iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

zaebucca @zaebucca.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

only natural to show them what you do. They have to aim higher than the course itself; in that sense your work (personal, gamedev or the tutorial themselves) is always a huge encouragement. You make them see things as they are: possible, with due effort and study!

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zaebucca @zaebucca.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Yep! I try to give as much references and introduce as many artists as possible to the students and of course there's so many to share - it's a lively medium. I also know full well how important higher artistic education for pixel art is for you (you're kind of a trailblazer in that sense) so it's

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Thomas Feichtmeir @cyangmou.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

In 2017 Universal wanted to start their cinematic "Dark Universe" with a Mummy movie. During the production I was chosen as background artist for a companion game, developed in just 8 months crunch. The movie wasn't just bad but considered worst movie of the year which destroyed the games sales.

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zaebucca @zaebucca.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Idk if it's of any comfort, but these are gold standard for background art. When I introduce architectural design / draftsmanship / sections for 2D sidescrolling to my students, the stairwell section is the first screenshot I show them - and the reaction is a classroom-wide gasp of marvel!

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zaebucca @zaebucca.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Hehe, you're always really kind. I just think I'm kind of an odd fit in either situation: gamedev, fanart or social medias kind of bring out different shortcomings of my work. Which is not like I won't do stuff differently, I'm just *kind of* lacking the occasion to adapt nowadays

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zaebucca @zaebucca.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

You can always count on me for the revolutionary rage on such matters. Truly the highest form of love there can be (and the world needs it, that has become very clear)

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zaebucca @zaebucca.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Yeah it's just I'm a little past the 10 years of failures at this point (I have been doing pixel art for almost 20, with alternating results). I'd just like to find a more reliable formula to do stuff I like, that also makes people a tad tiny happier and more involved / excited!

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zaebucca @zaebucca.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

I see! I'll keep doing fan art, for sure - even if I'd definitely want to go more into the project side of things, in a creative manner (not just as a production artist, which I enjoy a lot, but doesn't seem very intriguing to others). It's just a bit of media fatigue for me at the moment I guess

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zaebucca @zaebucca.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Hehe, yep! I think it's because of (god bless) Mina the Hollower! There's definitely a mild gbc fever going on. I also love @looloopaa.bsky.social projects, and the recent @xythas.bsky.social's Draco and the seven scales. GBC is an aesthetic I really resonate with!

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zaebucca @zaebucca.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Yeah... I wanted to try my hand at either Octillerink or some other indie / self-organized pixel art challenges, but I have a bit of a jumpy schedule anyways. I also had no time to prepare beforehand so it's basically impossible for me. :(

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zaebucca @zaebucca.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Viva il lupo! Grazie davvero per aver preso del tempo per scambiare due parole di incoraggiamento. Non si è mai abbastanza professionisti da evitare l'ondata di dubbi, temo... In merito alla Scuola Comics: dal 2025 ho iniziato a insegnare pixel art per un corso regolare e sto amando l'esperienza!

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zaebucca @zaebucca.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Figurati! Anzi scusami, ma ormai parlo con tutti in inglese di default! X') Di sicuro faccio un post con gli orari, per la mia sanità mentale e la praticabilità logistica ho dato disponibilità per i giorni settimanali (mercoledì-giovedì-venerdì). Poi ti confermo quali saranno effettivamente!

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zaebucca @zaebucca.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

confusing social presence, so it's not that strange to see that the overall engagement / response has been inconsistent: I need clarity for myself, so that I will have clarity on my art and not overfatigue myself trying to stay "afloat" on the web.

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zaebucca @zaebucca.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

I need to find more motivation and/or a better balance with things, effort to response. I cannot, and I will not deem the underwhelming results as a matter of algorithm or people's taste; I have to understand a bit better what's my whole point / offer to the world as well. I think I've been quite a

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zaebucca @zaebucca.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Thank you Luna, as always! My main doubt comes from the fact that I feel like I've lost touch on what's worthy or interesting in the first place - even among fan art trends. Big pieces are basically impossible (the 3D ecruteak animation was a big project, but didn't really pay off that much).

