Naoki Saito

Saito at an exhibition in 2022

Naoki Saito (Japanese: 齋藤直葵) is a digital illustrator who has provided art for the Pokémon Trading Card Game since the HeartGold & SoulSilver expansion, as well as art for a couple of Pokémon games. Saito is a graduate of Tama Art University and previously worked at Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. before becoming freelance. In addition to the Pokémon TCG, he has also provided illustrations for several other trading card franchises: Duel Masters, Monster Hunter, Juushinden: Ultimate Beast Battlers, and Eternal Wheel. Thus far, Saito has illustrated 239 cards for the TCG. For a list of cards that he illustrated, go here.

Saito's style is vibrant and surreal, and often juxtaposes or merges the organic with the geometric. He also puts emphasis on texture to give subjects character. His work within the TCG is similar but subtler, instead using highlights and contrasting colors to make Pokémon stand out. In addition to card illustrations, Saito provided the packaging art for the Garchomp and Hydreigon Half Decks, and the box art for Everyone's Exciting Battle. He also illustrated the Pokémon Tales book Crustle's Moving, available to read on the Pokémon Daisuki Club website.

Designs

Characters

The following are a list of characters designed by Saito.

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  Sightseers

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  Veteran

• 

  Dancer and Hiker

Artwork

This is a collection of official Pokémon artwork drawn by Saito.

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  Iono & Bellibolt Kotobukiya ArtFx J figurine artwork

Works

Games

Title	Platform	Release date	Position
Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs	Nintendo DS	2010-03-06	Oblivia map illustration Boss Pokémon illustration
Pokémon Black and White Versions	Nintendo DS	2010-09-18	Unova map illustration Castelia City illustration Black City/White Forest illustration
Pokémon Sun and Moon	Nintendo 3DS	2016-11-18	Trainer Graphics Design

Manga and other published work

Role/Title	Release date	Publisher
Colorist for Worst	2002-05-30	Akita Shoten
Colorist for Saint Seiya: Next Dimension - The Myth of Hades	2006-04-27	Akita Shoten
Illustrations for Les Chroniques de Sillage Vol. 5	2008-04-25	Delcourt
Colorist for Baki the Grappler	2007-12-07	Akita Shoten
Colorist for Grappler Baki: Scarface	2009-05-08	Akita Shoten
Colorist for The Strongest Introduction to Philosophy in History	2010-04-14	Magazine•Magazine
Eguzamurai CG Lithograph	2010	Shueisha
Colorist for Garouden Vol. 25	2010-12-22	Kodansha
Co-author and illustrator for Contes cruels du Japon	2011-08-24	Delcourt

External link

• Chirarism, Saito's personal website (Japanese)