New Pokemon and Art Evolution
I'm sure you all of you know, that the one responsible for all the pokemon and characters we love (and maybe hate) have all come from the same artist for the past 14 years, Ken Sugimori. For those of us that have been with Sugimori since the release of the series, we've seen him grow as an artist and improve in his skills over time. Every new generation we get new images of the pokemon we grew up with, presenting us with art more lovely than the last.
Not only has his overall skill become more impressive, but he has also branched out a little more each time with each new generation. When you break down the generation of pokemon, the first generation of pokemon were quite possibly the most simplistic in their overall design, with the exception of a handful of a few of them. The second generation, though still somewhat simplistic, brought along some more unique designs. The third generation brought along some more radically different changes and the fourth generation even more so. And now with this new fifth generation and the reveal of the new legends, Sugimori is showing that he is still willing to up the ante. It's still pokemon, but it's different.
Many have scoffed at or insulted some of the more complex designs that occur in new pokemon, going as far as to claiming they aren't pokemon at all. However, I see need to applaud these new changes, and feel they are just as valid as previous generations. As a fellow artist, I welcome new changes and experiments from the path of familiarity. What we need to remember, first and foremost, is that Ken Sugimori is an artist. As such, he is going to advance and well... evolve, just like any other artist. I would be disappointed if he wasn't trying something different.
So to those of you awaiting this new generation, I say, open yourself to things that are different and try to accept the things that are new and strange. Sure, they may not 'look like' the pokemon from 14 years ago, but Sugimori isn't the same artist he was 14 years ago, and that's a good thing.
Not only has his overall skill become more impressive, but he has also branched out a little more each time with each new generation. When you break down the generation of pokemon, the first generation of pokemon were quite possibly the most simplistic in their overall design, with the exception of a handful of a few of them. The second generation, though still somewhat simplistic, brought along some more unique designs. The third generation brought along some more radically different changes and the fourth generation even more so. And now with this new fifth generation and the reveal of the new legends, Sugimori is showing that he is still willing to up the ante. It's still pokemon, but it's different.
Many have scoffed at or insulted some of the more complex designs that occur in new pokemon, going as far as to claiming they aren't pokemon at all. However, I see need to applaud these new changes, and feel they are just as valid as previous generations. As a fellow artist, I welcome new changes and experiments from the path of familiarity. What we need to remember, first and foremost, is that Ken Sugimori is an artist. As such, he is going to advance and well... evolve, just like any other artist. I would be disappointed if he wasn't trying something different.
So to those of you awaiting this new generation, I say, open yourself to things that are different and try to accept the things that are new and strange. Sure, they may not 'look like' the pokemon from 14 years ago, but Sugimori isn't the same artist he was 14 years ago, and that's a good thing.