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zaebucca @zaebucca.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

people speaking or trying to bring some talking points. Nowadays I don't even discuss with the AI hobbists / defenders anymore. Even those who seem calmer and kind: I just ignore. Or block. I've had my fair share of horrid, bad faith shaenanigans: I just treat the whole thing as poison.

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zaebucca @zaebucca.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

That's THE trend I will never get on. I don't use, I don't need - I thoroughly despise AI. Luckily, it's not even a trend imo. It's just a huge scam apparatus led by some of the worst people the world has seen. I never was really open to the whole thing, but I used to be kinder and patient with +

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zaebucca @zaebucca.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Thank you! It's as you say, it's just we all sometimes lose track of our efforts and progress. I will be at Lucca with the Florence Comics School panel, doing pixel art live! Maybe we'll do a panel, too. I also will be checking the Self Area; it's been 5 years of absence from the con for me!

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zaebucca @zaebucca.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

I hope so, but I've been probably juggling too much work anyways. And I do need a basic income anyways, which I managed to barely maintain. So yeah: I need to focus my effort and bring some results home, not in a corporate (yikes) kind of way, but in an "energy saving, art-preserving" kind of way

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zaebucca @zaebucca.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

I felt like trying my way (back) into a bigger, organized workplace/project was the key effort this year, but it has been a constant streak of failures. I know that's also the state of the industry, but I cannot help but feeling a bit tired. 2026 has not been good for me (or anyone I think)

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zaebucca @zaebucca.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

rejected (or ghosted) quite a lot for studio position openings this year (jr. or mid positions). I have been doubting the "career" trajectory quite a bit as a result. I have a very good IP project starting soon, as a freelance, but it'll be a loooong way before I can reveal what I'm up to.

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zaebucca @zaebucca.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Hehe... thank you. The problem is that, conversely, I feel like I'm kind of too detached, so yeah I'm probably on a loop of my own, but it's not really feasible or useful for anyone other than some reference. The problem also is kind of made worse as I've been... +

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zaebucca @zaebucca.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Yep. You are right, especially about stakes. Ever since I made everything my profession, in late 2023, the entire world has changed a lot. So I'm constantly worrying about exposure AND work schedule, and this has been draining my optimism a lot. What would you consider subject manner in my case?

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zaebucca @zaebucca.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Yeah... it's probably the best approach but I've been constantly struggling with engagement and feedback on personal projects or NDAs once I reveal them so I'm starting to feel a little stranded. That's also why the main "fan art" fatigue is starting to build up

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zaebucca @zaebucca.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Well in that sense I feel perfectly on-trend. I really am on board with ""I don't really know what I'm doing so let's muddle through" hehueheuh

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zaebucca @zaebucca.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Thak you Elle, as always! And, indeed, the Retro World pack is the main big release incoming on itch!

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zaebucca @zaebucca.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Problem is, even when I can reveal NDAs... they usually are met with abysmal engagement. So if I post about my work, very few people care; if I post about fanart every now and then it's been a little bit of a lackluster kind of experience I feel. So yeah I don't know anymore

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zaebucca @zaebucca.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Yes, spot on. That's also one of my main issues. I still have to find a balance between posting and work patterns. I really can't keep up, either economically or mediatically. Between NDAs, teaching and stuff it's been a bit of a behind the scenes. +

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zaebucca @zaebucca.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Thank you Neil! That Ecruteak, and to a lesser extent Aquamentus, have been feeling like my one-trick card for many years now. It's like feeling I've honed my craft since then, but at the same time I've peaked there and going down steadily ever since. I recognize it might just be "social fever" tho!

