When it comes to creating fanart, Pokemon fans often draw inspiration from the real world just as much as they do from the Pokemon series itself. This often leads to hybrid artwork combining Pokemon with animals or other iconic franchises' characters.
In this particular case, one Pokemon fan artist took inspiration from a classic piece of artwork. The creation combines Shiny Umbreon with Van Gogh's Starry Night, creating an impressive mash-up of art.
Reddit user siinastah shared their creation with the Pokemon subreddit, and the fans are impressed. A Shiny Umbreon stands mouth agape looking into the distance in the foreground, while the iconic swirling colors of Van Gogh's Starry Night stand in the background behind it. With Umbreon's color palette changing from black and yellow to black and blue in its shiny variant, it fits in perfectly with the design, almost looking like it's camouflaging itself. This is further enhanced by the speckled, stippling-like flecks of color on the Umbreon itself.
Van Gogh's art has often been the subject of artistic mash-ups, and this fan artist hasn't limited themselves to doing so with Shiny Umbreon. The artist has also shared images of their works that have brought other Pokemon to the classic art piece. These include Blastoise, Venusaur, and Charizard, the iconic starters of the original Pokemon games. According to siinastah, some of the art was created using oil paint on a canvas, but others have been made using a combination of digital art programs like Photoshop and Procreate.
Those who like the art pieces may want to contact siinistah, as they noted in the comments that they sell prints of their work. It would certainly add an interesting conversation piece to a home. Considering the practically everlasting popularity of Pokemon and the iconic nature of the original painting by Van Gogh, it would definitely stand out on display, even if the viewer isn't familiar with both subjects.
The Pokemon franchise now encompasses a quarter of a century's worth of time, and inspired creations like these have been shared by the fans for nearly as long. With every game bringing new locations, creatures, and trainers for players to meet and challenge, there's always something to inspire creativity for the fans. Laser art, crocheted figures, and 3D printers have all been utilized to bring fans' favorites to life, but more traditional methods can still be used to create impressive Pokemon pieces like this one, too.