Originally published @ Interactiondesign.tv, March 2010

Short URL: http://u.nu/9r387

From the late 1980s to the late 1990s I was lucky enough to call myself a professional game graphic artist. In those days computer game development was in the middle of a revolution from 2D to 3D visuals, but I preferred the charming simplicity of 2D pixel graphics, nowadays referred to as pixel art.

My main platform was the Amiga, a revolutionary computer by the legendary Commodore. Creating game graphics on that machine was tremendous fun, using a delightful paint program called Deluxe Paint (also known as DPaint).

I worked together with a programmer and a music composer. In those early days of the computer games industry a complete commercial game could be developed by only three young blokes in their dimly lit attics. One of our biggest international hits was a game named Hoi …

But in the mid-1990s Commodore’s management messed things up, to much regret of the dedicated worldwide Amiga user community. A computer family that could have been what the Mac is today sang its swansong. With an aching heart I moved to my first Windows PC in 1997, and decided to enter the exciting world of 3D graphics, while my work shifted from game graphics to multimedia graphics, newspaper cartoons and magazine illustrations.

In the years that followed, the search for a definitive, distinctive visual style progressed, together with a growing melancholy regarding my pixel roots. I decided to express this feeling by establishing a blend between my old 2D and new 3D work, using voxels to extend pixels into the third dimension. Voxels are volumetric pixels, also referred to as 3D pixels: cubes in stead of squares.

Among my first experiments were voxel interpretations of 2D pixel graphics from classic video games, attempting to initiate a new form of pop art. It turned out to be an interesting challenge to successfully translate old school 2D game graphics to 3D voxel graphics that are suitable for viewing from a different angle. Among the games I voxeled was Donkey Kong (Mario’s debut 8-bit platform game from 1981) …

… and the classic cute platform game Rainbow Islands (the 1987 sequel to Bubble Bobble) …

Reviving my favorite 8-bit games by warping them into the third dimension felt like taking a warm dive into the sea of digital nostalgia. As a youngster I used to play the games for hours and hours, now the voxel reincarnations gave me the opportunity to become part of my beloved magical pixel world.

As I explored the corners and edges of the voxel universe, I realized the potential of voxels as a medium for graphic design and as a square form of impressionism for art and illustration …

I decided to add some grunge to get rid of the sterile nature of voxels …

… and to move from video game characters to other modern day icons …

I’m really happy to have finally found a style that feels like coming home, combining my 2D pixel roots with the added challenge of a new dimension. Expect to see much more where this came from. You’re invited for a visit to my online portfolio Sevensheaven.nl for an extended impression.