pixiv's High Schoolers Illustration Contest 2020 Results - A record edition! Who are the most promising high school students?
pixiv's High Schoolers Illustration Contest 2020 for high school students was held starting from July 31st, 2020 (Fri).
This year's contest, now in its third annual edition, welcomed a distinguished panel of illustrators and corporate sponsors and attracted a record number of 900 entries.
We're proud to announce the talented winners of the contest. The sheer power of these illustrations made the jury wonder whether the participants were really just high school students!
Here's a look at the eminent board of illustrators who have been judging the contest's entries
The 6 illustrators from the left: Naoki Saito, Masayoshi Tanaka, Harada, Seiji Yoshida, Mai Yoneyama, lack.
First prize: 100,000 JPY
This award is given to the most outstanding work among the entries in this contest. After a fierce battle, the winner of the pixiv's High Schoolers Illustration Contest is...
The jury's critique
Naoki Saito: Endless wisteria trellises as far as the eye can see, but with wind chimes instead of flowers. Such a fantasy-esque situation!
At first glance, the illustration is quite geometric. For this reason, and because the composition in the picture is entirely made out of inorganic objects, I guess it would be easy for this work to end up looking quite dull. However, I was impressed by the way the artist skillfully created a rhythm in the picture by the way he folded the image's edges.
The fireworks in the background look like wisteria flowers, which were replaced by wind chimes on the trellises, and they add even more gorgeousness to the picture. The boy's pleasant smile is also very nice!
Masayoshi Tanaka: The artist has been very good at controlling the information in the background to make the character stand out.
The direction of the lighting, which seems to convey the temperature of the space, is also excellent.
It's amazing because it means that when drawing this illustration, the artist had a clear line of sight to control the overall composition and didn't get too caught up in the details.
Harada: In the midst of the lively and flamboyant theme of "Festivals", the cool colors and beautiful lighting in this illustration left an impression on me. I think the simple information in the background was beautifully arranged to highlight two elements: the wind chimes and the boy in the yukata.
The fascination I felt towards this work was still there even after taking a closer look, which is also impressive.
Other works by the same author, Ishida, are also of a high level, and even illustrations based on the same theme give completely different vibes, meaning that this high school student has the power of imagination and the capability to express that imagination. I'm sure they'll continue to refine their work in the future, and I'm sure their passion for painting will continue to grow.
Seiji Yoshida: I was surprised at the artist's ability to create a simple composition that emphasizes the scene so neatly. By reducing the amount of detail in the distant background, the artist naturally draws attention to the nearer elements, and as a result, the picture is dense but not overwhelming. The unique and impactful lighting also brings out the beauty of this picture even more.
Mai Yoneyama: The artist has made the tools they're using into their own and are clearly very skilled at putting together illustrations, including lighting and composition.
I've seen this high schooler's other work and I think the energy they create in their illustrations is very strong and just wonderful.
lack: The composition, colors, and lighting are very high-level, and I don't think there are many people out there who can draw this well, including professionals.
Moreover, while many illustrations tend to associate summer festivals to warm hues, this artist used cold colors making their illustration even more eye-catching. (If that was your intention from the beginning, that's great!)
I think it's a wonderful piece of work.
I'll be looking forward to seeing how the future works out for this promising illustrator!
A comment from the winner: Ishida
Thank you for the First Prize. When I created this work, I wanted to capture the refreshing atmosphere of a summer night. I had a feeling that only illustrations featuring pretty girls would be picked as winners for this contest, but I think I have left some kind of mark with my work by winning the First Prize for an illustration that has a boy as its protagonist. My ambition is to work on new content featuring male characters, so don't hesitate to contact me if you have something for me.
Illustrators Jury Awards (Amazon gift card worth 20,000 JPY)
These are the works that each illustrator in the jury has selected as the best!
Naoki Saito Award
Naoki Saito: The way the artist captured the theme is wonderful. In Japan, we tend to associate summer festivals with wearing o-men festival masks. This illustration reverses the original idea and conveys a unique point of view: a festival is a day to take off the mask you wear in your daily life and reveal your true self. The entire surface of the drawing is flat and well organized. This work truly expresses how fun festivals are.
Masayoshi Tanaka Award
Masayoshi Tanaka: It's interesting to see how the idea behind this drawing has rapidly evolved and how the theme of "Festival" has been transformed into "Bon-Odori festival", "Theater", and "Musical". The way the artist draws the umbrellas on a flat surface, almost making them look like a backdrop, is a skillful touch. Traces of ingenuity are evident throughout the artwork in the shape of expedients to make the subject look like a theatrical scene, such as the way all inanimate objects are drawn without any sense of perspective.
