Announcing the Results of pixiv's "2019 High School Illustration Contest"

pixiv opened an illustration contest to high schoolers and received 700 entries, with 12 prize winners. We can't wait to show you the first of these breathtaking works of art, which were greatly admired by our professional judges!

What is the High School Illustration Contest?

This contest was for enthusiastic high schoolers who are just starting to get serious about their quest to become illustrators. The submissions to pixiv were all based on a theme and judged impartially. Only the best were selected for prizes. The objective was to increase the amount of amazing artists on pixiv, as well as to give young people a chance to create something great.

The Grand Prize

Grand prize:

100,000 yen

流水の音は雨のよう

by ろ樹

Judge's comments:

Anmi: Even though many colors are in the piece, each one used throughout the piece, both light and dark, are simply amazing! The artist has made frequent use of transparency (the umbrella, the curtains, the shower, the water in the bath, etc), and each different spot is drawn with a real sense of texture. I believe the diverse use of transparent objects in this work are what make it a showstopper. Just looking at the illustration you can feel serenity and calm rising up within you.

TCB: The quality is clear from the use of light and the amount of detail in each item, how the artist composed the space. For example, even if they hadn't drawn the umbrella, the rest of it already leaves an impression. The leaves are scattered here and there, there are water droplets from the shower, and if you look closely there's even a little rubber duck. This illustration lets your imagination grow every time you feast your eyes on it, and I absolutely love it.

Ashito Oyari: The moment I saw it, I could hear the sound of the water hitting the umbrella in the shower. There were many illustrations that featured an umbrella, but not any that had an umbrella used indoors like this, and I think that's a delightful idea. In addition, the composition and how they made use of the space are beautiful. It's a comprehensive, high-quality illustration.

Mai Yoneyama: The arrangement of the items is spectacular, and the composition draws your eyes with just a glance. I think it really shows a conscious effort to guide the viewer's gaze. You can definitely hear the sounds in the scene. And it takes some bravery to draw a naked body, so being able to take on that challenge as well show their skill.

Winner's comment: Roki

Thank you so much for this prize! I entered last year too, and I was really excited to see all the judges were people I really loved. For this illustration, I tried to think about how to represent sounds from everyday life. So I picked "bath" and "rain", not caring that they had similar sounds, and the contradiction that they couldn't happen at the same time. I thought it'd be interesting to try and represent these two sounds in the same space. I was a little nervous about drawing someone naked. I worked really hard on this, but there are places I feel could have been better, and I'd like to continue improving.

Winning pieces selected by the judges

Some illustrations were specially selected by the judges. Winners received a 10,000 yen Amazon gift card.

Anmi Prize

YOLO!!

by 紫

Anmi: The moment you look at the picture, it has such a powerful impression you can immediately hear rock music. It's not just two people playing instruments. The dark back alley, the warm lights, it all makes you feel "sound". The way they drew the clothing and the background is executed very well. The way the characters are locking eyes lets you feel how engrossed they are in the moment, the cat looks like it's having a lot of fun, too. The impression of sound comes from how well the artist expressed excitement in the scene.

TCB Prize

エンジン音

by uotak

TCB: At first glance it seems like a cute girl just enjoying an amusement park, but the overall atmosphere is dark, and if you look closer you see the fighter aircraft in the sky. It draws you in with the question of why is she out like this? Drawing something with an air of mystery is difficult, and that's one of the things that makes this a quality illustration. If this picture were on the cover of a novel or a movie, I'd pick it up without a second thought.

Ashito Oyari Prize

Ashito Oyari: You can feel how soft the fabric is from the wrinkles, and the talent put into this really shows. The nape of the neck and the character's skin are beautifully done, just like the entire composition. Every last detail has been planned down to each small corner. I really get a sense of their skill as an artist!

Mai Yoneyama Prize

静寂と、

by 壱

Mai Yoneyama: From corner to corner, the liveliness of the piece is perfectly expressed in the little details. I think that's proof that we're seeing precisely what the artist wanted us to. Drawing the time, the expression, the way the glasses are slipping off the face, and the flow of the organically floating leaves must have been difficult, but they're pulled it off wonderfully. This is a skillful illustration that shows those who see it exactly what sort of space it takes place in.

Corporate Prizes

Illustrations that received prizes from various businesses.

Clip Studio Paint Prize

その音に、

by こきりん

CLIP STUDIO PAINT: So much of the picture is very effective, like the use of light and how the artist used the space, the character's expression and the contrast of design on the shirt. The way the composition guides your gaze to the parts that want your attention is brilliant. Because the picture is pleasant to look at, the message and story are easily conveyed.

