iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Jude Buffum @judebuffum.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

The finished illustration is a featured loading screen released as a Level 35 reward in the seasonal Battle Pass. Mali draws inspiration from my go-to Street Fighter choice, Chun-Li, so I guess all of those quarters I pumped into the arcade as a kid finally paid off! #Fortnite #EpicGames #PixelArt

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Jude Buffum @judebuffum.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

New pixel art work for Epic Games and Fortnite! #pixelart I'm excited to share “16-Bit Showdown,” a pixel art loading screen I created for Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 4: Override, featuring new character Mali battling Hush in the style of a classic 16-bit fighting game. #pixelartist

Pixel art battle between Fortnite characters Hush and Mali, in an earth-tone extraterrestrial environment, with street fighter inspired hud elements.

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Jude Buffum @judebuffum.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

Happy birthday to Harrison Ford, born on this day in 1942 🎂 Here's a pixel art portrait of him as the one and only Indiana Jones. Fortune and glory, kid. #pixelart #pixelartist #8bitart #indianajones #harrisonford

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Reposted by Jude Buffum

Lospec @lospec.com · 08/06/2026

Are you brave enough for a new palette? Mariana Trench by Jude Buffum #marianatrench #palette Download: lospec.com/palette-list/mariana-tre…

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Jude Buffum @judebuffum.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

Picture a square (of which pixel art is exclusively made up of). It’s just four points connected by four lines. If you lengthen each line indefinitely it never gets blurry because it’s just… getting longer.

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Jude Buffum @judebuffum.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

Well the screens weren’t really that large 😂 but yes with the nearest neighbor algorithm any pixel art can be scaled infinitely.

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Jude Buffum @judebuffum.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

One of the best things about pixel art is INFINITE scalability without any loss of quality!

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Jude Buffum @judebuffum.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

You can play the game here: judebuffum.itch.io/pbrush If you're on iPad or mobile we also built a touchscreen version of the game that you can play here: luxury-cheesecake-95a0ef.netlify.app

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Jude Buffum @judebuffum.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

The game was part of a larger activation that included a DJ, a mini apparel shop, and cool photo opportunities, but the arcade machines anchored the space and kept attendees engaged and coming back for “one more race” to get the fastest time. Read more: www.the-pixel-artist.com/projects/psy...

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Jude Buffum @judebuffum.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

Earlier this month, the branded game (also known as an "advergame") that I created for Psycho Bunny debuted at the 2026 Miami Grand Prix. "PB Rush: Racing Challenge" is a fast-paced racing game created by Jude Buffum with original chiptune music by Doctor Octoroc. #pixelart #brandedgame

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Jude Buffum @judebuffum.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

It’s not bad, but overall it’s a little flat. I would study some tutorials on volume and shading, especially in regards to human form, both pixel art and non-pixel art. I think your strongest work is actually your 32 x 32, when you go larger it ends up revealing how much flat color you overuse.

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Jude Buffum @judebuffum.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

This is a really novel idea! (I think? I’ve never seen it done before) 🤩👾❤️

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Jude Buffum @judebuffum.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

These pixel art cat portraits I created for my friend Sam have been selected by this year's distinguished American Illustration jury to appear in the prestigious annual. It's always an honor to be included, thanks @amillus.bsky.social judges! #pixelart #pixelartist #8bitart #petportrait #catportrait

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Jude Buffum @judebuffum.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

Pixel artists! I built a free browser-based tool that extracts color palettes from any image as hex codes. 🎨 Copy hex codes ⬇️ Download a swatch 👩‍🎨 Give it a try and let me know what you think! #pixelart #pixelartist #colorpalette #gamedev #colortheory www.the-pixel-artist.com/tools/free-p...

