Sugimori designed the original 151 Pokémon and has served as the franchise's art director ever since. His clean, watercolor-influenced renders are the reference sheet every other illustrator works from — when you picture a Pokémon, you're usually picturing his version.
Why his cards anchor a binder
Sugimori art reads as the ‘official’ portrait of a Pokémon. Collectors building a themed or generational display often open with his cards because they set the tone before more stylized art takes over later in the page.
Quiet authority
There's no drama or flash to a Sugimori card — just confident, definitive linework. That restraint is the point: his cards are the calm baseline that makes bolder illustration rares pop when you place them nearby.
Build a binder page
A Sugimori page is the ‘canonical’ look — perfect as the opening spread of a generation-themed display binder.
Collector tip
His Expedition-era and anniversary cards (Celebrations, Generations) put the classic Sugimori look in a modern, affordable shell — a clean way to anchor a vintage-style page.
