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'Real-life' Pokemon monsters look wildly freaky

Move over, Homer Simpson. These realistic 3D renderings of Pokemon characters make them look alive.

Amanda Kooser
Freelance writer Amanda C. Kooser covers gadgets and tech news with a twist for CNET. When not wallowing in weird gear and iPad apps for cats, she can be found tinkering with her 1956 DeSoto.
Amanda Kooser
2 min read
venusaur
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venusaur

Concept sculptor Mickael Lelièvre created this realistic version of Venusaur, an evolved form of Bulbasaur.

Mickael Lelièvre

You looked on in awe and horror at a realistic 3D Homer Simpson. Now it's time to turn your eyes to the magical world of Pokemon with a series of startling lifelike renders of the video game stars. 

French modeler and concept sculptor Mickael Lelièvre is the artist behind the eye-catching critters. Lelièvre strips them of their cute cartoony looks and turns them into creatures that could lurk in the unknown depths of forests and oceans. 

There's a reason why many of these Pokemon look like they could crawl out from under a rock in the wild. "I try mostly to keep a spirit of their original design and mix it with real references," Lelièvre tells CNET. "I need to find anatomical examples and species that can fit with the design."

squirtle
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squirtle

Artist Mickael Lelièvre wanted his version of Squirtle to be cute, badass and a tiny bit demonic.

Mickael Lelièvre

Lelièvre's take on Squirtle looks like it could flatten all of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in one go. 

The artist says he chose to render Pokemon because it lets him exercise his skills as a 3D sculptor. "Each Pokemon is unique, so the exercise can be new each time," he says. 

Lelièvre uses several pieces of software in his work, including ZBrush, V-Ray and Photoshop. Depending on the Pokemon, it can take anywhere from a day to five days of digital sculpting to create a finished render. 

You probably wouldn't want to run into Lelièvre's monsters in a dark alley while playing Pokemon Go. This might be one time when you won't want to catch 'em all. 

Check out the full spectrum of Lelièvre's Pokemon creations on his ArtStation site.

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charizard

Charizard sports a fiery tail.

Mickael Lelièvre