Nostalgic Pixel Paintings by Adam Shub

Philadelphia-based artist Adam Shub, aka Squarepainter, creates awesome acrylic paintings inspired by classic video games and pop culture.

Adam’s portfolio features tons of recognizable characters, from the Terminator to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but he says that Earthbound holds a special place in his heart as his favorite game. In an interview with Creative Boom, he shared how gaming shaped his childhood identity, saying “The pixelated graphics of the ’80s and ’90s are synonymous with our nostalgia of that era, and for me, they bring back that simpler time.”

His creative process always starts in Photoshop, mocking up game scenes to figure out the size of his character sprites and how everything will fit together. Once he’s happy with the digital version, he moves on to canvas, using a ruler and mechanical pencil to set up a precise grid. From there, he builds up layers of color, starting with darker shades to outline everything before adding lighter colors on top.

If you want to check out more of Adam Shub’s pixel paintings, you can find him on Instagram or visit his online shop where some original acrylic pieces are available for sale.

More art on the grid via Creative Boom