Detective Pikachu Artist Returns to Realistic Pokemon With Grimmsnarl

R.J. Palmer, the fan artist whose realistic Pokemon designs landed him a job working on key art and environmental design for Detective Pikachu, has returned to provide more thoughts on what real-world versions of familiar monsters could look like. This time, Palmer has turned to Pokemon Sword and Shield with a look at Grimmsnarl on Twitter.

Presenting Grimmsnarl, the greasy strangler! This is my first new piece for my Realistic Pokemon series in almost 4 years. A lot has happened since then, including working on Detective Pikachu, so I wanted to update the formula a smidge. Look at my giant hairy child. pic.twitter.com/Jw8fLrbmIa

— RJ Palmer (@arvalis) March 5, 2020

Palmer’s piece doesn’t just show off Grimmsnarl. It also provides insights into what its previous evolutions, Impidimp and Morgrem, could look like. Unfortunately, we don’t get to see a haunting Gigantamax Grimmsnarl too, but as a condolence prize we do get to see additional realistic Pokemon! Fellow Glimwood Tangle residents Morelull and Spritzee both appear.

Here’s a larger version of the image, so you can catch all of Palmer’s details.

There’s also a behind-the-scenes video showing realistic Grimmsnarl being drawn.

Palmer has often shown off realistic Pokemon art both before and during Detective Pikachu’s creation. His Artstation account shows concept art for characters like Pikachu, Charmander, and Growlithe, as well as interpretations of the Pokemon Sword and Shield starters. (Monster Hunter’s Rathalos and Digimon’s Greymon are there too.) He also has two art books with realistic Pokemon illustrations, priced at $24.99 and $29.99.

Pokemon Sword and Shield are available on the Nintendo Switch.