon Company held an illustration contest for its trading card game where the winner would have their art printed on an official Pokémon card. But just because you didn’t win doesn’t mean all your hopes are dashed, as one of the finalists demonstrated by getting creative and making a card of their own.
On r/Pokémon, illustrator and art contest runner-up RossDraws made a post where they shared a high-quality illustration of their art and a proxy Arcanine card that featured their drawing. This cute drawing of the fiery canine Pokémon has received more than 1.1k upvotes and has captured the hearts of Pokémon fans online. His version of Arcanine has 100 HP and knows the moves “Flamethrower” and “Take Down”.
Though this artist didn’t win, PokéFans on Reddit who were aware of the contest expressed their love for the art piece. Some also believed that Ross’ art should have won.
Other fans have come out and asked if they’re able to buy the proxy card because it looks really good. Others told the artist to consider making it into a full-size print for display. If they do consider selling copies to the public, shut up and take my money.
RossDraws’s illustration of Arcanine was the second runner-up in the illustration contest. The judges who saw the piece commented on the official website that it’s “a great illustration” and they were impressed with the artist’s expertise in “color usage and creation of the composition”. Despite not having their art selected for the grand prize, they are rewarded $1,000 for their amazing effort. So while Ross’ Arcanine might not be an official card, there are fans who would still be keen for a copy of their work, even if it’s a proxy.
