pixiv's High Schoolers Illustration Contest 2022 Results - Out of Nearly 1000 Entries, Who Came Out On Top?
The Awards of Excellence
These awards are given to works that while they, unfortunately, didn't win the Illustrator Panel Awards, caught the attention of the judges nevertheless.
Ogipote: I was surprised to see such a one-of-a-kind setting created by the hand of a high school student. The style is so different from mainstream contemporary illustration, but something about this artwork feels unfathomable. A close look will reveal that the textures look amazing as well. A closer inspection reveals that the textures are also stunning. However, the question marks and other symbols may be overly symbolic, and this is an area where the artist can improve.
Tera Terada: Despite the lack of lineart, the artist's technical ability to create such a 3D composition using only colors is impressive for a high school student. It makes me think they've spent a lot of time studying cartoon-style images. They've also used chromatic aberration (a technique in which lines are blurred to create a sense of openness), and the ability to take different styles and make them their own shows that they're very smart.
Seiji Yoshida: I have a thing for animals (laughs), but this is an intriguing artwork. I particularly like the lighting. The boy is also cute.
Seiji Yoshida: The artist has most likely done research on movies, and the result is visually stunning. The composition is so cool and austere!
旅
by グリナ Gu Lina
Tera Terada: This one immediately evokes thoughts of a summer vacation. The aerial perspective and lighting are also fantastic.
Seiji Yoshida: I thought it was interesting how the artist used the subject of "journeys" to come up with the idea of a girl asking a bird to travel in her place because she's unable to.
Ogipote: I was drawn to the power and emotion of this artwork. This artist is good. The concept of a fish growing limbs apart from its fins also demonstrates cubist artistry.
Pen voyage！
by 霰
The Encouragement Award
This award is given to all those works that, unfortunately, didn't win the Awards of Excellence, but stood out nevertheless.
惑星旅行譚 by あずきのまめ🌽 |
思い出 by ilmn25 |
秘密の女子会 by 黒光りとまと |
鈍行列車 by バナナスライム |
足跡 by linne |
Honeymoon by saba-kann |
平凡的小旅行 by 羊駝怪人 |
秋の女子旅 by ももも |
迷子 by なわせつつ |
地球観光 by アヲ帽 |
蘇る記憶がわたしを誘う by 81島 |
きおくのうみ by ハズキニナ |
幸先不安な修学旅行 by エノカラ |
旅は高鳴り、たまに恋しく by ゆうてら10 |
ホーム by 響 括狐みつや |
知らないレストラン by すいせつ |
森への旅 by Iyu | いゆ |
…ただいま、 by 夢だるま |
風の行く先 by 霧雨アキ |
僕ら飛べない旅ができるのだ。 by Ito |
東海道中 by _さい |
ボイジャー by ネムチカ |
廃墟旅 by 碧咩 |
Let's go! by 晶 |
そとのせかい by けお |
西瓜好吃 by 牧羊 |
向こう側を掻いて by ででみ |
旅路の記憶 by 伊吹千冬 |
はじめての町 by ひぐれ |
宇宙乗り継ぐ旅へ by 笹ミノル |
無題 by かの湯 |
ぼく が いきたい ばしょ by 椿 小粋 |
Traveling by pooopoday |
阿/吽/二/字 by しくわた |
乗り越し精算 by ずぶ濡れのロールケーキ |
Travelers by Rayla |
寄り道 by 網々目々 |
抜けた！！ by ていでいしゃい |
身勝手な旅 by 名無し |
小規模大冒険 by ハルイ ハル |
出発までティータイム by REA |
夢を見る by 玲玲/reirei |
どうせ眠れない夜はいつだって by 名前は思案中 |
旅先での出会い by ｼﾌ |
外の世界へ by 夜雲かな |
乗るはずの電車、もう行っちゃってたみたい by チシロ鼠 |
旅路を振り返る by ぴのっさん |
机上の旅 by としろぞ |
全てが未知なる旅へ by かびま |
酔い旅 by WASABI |
たしかな旅の記録 by あかさたな |
Fly~ by 張零零 |
早朝出発のはずなのに by yukario |
羽伸ばし羽休め by 冧 |
はなまるじゃなくても by 管理人 |
ブルーモーメント by 眠夢 |
「早く旅がしたいのよ！」 by 茶柱 |
誰かの愛した世界を君と巡る by じゅらい |
人魚はヒレを足に変えてはじめての地上旅行へ by Minatsu ゆい |
来ると思った by RamuhI |
世界の果てまで撮ってやる！ by Minatsu ゆい |
旅は道連れ by 橘つ |
食料調達 by あおシュガー |
私のネバーランドを目指して by やまたの七福 |
ときめいて by 塩間昼 |
抱えたキセキ by 日狩 |
Final comments about this contest
In a comment from the previous contest, one of the judges mentioned how they wished to see a broader creative range in the entries. However, we've seen a lot of variations on the theme this year. I thought it was a good contest with a wide range of art. I was also blown away by these young artists' mastery of drawing software. In this day and age, I believe that the most successful creators will be those who can gather and absorb as much information as possible. Even so, some of the participating artists lacked basic skill and grace. This may be the old-timer in me speaking, but I believe it'd be best for them to first brush up their basic skills by drawing a lot, and then use the power of drawing software to their advantage.
Personally, I enjoy works that convey the artist's tastes, so seeing so many illustrations filled to the brim with each creator's unique perspective was a treat. Those who did not receive an award may be disappointed, but I hope they will use this opportunity to analyze why they were not selected and use it as inspiration to create better work in the future. I'm rooting for you!
Since the award-winning works in the previous contest were so impactful, I was concerned that this edition would turn out to be a little more subdued, but yet again we received many good entries. Rather than drawing single characters, the artists interpreted the theme of "journeys" and synthesized it in each illustration's settings and character relationships. The theme was challenging, but those who gave it their all came out on top. This year, many creators seem to have considered how to entertain the viewer. What a world we live in, where such young people can think so far ahead when creating their works.
With "journeys" as this edition's theme, many artists did an outstanding job at drawing backgrounds. Despite the fact that the participants are still in high school, some of them have pro-level skills. It's almost scary! (laughs) I believe in the end, the winners were those with the most drawing experience. As an artist in the industry, I hope that those who unfortunately didn't get an award will use the experience to continue creating new works of art.
I have the impression that the number of artworks with a focus on the background has increased. Some artists even experimented with dynamic perspectives to make the backgrounds stand out more. Even if you're not happy with what you're drawing, the attitude of facing challenges on your own will undoubtedly come in handy in the future.
This may sound a bit preachy, but I believe the best artists are those who have a specific area of expertise, which only comes out after a lot of drawing.
Please keep drawing and figuring out what you're good at and what you enjoy doing.
Final recap
List of winners:
・Grand Prize: 1 winner
・Illustrator Panel Awards: 5 winners
・Corporate Sponsor Awards: 7 winners
・Awards of Excellence: 24 winners
・Encouragement Awards: 66 winners
・Honorable Mentions: 378 winners
・Total entries: 992
Once again, thank you very much for participating in this contest.
pixiv's High Schoolers Illustration Contest is scheduled to be held again in 2023.
This contest is our way of supporting all aspiring illustrators. If you missed out on this year's contest, or if you'll be attending high school starting next year, stay tuned! We're looking forward to seeing you take on this challenge!