TzAR: Pixel Art Profiles #2 – Stalomir, Pixel Dreamz, Bombadil
Kyle Flemmer profiles the next three pixel artists included in the forthcoming Tezos Art Review (TzAR): Pixel Art Anthology.
One of the fascinating things about pixel art is how unique styles are built up from the same basic elements. With a few hundred pixel and a few dozen colors, an endless variety of character designs are possible, as proven by the huge assortment of iconic characters embedded in pop culture from the earliest of video games. I mean, who doesn’t recognize Pac-Man, Space Invaders, Frogger, or Mario at a glance?
Having spent the last couple of years around the artists of Tezos, I’ve developed an appreciation for the difficulty of developing a personal style in pixel art. Though much is possible, much has already been done, and the medium puts similar constraints on all of us. The Tezos Art Review (TzAR): Pixel Art Anthology aims to include as wide a range of styles as possible, especially those which stand out as unique to a particular artist.
“For the second installment of Pixel Art Profiles, I’m presenting three artist contributors to the anthology who portray vibrant characters that ooze personality in their own signature pixel art styles.”
Stalomir
Debugger Priest by Stalomir, minted October 10, 2024
Artist statement: “If even 1% of all paranormal theories are true—we live in an insane crazy reality. I'm having fun building lore around of all it inspired by stuff like: ancient aliens, UAPs, mythology, religion, spiritualism, shamanism, and much more.”
Pixel Dreamz
Sky Gazer by Pixel Dreamz, minted July 18, 2023
Artist statement: “My name is Yemi, I’m a conceptual pixel artist and designer from Nigeria. I have so much fun and pleasure creating with pixels. I started pixel art professionally in 2021, and ever since I found pixels, it has been a fantastic journey for me. Playing pixel video games inspired the passion of pixel art. For my pixel illustrations, I create a limited color palette. Fewer colors help maintain the retro charm and dream look for my pixel art.”
Bombadil
Between Worlds by Bombadil, minted July 7, 2023
Artist statement: “Hello everyone! My name is Bombadil—an anonymous artist. I started my creative journey quite some time ago, as I am a designer by education, and my passion and desire to draw have been with me since childhood. I have always loved pixel art and retro games because they take us back to our childhood—a timeless classic and one of the origins of the video game era. I drew inspiration from my favorite old retro 8-bit games in the style of Spectrum colors. I usually bring my works to life by adding a bit of animation and capturing movement.”
TzAR: Pixel Art Anthology will be published by The Blasted Tree Publishing Co. in August 2025. Stay tuned for more Pixel Art Profiles in the coming weeks as we prepare the book for publication!