Harada Award
Harada: In the midst of the low-saturation, white-based design of this illustration, only the horns and flowers stand out beautifully with their vivid colors.
The Hanashizume no Matsuri, the festival that this illustration is inspired by, was once held to suppress the spirits of disease and pray for good health. The idea itself may seem a bit twisted, but considering the current events, the way that the author captured the theme in their work seems very thoughtful and really hit home for me. The expression on the girl's face in the center of the picture is also wonderful; she is fragile but seems to have special powers, and the folded paper cranes offered by the hands around her also tell a strong story.
Seiji Yoshida: It seems like they're worshipping some sort of goddess. The girl doesn't look happy, but she is calm, and the way the artist drew her face shows a delicate technique.
Seiji Yoshida Award
Seiji Yoshida: The fact that the artist was able to draw such a detailed and dense illustration is amazing. Every inch of the screen is packed with all sorts of information, and all characters are portrayed very well. Moreover, you can see how the landscape unfolds beyond the characters in such an engaging way that it makes you want to look around for more hidden secrets. The costumes are also designed in a very detailed manner, with the use of green as a subtle accent color.
Naoki Saito: In the background, you can even see a person eating yakisoba noodles. It really makes you want to dig even deeper to find what other gimmicks are hidden in there.
Mai Yoneyama Award
Mai Yoneyama: Continuing on from the last edition, I was impressed with Roki's unique worldview, sense of color, and lighting, and I thought it was wonderful that they have perfected their work. The association with the theme is original, and above all, the artist seems to be enjoying drawing what they want to express. I'm looking forward to seeing how Roki continues to improve their illustrations and other aspects of their work.
Roki also won the First Prize in last year's contest!
Iack Award
lack: The line art and coloring in this painting are both unique and the artist has succeeded in expressing a mysterious atmosphere. The ambiance of a typical Japanese summer festival blends very well with a certain frightening mood, recalling of spirits. The simple act of buying something at the shop could be a way to come into contact with another world using currency, and the girl's expression is also evocative of something suspicious. This drawing style suits Japanese-style illustrations very well, and I hope this high schooler will continue to draw more in the future.
Also, I've seen many candy apples in this contest, but the ones by this artist (Hachi) were the most delicious-looking. (laughs)
Corporate Awards
This award is sent to the most noteworthy work selected by each sponsor.
The same works also caught the attention of the illustrator jury!
Elecom Award
Elecom representative: I was drawn to the sense of nostalgia and wonder that the world painted in this work exudes.
I think it's a great piece of work that makes you want to think about the story and the setting behind it. I hope that with the prizes included in the ELECOM Award we can inspire a little creativity in this artist's future.
I look forward to seeing what they'll be up to next!
Prizes:
・MOH-AN01DOG Animal Palm Rest
・HCM-GE10SNV Eclear HOT & COOL Eye Mask
・LBT-TWS05BK Fully Wireless Bluetooth Headphones
・Paper-like Film Comparison Set
KADOKAWA Kitora Award
KADOKAWA Kitora representative: The spotlight on the lone girl and on the silhouette of the bird flying in the foreground, as the festival participants climb the stairs leading to the back of the torii gate in the background, creates a celestial atmosphere.
This multi-layered representation is brilliant.
Prizes:
・20,000 JPY Amazon gift card
・2 books about illustration (Toshi's "Kamiaza Sakuga (Divine Drawing Techniques)" and Torako's "Irasuto de Okane wo Umidasu Hiketsu (The Secret to Generating Money through Illustration)")
・3 art books ("Megalophilia: Monokubo's Works", Avogado6's "Jōei", "Yūgai Chōjū Gokuhi Hōkoku-sho - Toy(e) Art File")
CLIP STUDIO PAINT Award
CLIP STUDIO PAINT representative: This artwork's composition is outstanding. At first glance, the illustration enraptures you, and then as you look into the darker areas, you can see various elements that make you imagine the story behind the painting. If you zoom in, you can see a brilliant use of blur and chromatic aberration, and the more you look at this work, the more you appreciate it.
Prizes:
・CLIP STUDIO PAINT EX for Windows/macOS
If the winner already owns the software: 20,000 GOLD
CHUNITHM Award
CHUNITHM representative: The artist has created a fantastic, exquisite worldview based on the theme of "Festival", which I thought was very good. The character design, the balance between the background and the character, and the fact that at one glance you can imagine the setting of this work and what kind of person this character is are all wonderful things. I hope this artist will continue to create art like this, that doesn't only feature characters ー it also makes you picture their background and backbone.
