Hi, taking this post as reference as I see a work done on a holo/foil AP.
As we know foil cards tend to bend a little bit and if we add oil painting on the back I think this could be more accentuated.
I have the possibility to choose between the same card in foil or not foil version, altought Inlove the foil version I’d like to know your opinion about this bending problem and if it’s solved when the card is put in the binder with just a penny sleeve (at least until in stays in the binder…)
It depends on the card and paint used. Some paints will bend the card further yes. Though, you can’t really see a difference when it’s in a binder. Personally, I prefer nonfoil these days bc they’re cheaper and it’s usually easier to see the art.
This is an exquisite collection, wow. 
In case you’ve got nothing else to do on a Friday night, here’s the April update for the MTG x Pokemon collection!
We start off with a simple alter by Wallystation, who remade Nidorina into a more cyborg-esque form similar to their Arcbound Ravager card. Arcbound Ravager by the way, is a key piece of the deadly Hardened Scales deck in MTG Modern.
Next, at long last we have Kangaskhan completed! There’s very few Kangaroos in MTG so I really strugged with the concept for a while. I decided in the end to emphasize Kangaskhan’s parental protective instinct, using Nadaar, Selfless Paladin. This is by Aaron Miller, who also worked on Graveller and Slowbro 
Next is Rob Rey’s Poliwag. He really did an impressive job on making the card look almost exactly like his original painting! At a small card size of 2 x 3 inches, this is no easy feat.
As a follow-up to last month’s Hurkyl x Eevee spectacular, Nene Thomas is back! It seems Eevee evolved into Espeon, and its practicing levitation with Hurkyl, targeting a Sinistea. This is one of 2 cards in this batch that’s not part of the 151, but I just couldn’t pass it up.
Next we have two wonderful pieces by Sierra Rush. If you recall, Sierra is the daughter of Christopher Rush, who drew the Black Lotus. This batch is extra special as I was able to find an actual Chris Rush autographed proof for her to draw on. I really like her spiky interpretation of Swinub!
Fun fact, she told me she briefly worked at customer service for Pokemon Go, so she’s well familar with Pokemon!
Now Richard Thomas returns with one of his most iconic arts from Alpha, the Black Vise! This is a card that squeezes the life out of your opponent for having more than 4 cards in their hand. Again, I know it’s not in the original 151, but I found the similarity to Mawile too much to pass up.
Richard added a note that he thought this piece was really fun! Fun fact, Richard threw away all his proofs long ago, so they are very hard to find in the wild! This one cost me a few hundred dollars at auction.
Ron Chironna is another artist whose proofs are incredibly scarce. He only ever illustrated 3 cards for Magic the Gathering, but his skill with colored pencils is second to none. I snapped up this Eladamri’s Garden AP as soon as I saw it pop on eBay. He did a superb job showing Eladamri, the ‘Elrond’ of the MTG world of sorts, amusedly staring at the Oddish family.
Here is Carl Frank with Magus of the Wheel, showing another tricky spirit who uses a wheel, Hypno! Magus of the Wheel itself is a callback to Wheel of Fortune, an old MTG card with a Professor Oak-esque effect of making you discard your hand and draw 7. However, Daniel Gelon, the original WoF artist, is difficult to contact. Carl wasn’t sure initially if a portrait view would work for Hypno, but it turned out handsomely.
Here is Omar Rayyan with a whimsical take on his art for Run Away Together, this time featuring Nidoran M & F. Omar doesn’t usually take requests but I asked him near the end of the last IX Art Show and he agreed. I’m very happy with the result.
Lastly, here’s Drew Tucker again with Cubone! Fun fact, this artist proof has square corners because its from the first batch of artist proofs ever made, the so-called Beta APs! They are very rare and very expensive. For Power 9 beta APs, they can go in the upper tens of thousands of dollars.
I had the opportunity to buy one from a seller in Europe who was looking to make a fast deal. While the cost was quite high and it’s unlikely that I would spend this much again on an AP (lol), I don’t regret the outcome. Drew did a great job showing a reflective Cubone staring at the moon, with an Aerodactyl in the background.
That’s all for this month! I think May will be quieter but every week gets us closer to finishing that 151!
That Kadabra is unreal
More like, holy shit this was the craziest update yet
Again top level.
This is another level of ideas and research, even if not everybody will agree for me these are collection grails for both MTG or PKMN.
Can’t wait to share mine…
The Hurkyl/Espeon alter is insane!
Amazing as always again! I felt this update was just one banger after the next. I want to say everything looks amazing which it does, but the Poliwag is just a superb standout! Not to mention the recreation of original artworks to include the Pokemon and the card looks so vibrant. Second close is the Oddish line. Really talented people. Really enjoyed this update. Thanks for sharing.
Cheers!
I don’t like to always talk about “money” but beyond the huge artistic value of these pieces there is also a consistent economic effort.
This is really outstanding, I could look at this works for hours!
These are all truly beautiful pieces of art. That Nidoran combo is amazing
Thank god for Swinub. Those look amazing!
One more trickled in on April 30, this is another version of black vise with art by Igor Kieryluk. Doesn’t this black vise look a bit like Guzzlord? I had him sketch it with the doll from the OG black vise in its mouth.
By the way, the front of this proof is very fancy. It’s a Kaladesh Inventions foil, a rare type used of artifact card. The non AP versions were usually found maybe once per box at best.
That poliwag just took my breath away, and after that the hypno did exactly the same. I also don’t know why but any kind of aerodactyl silhouette makes me happy so the cubone art was the perfect way to finish your post
