pixiv's High Schoolers Illustration Contest 2023 Results - From 1310 entries, the most ever, the winners are...?!

These are the works that did not win the Illustrator Panel awards, but did catch the eye of our judges. 

Hanabushi: It’s wonderful how they brought their own distinct style to this.

Silver: The way that they used a lot of solid black prints gives it character as well. They’ve really established their art style.

Fuzichoco: This year, I saw many entries that used mirrors, but when it comes to understanding how the theme ties in, this one was the easiest to understand.

Hanabushi: It’s also cool how the scenery just jumps into white. I’ve been enlightened by this piece.

Silver: The scene is probably starting from the left as the past, then the present, and on the right side there’s a butterfly representing the future. I think they purposely didn’t draw the right side as if to say it’s a “blank slate”.

Fuzichoco: They’re depicting the red string of fate as a telephone cord!

Hanabushi: That’s pretty cool.

Silver: Do they mean it to be analog? That’s really powerful. It’s interesting how the use of color for the hair is quite different from other people’s.

Ogipote: I think it’s great how bold the composition is. It’s like ⅔ of it is just holding space.

Silver: The idea of having a blood transfusion from the phone is also fascinating, isn’t it?

Ogipote: This is amazing. When you zoom in, it’s even more amazing. The field of flowers can be a piece of art on their own.

Silver: They did a great job, didn’t they? I wonder what they used to draw this? Digital or analog?

Fuzichoco: We really can’t help but be curious about what medium they used. The texture is unique and has the power to make you ask, “How did they draw this?”

Saito: It’s amazing that they put together something so high quality in a style that isn’t so commonly seen. It makes me wonder how they ended up using such an art style. (laughs)

Fuzichoco: They did a really good job separating the space in the front and in the back. It’s a clean but complex composition that shows off their high level of technical skill.

Silver: It’s a composition that’s divided into parts in the center, but they properly guide your eye by filling in the density at the back.

Saito: If I’d had a person of this level in the same class as me in high school, I would have quit my dream of becoming an illustrator. (laughs)

Saito: Looking at this, I realized that it’s not impossible to effortlessly express a long period of time with just one image. As a picture, it may seem like it’s simply arranged, but looking closer you’ll see that they’ve done something rather challenging and it’ll make you go, “Oh!”

Silver: At first glance, it looks nothing more than a depiction of a train scene, yeah? But looking carefully, you’ll see a lot of human drama unfolding. They even took the time and care to draw out each one of the ads. 

Saito: This combination of the aesthetic of the flat art style and high-level illustration makes me a fan.

Silver: Looking at the other entries, we can see that this one has a rather different aesthetic. This artist seems good at taking in influences from different sources and implementing them right away. 

Silver: It’s rare to see a piece that doesn’t include any characters, so first and foremost I can sense their spirit of challenge from that. Also, it’s simply a cool illustration.

Saito: I like its disquieting atmosphere. 

Fuzichoco: This one has a sense of scale. I was already impressed at first glance. You can feel a large amount of space. Zooming in, however, I noticed the finishing of individual motifs were just a bit sloppy.

Saito: While the artist has done a wonderful job depicting what needs to be drawn with detail, they also do a good job judging which parts they don’t need to draw so precisely. (laughs) It almost makes me envious of them. 

Fuzichoco: I like how I can sense the story in this. Choosing motifs that are hard to draw like the truck and the robot is impressive. You can tell that they like to draw those kinds of things. I, for one, cannot draw them. (laughs)

Hanabushi: If the eye level were brought down a bit more, the composition might work a little better. 

Silver: This year, a large number of people chose the motif of musubi (a type of rice ball) as a pun on the theme of “musubu”, but I liked the additional theme of the “link between mother and daughter” in this particular one.

Fuzichoco: There was a lot of care taken in the detailed depiction of the small items, as well. I think it’s pretty hard to draw hands that are making a rice ball…

Silver: You’re right. The posing of the pinky fingers are particularly well done. 

Silver: The theme this year was “musubu/connect” but there was a wide variety of interpretations of it within an already varied group of entries. The overall level has also increased by a lot and the review process got pretty heated.

Fuzichoco: There was also a wide variation of styles, too.

Saito: You’re right. In the past, many people would analyze the trends of the contest and draw in the style that would most likely win awards. It would then sometimes lead to the judges giving them harsh but honest critique about that, so perhaps this new approach is the natural outcome of that. (laughs)

Silver: But if it leads to everyone doing what they honestly want to do, I think that’s a best-case-scenario kind of outcome.

Fuzichoco: That’s something I hope to see.

Saito: That’s exactly why it’s important for the people judging to take the evaluation process seriously and consider many different aspects.

Silver: You’re right. Because if a certain piece appeals to you aesthetically, it’s easy to slip into judging solely based on technique.

Saito: Also, although we have a tendency to get pulled in by a piece’s narrative in contests like these and not pay as much attention to a piece unless there’s a deep message attached to it, I went into the screening process thinking it would be good to try and evaluate a picture by whether the average person would look at it and think of it as nothing more than a very good illustration.

Ogipote: You’re right. So that I don’t get too biased toward a more technical viewpoint, I go in with the intent to properly evaluate pieces that wow me from a “simple” otaku’s point of view.

Saito: We mustn’t forget the pure emotion of seeing a piece and just thinking, “I like it because it looks like other popular things I’ve seen.” Or, “The girl is so cute, I love it.” (laughs)

Hanabushi: One of the things that I noticed was there were a lot of entries where they clearly put in a lot of effort and hard work, but it all came to naught because it just didn’t stand out as a thumbnail. That’s just really unfortunate.

Fuzichoco: You do have a point there. For example, the thumbnail would give the impression of it being a plain illustration but when I clicked on it to enlarge it, I’d be surprised to see how intricately drawn the details are.

Hanabushi: There were a handful of entries that had me thinking, “What a shame. If the lines were a little thicker, it would have a stronger presence.”

Silver: It would be good if the thumbnail could show one or two places that clue the viewer in about that. Not just for contests! When you have general users looking at your work, the ability to create a good thumbnail is important.

Fuzichoco: It’s better to have some kind of hook, right?

Silver: I noticed that the processing technology used has definitely become more advanced. Compared to our generation, when we were doing all we could to just make simple stuff work (laughs), there were a lot of entries where they just piled on the effects.

Saito: There were a lot of sparkles, weren’t there? It made me think, “Hey It’s not all about the effects!” If you ask me if I was drawn to a piece of art because of the effects, I’m gonna answer no, it wasn’t because of that.

Ogipote: Instead, it makes the flaws of the piece’s foundation stand out more, right?

Saito: That said, I want artists to value the pure feeling of wanting to draw. When I see that they are taking on challenges even though they’re not at that level yet, it makes me want to see them grow in ability.

Fuzichoco: To assertively put your work out there for people to see is, as a professional, the most important thing one can do as an artist. I hope they will use contests like this as an opportunity to challenge themselves.

Silver: For those who were, unfortunately, not chosen this time around, I hope that they all continue to draw even if it’s not for the pixiv High Schoolers’ Illustration Contest.

Ogipote: I failed to win anything when I was in high school, but I used that as a springboard to get where I am today! (laughs)

Silver: That’s exactly in the spirit of “musubu/connect”. I hope they will continue drawing, understanding that is the way to connect to their future.

We would like to thank everyone for the many entries we received this year!

We plan to hold the pixiv High Schoolers Illustration contest in 2024 as well. We want to continue to support all aspiring artists, including those who missed out this year and those who will be able to enter next year. We look forward to seeing you take on this challenge once more!