The developer and 3D artist Lucas Roedel has created a free Blender addon that turns 3D models into pixel art-like renders. It might seems like a regression to start in 3D in order to recreate the art style of retro games from the '80s, but the plug in appears to be very effective, making this an option to jump on the pixel art resurgence.
The Paint Mirror brings this well-known (to a certain generation) interface to life as a functional wall piece, blending vintage digital charm with modern interior design. Handcrafted by Etsy seller RaffySculptures, the mirror features bold, pixel‑style borders in vivid color blocks that echo the classic MS Paint palette . Available in three sizes (30 × 40 cm, 60 × 90 cm, and 80 × 120 cm) it fits a range of spaces, from compact home offices to larger living‑room walls.
This is a collection of plugins by the same developer that can truly add cool graphical effects to your designs. You can easily create splines, pixel art, add custom gradients, create metallic shaders and much more. These plugins allow you to do a lot mostly for free, and come with some cool paid features as well, in case you're interested.
"I think it's probably one of the least understood jobs," Paul Scott Canavan says of concept art for video games. He has worn a number of hats in his career as a creative director, art director and artist, but has always been hands-on with concept art, including 2023's narrative-based adventure A Highland Song. "Concept art encapsulates a whole lot of stuff. It's like the broadest range of art styles that you can do as an artist," he says.