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Jude Buffum @judebuffum.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

Pixel art portrait of alum Alex Seropian, co-founder of Bungie (the studio behind Halo), for the University of Chicago Magazine. Rendered in double-wide pixels for that retro video game feel. @uchicago @uchicagomag #pixelart #pixelartist #portraitillustration #editorialillustration #pixelportrait

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Jude Buffum @judebuffum.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

To celebrate Pac-Man Day, I'm making myself 4 specialty “shots”, each based on one of the four original ghosts: Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde. Can you guess what’s in each one?#pixelart #PacManDay #8bitart #Pixology #PacMan

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Jude Buffum @judebuffum.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

Happy Pac-Man Day! This pixel art was originally created for the Miami New Times "Best of the City" issue. This was for "Finest Foods" section and it felt only appropriate to use the ghost-gobbling Pac-Man. #pixelart #8bitart #PacManDay #conceptualillustration #editorialillustration

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Jude Buffum @judebuffum.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

Here’s a pixel art portrait to commemorate the anniversary of Vincent van Gogh’s birthday. #pixelart #pixelartist #8bitart #portraitart #pixelartportrait

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Jude Buffum @judebuffum.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

This is a pixel art illustration of the Gill-man doing Boat Pose, from my Mindful Monsters series. I've found that by sitting and meditating every day, and doing yoga every Monday, I've learned to make peace with my mind. #mindfulmonday #monstermonday #pixelart

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Jude Buffum @judebuffum.bsky.social · 29/03/2026

I've done a few projects for and about Ernie, including a pixel art portrait for Mother Jones magazine and his family's Holiday Cards in 2017 and 2020! #pixelart #pixelartist #8bitart #ErnestCline #ReadyPlayerOne

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Jude Buffum @judebuffum.bsky.social · 29/03/2026

Happy birthday to Ernest Cline, best-selling author known for the geektastic "Ready Player One", which was made into a blockbuster Steven Spielberg film. #pixelart #pixelartist #8bitart #ErnestCline #ReadyPlayerOne

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Jude Buffum @judebuffum.bsky.social · 23/03/2026

So cool! Love the bold colors. Who’s the music by?

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Jude Buffum @judebuffum.bsky.social · 23/03/2026

I mean once the saloon opens I’m never leaving

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Jude Buffum @judebuffum.bsky.social · 23/03/2026

Whoa I need to hytale myself into this 😍

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Jude Buffum @judebuffum.bsky.social · 23/03/2026

This is a pixel art illustration of Mothman doing Butterfly Pose, from my Mindful Monsters series. I've found that by sitting and meditating every day, and doing yoga every Monday, I've learned to make peace with my mind. #mindfulmonday #monstermonday #pixelart

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Jude Buffum @judebuffum.bsky.social · 22/03/2026

To celebrate the 2 year anniversary of the release of "Princess Peach: Showtime!", the first , I'm making myself a Peach Princess cocktail! Comment "recipe" for the specs! #pixelart #pixelartist #8bitart #Pixology #cocktailart

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Jude Buffum @judebuffum.bsky.social · 13/03/2026

Pixel Art as Metaphor: Graduation as Leveling Up “Level up” has become such a widely understood phrase that it translates easily across industries, as seen in this graduation-themed gift card for Target. #pixelart #pixelartist #8bitart #packagingdesign #retaildesign

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Jude Buffum @judebuffum.bsky.social · 12/03/2026

Pixel Art as Metaphor: Daily Obstacles as Platformer Enemies This ad campaign for Brooks uses the structure of a classic vertical platformer to turn daily responsibilities into obstacles standing between the runner and their goals. #pixelart #pixelartist #8bitart #advertisingart #sportsmarketing

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Jude Buffum @judebuffum.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Happy MAR10 Day 🍄 The original Mushroom Kingdom, reimagined inside a pixel art terrarium, complete with piranha plant, fire flower, and a Super Mario mushroom. #pixelart #pixelartist #8bitart #MAR10Day #conceptualillustration

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Jude Buffum @judebuffum.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Happy MAR10 Day 🍣 Cheep Cheep and Blooper, reimagined as Mario's favorite sushi. Pixel art diagrams of two of the Mushroom Kingdom's most delicious aquatic residents. #pixelart #pixelartist #MarioDay #infographic #conceptualillustration

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Jude Buffum @judebuffum.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Happy MAR10 Day 🍄 Wish you were here! Greetings from Subcon, a pixel art postcard from the dream world of Super Mario Bros 2, where dreams do come true... #pixelart #pixelartist #8bitart #typographytuesday #MAR10Day

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Jude Buffum @judebuffum.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Happy MAR10 Day! 🍄 Super Amaro Bros, a pixel art cocktail very popular in the Mushroom Kingdom. An 8-bit illustration from my Pixology collection. #pixelart #pixelartist #8bitart #cocktailart #conceptualillustration Comment "recipe" if you want me to send you the specs!

