Reddit User Uses AI To Make Alt Art For Pokémon Cards

If there’s one thing that you can say about Pokémon fans, it’s that they’re creative. No matter whether you’re talking about the trading cards, the show, the video games, or something else entirely, chances are that there will be plenty of incredible artwork to go alongside your Pokémon media genre of choice.

Here at Sleeve No Card Behind, we’re always looking for new, interesting artists and creators in the community. One particular creator that stood out to us recently was SmearglesJourney on Reddit, who’s made waves with his use of AI to create alt art for Pokémon cards. The designs are intriguing, and a great homage to the older generations of the Pokémon TCG.

SmearglesJourney was kind enough to answer a few questions about his creative process and what inspires him- as well as what sort of Pokémon trainer he’d be. Keep reading for the full interview, and make sure to head over to his Instagram page @SmearglesJourney to keep up to date with the latest creations.

SmearglesJourney Pokémon Art Interview

Hello! What inspired you to start working on these projects?

SmearglesJourney:  As a designer, AI is more than fascinating to me. It lets me work faster and more efficiently than ever before.

Finding myself with some extra time on my hands, I decided to explore my interest in AI and play around with creating artwork with AI tools. I wanted to see where AI would slack off and quite literally test its limits. 

I combined my love for the Pokémon trading card game and my interest in AI, and came up with the idea for these alternative art projects. 

Could you walk us through your creative process and how you go about making your pieces?

SmearglesJourney: Creating the full art versions of older Pokémon cards isn’t very complicated, but it’s a lot of fun to do! 

I take old cards from online resources and cut away everything but the main piece of art. From there, I use Adobe Photoshop’s AI tool to extend the artwork. The AI tool usually does a good job first try, but it often needs a few adjustments to make the card feel more alive.

Once the artwork’s been generated, I hop onto Illustrator and design the UI myself. I add all of the card stats, like damage counters, previous evolutions, set numbers, and more. 

I then line up the newly created cards with their older versions, as well as the full art with UI for people to enjoy, and post them on my Instagram page for the community to see. 

How do you pick which cards to work on?

SmearglesJourney: It made the most sense to me to start where it all began, looking at the first generation’s base sets. Most fans know these cards better than any random pulls from Sun and Moon sets, for example. The nostalgia of the first generation’s set hits differently for most people too, which is another reason why I chose to work on these particular cards. 

What’s your favorite Pokémon TCG set of all time?

SmearglesJourney: My favorite set of all time must be Emerald. I absolutely love the ex card style from this set, and I wish I could turn back time to relive the experience of pulling these kinds of cards back when I was a kid.

If you were a Pokémon trainer, which type would you specialize in?

SmearglesJourney: I’ve been digging Steel types ever since they came out. You might think that Smeargle is my favorite due to my username, but it’s actually Skarmory! I mean, who doesn’t like a Flying-Steel type?

Do you enjoy any other trading card games?

SmearglesJourney: Besides the Pokémon trading card game, I used to collect Yu-Gi-Oh back when I was younger. But just like everyone else, 99% of my collection seems to have vanished into thin air, and I never really caught back up with the game since then.

Is there anything else you’d like people to know about your work?

SmearglesJourney:  I am by no means an artist, nor do I pretend to be one. All credit for the art featured in my work goes to the original illustrator. All I want is for other fans to see how the older Pokémon designs hold up to today’s standards, and how great some of them could look if they were released as a set. 

Make sure to check out @SmearglesJourney on Instagram for more beautiful alt art pieces for the Pokémon trading card game. He’s got lots more exciting projects on the way, and it’s well worth dropping him a follow if you’re a fellow fan.