Prize:

CLIP STUDIO PAINT PRO

*Those who already have CLIP STUDIO PAINT PRO will get 10,000 gold to purchase CLIP STUDIO materials and other things online.

Elecom Prize

オノマトペ

by あの日のサカノスケ

Elecom: I thought it was interesting how a great variety sounds are shown unfolding and mixing together outside the headphones, like a cold, inhuman spectacle piling on top of each other reflected in the window glass. It's amazing how they manage to show someone wrapped up in their own little world while also showing a situation everyone can relate to. Please continue to create beautiful perspectives of life!

Prize:

Bluetooth earphones LBT-TWS03BK

Paper-like film draw and compare set

*We'll arrange two fine quality/kent paper sheets depending on your equipment

All iPad models, Wacom liquid crystal tablet, glass tablet

Glove for use with liquid crystal pen tablets

Copic Prize

Life marching

by 八雲よる

Copic: This amazing illustration feels like one moment cut from a story, and has a wonderful, lively atmosphere. The sea animals, colored with such a gentle palette, are all drawn with care. We chose this because we want to challenge others to take on the challenge of deeper color schemes with Copic products.

Prize:

Copic sketch comic illustration 24 color set

Square Enix Prize

🎵

by 風彧KiTY

Square Enix Prize: This is a very beautifully drawn picture. They're making good use of the rules of composition. The theme was "sound", and they have dancing musical notes, but I felt the fluttering wind and flowing hair with the flower petals also skillfully express the theme. Just from that, you can tell the artist has real talent, and we're excited to see what they do next.

Prize:

FINAL FANTASY XIV: STORMBLOOD | Art of the Revolution - Western Memories

FINAL FANTASY XIV: STORMBLOOD | Art of the Revolution - Eastern Memories

Dragon Quest pass case

Dragon Quest Builders 2 folder B

Monster Strike Prize

僕にはこれしか残ってないけど、

by 当たり付き小惑星

Monster Strike: Illustrating sound being the main point, this is shown with a loud sound mixed with a whale leaping into the air. The effects and the splash of the waves matches neatly with the appearance of the overall world and create a sense of unity. The picture gives us the impression of excitement.

Prize:

AVIOT×Monster Strike

Wireless headphones

TE-BD21f-LF Lucifer

Wacom Prize

Wacom: I can still hear the bustling sounds of Easter! The colors really convey the warmth and sunlight of May, and just how fun the festivities are. There are many different components: the girl in the middle, the performing rabbits, the large chick behind them, but they're all very well thought out.

Prize:

Wacom Intuos Small Wireless Black

Wacom Special Prize

音色

by からながれ

Wacom: I think this is an amazing piece that manages to capture both stillness and motion by drawing the instant balloons pop. While the broken balloons and the spray of water is a fleeting moment, you feel a dignified strength from the girl's expression and bearing. The skirt's transparency shows the position of the light, making the illustration stand out all the more.

Prize:

Wacom One liquid crystal pen tablet 13

Excellency Prizes

Thoughts and Impressions

Anmi: These are all at an extremely high level you wouldn't expect from high schoolers. The poses, the use of space, the expressions, use of color, you just feel they've got a great foundation, and they're all wonderful! If I could draw this well in high school, I'd have been able to do a lot more things than I have now, lol! I look forward to seeing more from all who submitted!

TCB: This time there were so many illustrations with a great feel to them, but I felt that there could be a little more attention to detail in the accessories, clothing, and decorations. Even still, there are many pieces where you can tell they researched how to draw and show what they wanted shown, and I can feel all of the high schooler's ambition and drive for improvement. I admire the way they pursued their own distinct style rather than looking at other illustrators and using current popular coloring styles.

Ashito Oyari: I was very surprised by how many illustrations there were. The standard is very high, and there are even many that weren't selected who I feel could certainly go pro in the future. Thanks to social media there are more chances to share your work, and perhaps because of this, the use of effects was excellent, and there were some really beautiful pieces. On the other hand, there were times where I worried a little about the grasp of the basics, like the wrinkles on the clothes, and distinguishing hard and soft materials. I'd like you all to continue challenging yourselves while searching for what you like.

Mai Yoneyama: There are so many beautiful illustrations that just sucked me in. However, there was also an impression of sticking too closely to the theme. The pieces that really drew my eyes were the ones that were able to convey the feeling of what the artist wanted to draw. It takes skill to be able to really show what you want. For example, I think it'd be good for some to look into perspective a little more. Technically speaking the level is really high, and there were plenty of illustrations that weren't selected that were still marvelous, so I'm excited to see how everyone continues to grow from here.