Most people who've spent good time, money, and memories collecting Pokémon cards would throw a fit if you brought up the idea of painting over anything from your prized collection, but there has to be a special exception for custom card artist Lunumbra. Lunumbra uses acrylics to paint and expand the backgrounds of Pokémon cards to cover the whole card, and in the process shows off both her own talent and imagination while also honoring the original art.

Lunumbra sometimes even leaves the text of the card intact, making the cards newly imagined playable versions while still fleshing out the adventurous world and landscapes Pokémon roam in. On her website, she takes us through the creative but time-consuming process:

Every card begins as a regular Pokémon trading card. I typically work from older, worn cards that have been donated to me to be refurbished. I prime the card with basic, grey acrylics and pencil in the details I wish to add. I continue to add layers of colour that match the existing illustrations to completely fill in the empty space around the artwork, all while being mindful of the original colour palette. I try to stay as true to the original card art as possible. Once completed, I clean the back of the card of any residue and seal it with a gloss spray. Each card takes roughly one to two hours depending on the complexity of the original piece.

On YouTube, Lunumbra also has extended painting videos.

For more awesome artwork and inquiries, be sure to follow Lunumbra on Instagram, website, Patreon, and Zaba.


By - Big Neko.