Posted in: Card Games, Games, Pokémon TCG, Tabletop | Tagged: galarian rapidash, pokemon, pokemon cards, Pokemon TCG, tpci

Pokémon TCG Reveals 2022 Illustration Contest Entries: Rapidash

Get ready for a new series here at Bleeding Cool that will show off some of the best Pokémon TCG artwork you've ever seen. There is an interesting twist, though. These illustrations are not, in fact, coming to an upcoming Pokémon TCG expansion like our other preview series. In fact, most of these will never become cards at all. What you're seeing in this series is a collection of the annual Pokémon TCG Illustration Contest submissions that have now been made public. These are my personal selections from the Top 300 submissions as picked by TPCI. Today, let's take a look at the Galarian Rapidash cards included in this bunch.

I can't imagine how hard it'll be for the judges to just pick one winner and a handful of runners-up. I look at these cards and I see exactly what I look for in Pokémon TCG artists: a perfect mixture of skill, love of Pokémon, variety of style, and inventiveness. ameruu draws a dreamlike scene of Galarian Rapidash snuggling with Galarian Ponyta, while Chris Weiford takes more of a modern American animation inspiration with a funnier Rapidash dreaming of sweets.

From the use of green,  almost thought Grace Kraft's Rapidash was Shiny, but instead, she just plays with color and environment in a terrific way. Then, we have hashi96 whose artwork could either be on a gorgeous storybook dust jacket or a goth album cover.

The different styles continue with Maeya Susumu, who delivers a dramatic Galarian Rapidash looking up at a light beaming down on it from the trees above. Could it be an Electric-type Pokémon looking down or perhaps Arceus bestowing a blessing? HIRAYAMA's color work on this Rapidash drinking from the pond almost makes me feel as if I'm seeing colors unavailable to the human eye. What a stunner.

Finally, we have two more painterly pieces of art here with hajimeikoma going more stylized and Xous54 aiming for enhanced realism, both to incredible effect.

Stay tuned for the continuing journey through these incredible submissions to the Pokémon TCG 2022 Illustration contest. For more illustrations, you can check out the entire collection right here.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!