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zaebucca @zaebucca.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Yes!! That's the same for me. The "problem" is that nowadays I feel kind of disconnected from everything, so I get lots of joy in seeing others' art, but I've been having doubts about the energies I invest and the value that my own work has in general. I just feel a tiny tad out of touch

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zaebucca @zaebucca.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

+ thinking that a modicum of skills of mine got extremely overblown by a lucky social run a few years back. I am surrounded by immensely talented people that are either struggling to emerge or, in some cases, growing steadily - which fills me with joy, really. Meanwhile, I'm just... kind of "there"

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zaebucca @zaebucca.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

I'd just like to find a way to create interesting content, but at a certain point I'm kind of doubting my own taste or skill in general. I don't consider myself a bad artist, but I've probably just ammassed a bit too many shortcomings to feel as hopeful as I once did. I am kind of leaning into +

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zaebucca @zaebucca.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Yeah. There's a fracture going on in general when it comes to community and social media. Of course the overall state of the web and the creative processes doesn't really help, I guess. I also kind of gave up with internet as a whole, so it's difficult to understand what is going on.

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zaebucca @zaebucca.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

when it comes to my process and work, and I really liked creating time lapses. In that regard I think the best course of action is resuming Twitch streams asap, that's the most direct way to see me directly working at stuff, and I enjoyed those sessions, even with my old laptop as it broke down!

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zaebucca @zaebucca.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Yeah. I just don't want to feel compelled to create fan art, in that sense. Anything that I ever made that is not fan art is basically ignored - with the exception of asset packs on itch selling well, but that's technical stuff for developers. But I really like the wip idea. I'm a little secretive

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zaebucca @zaebucca.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Yep! Totally agree! I have been distancing myself more and more from my usual style. I feel, reasonably, that my own perspective on pixel art got a bit stale with time. So yeah I have been doing different things recently, but nothing really seems to stick around that much anymore

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zaebucca @zaebucca.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Wonderful project! I've been following on other social media, thank you for reminding me it's also on bsky! Sadly, I am not in charge of anything of that magnitude, and I'm mainly worried about what I can reasonably bring to the table by myself, to followers, friends and colleagues.

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zaebucca @zaebucca.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

- exceptionally lucky streak of media exposure. Possibly a one-time only life experience I didn't get to understand (Ecruteak was basically shared within some very BIG outlets, like 1m+ followers). Tried a little bit of everything, but didn't probably commit enough to anything.

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zaebucca @zaebucca.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

So, navigating between NDAs, I usually try to match the desire to release personal stuff / keep socials alive and the occasion of personal skill development (3D has been that in 2025). Yet, I feel I'm kind of underperforming. It has been like that for years. I know full well that 2020/21 was an -

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zaebucca @zaebucca.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

You probably know full well I'm not a social media person, nor I do really catch up with trends, unless those rare "news-related" fan arts. Fan art for me is generally a playful kind of process - and a way to experiment while putting energies into content that is interesting to people when public

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zaebucca @zaebucca.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

So what kind of pixel art is the latest trend? What is generally expected / favored in this troubling era? I feel like I'm a bit out of the loop (if not fading) since leaving "the other blue site turned black". Other than assets and some fanart, I feel like I'm honestly a bit behind with the world.

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Batfeula @batfeula.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Lisa Simpson's room

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zaebucca @zaebucca.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

If you're interested into what happend - and what did not happen during these latest months, you might take a look at my recent blog on Itch.io. Also: Adventure Begins is at 50% sale, whereas the dungeon tileset collection, Adventure Below, is 40% off until November 2nd!

itch.io

It has been a while!

Hello everyone! This is going to be a bit of a wall of text I fear. It has been a while , has it not? Almost a year since I last published the little project, Roma PDM . In case you missed it, it's a....

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zaebucca @zaebucca.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Draco and the Seven Scales is just sheer joy. I know I might be biased for the aesthetic, but did you know it's ALSO an absolute bop? Toho cooked one of my favourite chiptune OSTs probably ever.

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zaebucca @zaebucca.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

I feel like this is either going to be my big comeback or my ultimate debacle

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