The Flame Grows Hotter: Pokémon #005 Charmeleon (Pokémon Day Special Part 2!)

The Pokémon Day week celebrations continue!

Following on from the retro pixelated Charmander kickoff in my previous post, things get a little bit tougher—and a lot more explosive—as we evolve into #005 Charmeleon. As promised, to make this celebratory week interesting, this book features a different design style to the last one.

Meeting Charmeleon

Like many middle evolutions, Charmeleon is the “awkward teenage phase” of the family.

He’s grown significantly larger than Charmander, developed a horn on his head, and turned a slightly deeper shade of red. According to the Pokédex, he is constantly seeking out strong opponents, and the flame on his tail is burning much hotter now. I wanted to capture that aggression, so this design features Charmeleon in mid-attack, shooting a blast of fire from his mouth.

A Return to Sleek Lines

To reflect this shift from a cute starter to a tough fighter in an action pose, I stepped away from the retro pixels used for Charmander.

For Charmeleon, I returned to a sleek, crisp outline style, similar to the technique I used for the Bulbasaur family earlier in the challenge.

I used my standard cut-and-fold technique, inserting black cardstock into the folds to define the sharp lines of his face, body, and that powerful tail. It feels very fitting for his character—sharp and intense.

Crafting the Flame

Switching away from pixels changed the crafting experience significantly. The curves of the body were much more forgiving to fold than Charmander’s rigid squares.

The real star here is the action pose. To show that he is actively shooting fire, I had to make sure the colouring was spot on. While the black cardstock defines the shapes, I grabbed my brightest yellow, orange, and red Promarkers to colour the blazing inferno billowing from his mouth, making it stand out against the slightly deeper reds of his body.

Two Down, One Big One to Go

I love the contrast currently sitting on my shelf. Seeing the blocky, retro Charmander sitting next to this sleek, action-focused outline of Charmeleon really emphasizes the variety in this week’s releases.

We are two-thirds of the way through our Pokémon Day celebration week. Stay tuned for the grand finale, because #006 Charizard is coming, and trust me, his design style is very different!