Presenting the March pixiv Monthly International Illustration Awards Winners - A captivating story in every piece!

From the pixiv PR team: This piece took some risks by limiting the use of colors, which makes the silent and imposing way it highlights each character and the space they’re in all the more impressive! The characters and animals featured are cute yet have a poignancy to them, and the numerous notes and drawings on the wall rouse the viewer’s curiosity. All in all, this piece made us want to study it over and over again to uncover the story it depicts.

From the pixiv PR team: This vibrant and colorful piece will surely energize the viewer! Normally, balancing the color palette of a drawing becomes more challenging the more colors there are, all the more so if those colors are primary colors or adjacent to them. Not only does this piece blend those vivid colors masterfully by using dark blue as an accent color, but it also uses them to create a dynamic flow. We admired how bold and straightforward this piece was, and it was easy to imagine what sort of image the artist had in mind when creating it.

From the pixiv PR team: Each character felt like they could stand on their own in a separate illustration, and we were impressed by how we were able to imagine what sort of personality each of them had. Thanks to the characters’ serious gazes and the imposing presence of the car in the center, the viewer can easily tell what the setting is without further explanation. From the characters to the space as a whole, the creator’s drawing skills and attention to detail truly shine in every aspect of this piece!

From the pixiv PR team: We could tell that the creator had put a lot of thought into the maid’s character design, which is splendid without being over the top. While it’s easy to be distracted by her adorableness, we were also impressed by how the artist perfectly captured her pose through her clothes! The color palette is simple, using mainly black and white and red as an accent color. Thanks to the color of the shadows and light, however, we can clearly see the silkiness of the dress and the creases in it.

From the pixiv PR team: This artwork perfectly depicts the world these mice live in, and it’s easy to imagine not just this scene but the whole story if it were a picture book. The world-building, background, and motifs are incredibly detailed, and viewers can uncover even more details the longer they look at the piece. We applaud the creator for creating such an in-depth setting that allows us a glimpse into these mice’s lives!

From the pixiv PR team: Drawing two different characters embracing each other can be incredibly challenging, even more so in this case since one of the characters is a dragon. Not only does this require the creator to depict the toughness of its scales and the serpentine curvature of its body, but its torso must also fit naturally into the contours of its human partner’s frame. Despite the various challenges, this piece gives equal attention to both characters, a testament to the creator’s incredible artistic skills. The warmth of the light and the coolness of the shadows also match the characters’ expressions, and the branch in the background only serves to highlight the mood of the piece. A truly stunning work of art!

From the pixiv PR team: Though partially hidden by the text, the viewer can glimpse the details in the background, which makes the cute and simplistic characters in the foreground feel more solid. We especially enjoyed the delightful balance between the background and the space that the characters inhabit! Not only does this lovely piece depict summery clothes and the warm, dry air from outside, but the viewer can almost feel the cool dampness of the shade through the artwork as well.

From the pixiv PR team: The creator’s refusal to compromise on what they wanted to depict and willingness to draw from a challenging angle is what drew us to this piece. It goes without saying that the overall color scheme is gorgeous, and the crystalline water near the light source is equally stunning. For the Middle Eastern-inspired architecture, rather than simply incorporating elements on their own, the creator depicts the difference in textures by adding cracks or highlights to the pillars and tiles, lending them an air of grandeur. The research and experimentation that must have gone into this piece are truly impressive.

From the pixiv PR team: We were instantly drawn to the diorama-like compactness of this artwork, where each detail feels well thought out and intentional. We liked how the concrete the character is standing on shows its exposed surface and the iron rods inside and, upon closer examination, even the wires used to bind the rods! The whole piece feels like a treasure hunt, and viewers will surely enjoy searching for the little details!