Posted in: Card Games, Games, Pokémon TCG, Tabletop | Tagged: card games, pokemon, Pokemon TCG, Tabletop, Taira Akitsu

Pokémon Trading Card Game Artist Spotlight: Taira Akitsu

Our weekly Pokémon Trading Card Game Artist Spotlight focuses on Taira Akitsu, who began contributing to the hobby in Sword & Shield base.

Throughout the years, the Pokémon Trading Card Game has featured a variety of incredible art styles. Now that the hobby has been around for more than a quarter of a century, we have seen the artwork of Pokémon TCG cards elevated by daring new artist choices as well as illustrators who have been veteran contributors since the very first releases. Let's take a journey through the eye-popping, mind-expanding history of Pokémon TCG artwork by exploring some of the hobby's most interesting and unique artists. Today, we will spotlight Taira Akitsu.

Taira Akitsu's first credit appears in the Galar-themed set that launched the Sword & Shield era, Sword & Shield base. Akitsu's trademark soft style, using delicate but strong line art and colors with a touch of pastel was evident even in these first cards, which featured Kanto's Gastly and Vulpix.

Taira Akitsu would soon showcase their penchant for illustrating Full Art Trainers. Some of Akitsu's standout Trainers include Korrina's Focus from Sword & Shield – Battle Styles (their first-ever Full Art Trainer credit), Zinnia's Resolve Full Art from Sword & Shield – Evolving Skies, and Adventurer's Discover Full Art from Sword & Shield – Lost Origin. These cards balance that soft and pastel touch with the trademark Trainer art style, but each card adds an element of flourish with Korinna's skating pose, Zinnia's billowing cape, and Adventurer's… discovery.

The artwork focus of the Sword & Shield era saw Akitsu stretch into beautiful scenes using the various new illustrator-focused card types. Garchomp V Character Super Rare and Kingdra Character Rare both showcase the bond between Pokémon and Trainer in Sword & Shield – Astral Radiance. Then, we see a beautiful card showing the depths of the aquatic Pokémon world on this Manaphy Illustration Rare from Crown Zenith. With Scarlet & Violet kicking off, I can't wait to see Akitsu take on new Paldean species. Perhaps we'll have a gorgeous Part Two of this spotlight coming sooner than we think.

Be sure to check Bleeding Cool every day to follow our in-depth Pokémon TCG coverage as we explore the hobby's past, present, and even future with upcoming set reveals.

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