Harada: The costume was drawn in detail and the outcome is very pretty. The presence of four-character phrases celebrating longevity, such as 延年轉壽 (ennentenju) and 千秋万歳 (senjuumanzai) is impressive, and the visual gap between those and the girl with all those tattoos on her body is truly interesting.
Prizes:
・CHUNITHM Visual Collection
・Game Gear Micro (Black)
SoftBank SELECTION Award
SoftBank SELECTION representative: In this image, the full moon, the lantern, the shrine maidens, and the paper hanging from their hats create a mysterious atmosphere and make us feel as if we've wandered into another dimension.
It may look like a single illustration, but the composition is so impressive that this artwork truly looks like a scene from a movie because of the perspective of the confetti, which stirs the imagination of the viewer in various ways.
Harada: In the overall low-saturation of the painting, the plain red kimono stands out vividly. And look at the contrast between the extraordinary atmosphere of the background and the ordinary girl in the foreground. The black bars at the top and bottom and the confetti in the front drew me in like a scene from a movie.
Masayoshi Tanaka: This representation is pure genius. The texture of the picture is remarkable and makes it look like a maki-e gold lacquer, and the scene is beautiful no matter where you cut it out. Unfortunately, this artwork looks a little weak from far away, but when you get close enough you'll realize its true beauty.
Prizes:
・QCY M1Pro (Bluetooth Earphones)
・SoftBank SELECTION Wireless Charging Base for iPhone/Android™
GLIDiC Award
GLIDiC representative: There are many elements that spark your imagination about what could have happened to the girl. Her expression, the man in the photo, the butterfly, and the flowers... I think this work does a really good job with storytelling as if it captured all sorts of thoughts and emotions and fixed them to a single spot in time.
If you look closely, you can see that the artist has paid attention to every detail, and although the colors are a bit faint, the translucent-looking fireworks, tears, and other expressions of light are wonderful and caught my eye.
Mai Yoneyama: It is difficult to convey a dramatic picture if the artist is unable to render their artwork fully, and this time the artist has done a very good job of expressing that. The textures are also very well done, and I also felt that there is ingenuity in keeping the light gentle and not scintillating. I think this picture fits the theme. It would have been even more emotionally engaging if the main character had some movement (for example, if she was holding the photo) instead of just placing the objects side-by-side.
Prize:
・GLIDiC Sound Air TW-5000s (Fully Wireless Earphones)
Doga Kobo Award
Doga Kobo representative: By blurring the tips of her hair and the fireworks in the background, the composition draws the viewer's attention to the girl's facial expression, and the vivid color balance of the illustration shows the artist's high level of skill.
We also saw great potential in the in-depth storytelling of the illustration, which allows the viewer to think about the scenery in her eyes as she looks at the candy apple, a key feature of Japanese summer festivals.
Naoki Saito: At first impact, this may look like a straightforward illustration of a cute little girl, but its distinctive composition, which seems to block the viewer's line of sight, captures the imagination.
Prize:
・Doga Kobo's Original Project "BREETSCHLAG" Set
Copic Award
Copic representative: The artist uses mainly bright colors, which can be difficult to handle, while also putting together a beautiful composition. I was impressed by the atmosphere of the festival at night, which stands out even among a mostly red screen. The girl is cute and her accessories are also very carefully designed.
The artist seems to use mainly digital tools, but we selected their work because we would like them to use our Copic markers in the same vivid manner.
Prizes:
・Copic Sketch - Basic 72-color set
・Copic Sketchbook L
Monster Strike Award
Monster Strike representative: I guess this image comes straight from the author's memories. This artwork features an abundance of motifs that come to mind when one hears the word "festival". The various elements, large and small, arranged in a two-dimensional compositional manner, protrude from the canvas, which was cut into a circle, to create a sense of unbounded dynamism. In addition, it's interesting to see the perspective of both hands stretched out in front of the screen and the bold human figure, which creates a unique spatial effect.
I would cry too if I tripped and dropped the takoyaki I just bought. I think it's also good that you can feel the story in a straightforward manner.
Prizes:
・AVIOT x Monster Strike Wireless Earphones TE-BD21f-LF Lucifer (Limited Edition)
Wacom Award
Wacom representative: Overall, I found the illustration to be very well composed and designed. The location is likely painted in dark hues due to the dimly lit conditions of the shrine, but the light is used very well, making the main subject stand out.
Prizes:
・Wacom One LCD Pen Tablet 13
About pixiv's High Schoolers Illustration Contest