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Jude Buffum @judebuffum.bsky.social · 09/03/2026

I've found that by sitting and meditating every day, and doing yoga every Monday, I've learned to make peace with the mind. And as an illustrator who does 8-bit art, I find something very meditative about placing each pixel one at a time. #mindfulmonday #monstermonday #pixelart

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Jude Buffum @judebuffum.bsky.social · 09/03/2026

Do you ever feel like your mind is a little "monster" that you just can't tame? 🪷 This is a pixel art illustration of a Minotaur doing Side Plank Pose, from my Mindful Monsters series.

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Jude Buffum @judebuffum.bsky.social · 08/03/2026

Closing out our Women's Day series 🌺 Josephine Wolff, cybersecurity policy expert, Tufts professor, and author exploring why data breaches keep happening. #pixelart #pixelartist #portraitillustration #IWD2026 #pixelportrait

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Jude Buffum @judebuffum.bsky.social · 08/03/2026

Next up in our Women's Day series 🌺 Audrey Tang, Taiwan's digital minister and civic tech visionary. A trailblazing voice for open, transparent governance. #pixelart #pixelartist #portraitillustration #IWD2026 #pixelportrait

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Jude Buffum @judebuffum.bsky.social · 08/03/2026

Continuing our Women's Day series 🌺 Adrienne O'Keeffe, SVP of Global Partnerships and Media at the NBA, who created NBA Top Shot and pioneered digital collectibles in professional sports. #pixelart #pixelartist #portraitillustration #IWD2026 #pixelportrait

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Jude Buffum @judebuffum.bsky.social · 08/03/2026

Happy International Women's Day! 🌺 Kicking things off with Kamala Harris: attorney, senator, and the first woman, first Black, and first South Asian Vice President of the United States. #pixelart #pixelartist #portraitillustration #IWD2026 #pixelportrait

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Jude Buffum @judebuffum.bsky.social · 06/03/2026

The Dude abides 🎳 On this day in 1998, The Big Lebowski hit theaters. These pixel art portraits of The Dude, Walter, and Jesus Quintana really tie the room together. #pixelart #pixelartist #8bitart #thebiglebowski #conceptualillustration

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Jude Buffum @judebuffum.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

Pixel Art as Metaphor: Fighting Battles This editorial illustration for About Health reimagines interventional radiology as a side-scrolling action game, with a miniature doctor running through the human body. #pixelart #pixelartist #8bitart #editorialillustration #medicalillustration

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Jude Buffum @judebuffum.bsky.social · 03/03/2026

Over the next month I’ll be highlighting some of these projects, including work for Target, Brooks Running, and the City of Edmonton. #pixelart #pixelartist #8bitart #conceptualillustration #artdirection

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Jude Buffum @judebuffum.bsky.social · 03/03/2026

Since video games introduced visual concepts that didn't exist before, pixel art illustration can translate those conventions into clever metaphors. Life choices become branching narratives. Daily obstacles become boss battles. And important milestones translate to leveling up.

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Jude Buffum @judebuffum.bsky.social · 03/03/2026

In my recently published article, “Pixel Art Illustration: An Art Director's Guide to Branding, Editorial, and Advertising”, I break down the five primary ways to harness the power of 8-bit style illustration. One of the most innovative is Conceptual Metaphors.

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Jude Buffum @judebuffum.bsky.social · 03/03/2026

I need to get the code back for this so I can put it back online, it was so much fun

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