Ian Dean
Ian Dean is Editor, Digital Arts & 3D at Creativebloq, and the former editor of many leading magazines. These titles included ImagineFX, 3D World and leading video game title Official PlayStation Magazine. In his early career he wrote for music and film magazines including Uncut and SFX. Ian launched Xbox magazine X360 and edited PlayStation World. For Creative Bloq, Ian combines his experiences to bring the latest news on AI, digital art and video game art and tech, and more to Creative Bloq, and in his spare time he doodles in Procreate, ArtRage, and Rebelle while finding time to play Xbox and PS5. He's also a keen Cricut user and laser cutter fan, and is currently crafting on Glowforge and xTools M1.
Latest articles by Ian Dean
![3D art 2025 predictions; various 3D rendered images](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/vhd29VEWaPKnc3sJVMUv3A-320-80.jpg)
2025 will be a surprisingly positive year for 3D art as 'AI will disappear into the background'
By Ian Dean published
Experts see the bright side of the new year.
![Adobe AI copyright; hammers breaking a copyright symbol](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/UJsz6osoQhoDSiKveH2WDc-320-80.jpg)
Adobe sets out its approach to AI art and copyrights for 2025
By Ian Dean published
"We believe all [AI] models should respect creators’ rights."
![AI control era; Adobe logo made from paint](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/5kQkKHg3tJQaN2DS7j57iN-320-80.jpg)
Lazy AI prompts are dead - we're on the threshold of the "Controls Era" says Adobe
By Ian Dean published
AI art creativity will be transformative in 2025.
![A Practical Guide to AI in Architecture; a green space arch-viz scene](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hsGdEnBTYhVfJ9v4ZqUWYZ-320-80.jpg)
A practical guide to using AI in architecture
By Ian Dean published
Breaking workflow bottlenecks.
![Nicolas Damiens Pop City art project](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/WJgweUMD3zDsDg7YaTKgEj-320-80.jpg)
Hiroshi Nagai's Art Pop style inspired these sunny nostalgic visions of Singapore
By Ian Dean published
Retro is a 2025 art trend, and Nicolas Damiens is already ahead of the pack.
![Warframe 1999 anime animation; space ninjas](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/6ndfuZdZjPBLWgYWhZRLzh-320-80.png)
How arthouse studio THE LINE drew on Warframe: 1999's "unapologetic stylishness" for its anime short
By Ian Dean published
Animation director Venla Linna says the '90s kids are in charge'.
![Alien Rogue Incursion art director interview; a woman points a gun at a xenomorph](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/JscuRkfCz2qNQYuvxCuAJb-320-80.jpg)
Alien: Rogue Incursion review - these monsters are real
By Ian Dean published
A masterclass in 80s visual design that puts you in the Aliens universe.
![The biggest 3D art trends we'll see in 2025; a 3D cat](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/aLuHDKGsrhpWHuUGeXqw5U-320-80.jpg)
The biggest 3D art trends we'll see in 2025
By Paul Hatton published
The biggest digital art trends we'll see in 2025
![Revenge of the Savage Planet; colourful game screens](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/BsuXfPhdGzWYftr3cCMxdE-320-80.jpg)
Revenge of the Savage Planet: beautifully animated nonsense
By Ian Dean published
Designing comedy in games is hard, but Racoon Logic is making it look easy.
![Best drawing tablet with a screen; two drawing tablets](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/mUQqBqUDjy8GenTeJfwgmj-320-80.jpg)
Best drawing tablets with a screen: find the right device for you
By Ian Dean published
Best drawing tablets with a screen; These are the best drawing tablets with a screen for all kinds of artists and budgets.
![Best animation software; app logos](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hns2eXChMGV25tM3a8DsXK-320-80.jpg)
The best animation software: reviewed and tested by professional 3D artists
By Paul Hatton published
Find the best animation software for bringing your creations to life
![Flint: Treasure of Oblivion review; a pirate surrounded by water and ships](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/tH5F9AM5g2x3pNJ82DJZrn-320-80.jpg)
Flint: Treasure of Oblivion review - expressive comic art styling saves this game from drowning
By Ian Dean published
Avast! This complex pirate RPG just about stays afloat.
![Francois Bourdin artwork; character art](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/4sYSbAjJVrojgGhrtxdDWZ-320-80.jpg)
Create accurate stylised character designs using Photoshop
By François Bourdin published
Concept artist François Bourdin shares pro advice to help you achieve accurate proportions for engaging, stylised characters
![Digital art trends; a mozaic of images on Cara](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/3C5szqvUVUSt445J638zgW-320-80.jpg)
10 must-know digital art trends for 2025
By Tanya Combrinck published
10 must-know digital art trends for 2025; In 2025 we’ll see a move towards human-centred artistry, more immersive art projects, and a more sensible conversation around AI
![SPINE mocap; animation from a video game](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/TqViohNpB7Uzc4DEAVtc3k-320-80.gif)
Creating the John Wick-inspired mocap for SPINE - and why just Unreal Engine 5 isn't always enough
By Ian Dean published
SPINE's Lead Animator, Evgeniy Khapugin, shares how the upcoming gun-fu game's mocap is being been created.
![Alien Rogue Incursion art director interview; concept art for a video game](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ZdqD4pYtsTfne746ST2QQ3-320-80.jpg)
Alien: Rogue Incursion's art director shares the "rookie mistake" he never made again
By Ian Dean published
Game artists, you need to read this.
![Creating boss characters for video game SPINE; screenshots and art from a video game](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Y5csetcUGa7FtPTfRDEmu6-320-80.png)
How Nekki is designing "visually striking" boss characters for video game SPINE
By Ian Dean published
Dmitry Oshchepkov reveals the team's approach to animation, lore and the challenges of creating a gun-fu boss battle.
![Directing the cinematic gameplay of Spine; characters fight on a rooftop](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/QZpc4whjiiEZsfdYoAET2j-320-80.png)
Creating SPINE's cinematic gameplay is like making an "action movie within a game"
By Ian Dean published
Director Dmitry Pimenov reveals the unique tech behind the Unreal Engine 5 game's crunchy design.
![Black Friday Drawing tablet deals text sits next to a photo.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/rX8CaKX7xDw2FtQ9XC5kiH-320-80.jpg)
The best Black Friday drawing tablet deals
By Georgia Coggan last updated
Black Friday is the best time to buy a graphic tablet or pen display.
![Cricut Black Friday; A Cricut Maker 3 and Joy are cut out on a bright purple background.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/S2B4gxYtTDHVuECuorosRc-320-80.jpg)
The best Cricut Black Friday deals
By Ian Dean last updated
Top prices on every model from the Cricut Maker, EasyPress, Joy and more.
![Game design trends 2025; characters from games](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/oD4q4gDLBzhER7csBTD3r3-320-80.jpg)
The 10 gaming trends for 2025 that will transform how we play and create
By Lewis Packwood published
Our expert games writer predicts the gaming trends for 2025, including Nintendo Switch 2, the rise of indie gaming, the impact of generative AI and how Unreal Engine 5 will shake things up .
![Moons of Darsalon; designing a modern retro game](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/A8AfLXndKSP4QQrk4HTeNo-320-80.png)
Making Moons of Darsalon "was a gamble" reveals solo indie game developer Dr Kucho
By Ian Dean published
The Unity-made retro game has some very advanced tech - here's how it was made.
![Nintendo Switch live blog](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/JVxg8Pvo4yAuanZ3DmdnCY-320-80.jpg)
Just hours left to grab the last Nintendo Switch Cyber Monday deals
By Georgia Coggan last updated
A lot of deals have sold out, but there are still some super Switch savings around.
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