Ian Dean

Ian Dean

Ian Dean is Editor, Digital Arts & Design at Creative Bloq. Ian is the former editor of many leading magazines, including digital art focused ImagineFX and 3D World and leading video game title Official PlayStation Magazine. Ian launched the magazine X360 in 2005 and has relaunched many others. In his early career Ian wrote for music and film magazines, including Uncut, SFX, and assisted on The Idler. With over 25 years' experience in both print and online journalism, Ian has worked on many leading video game and digital art brands. With a passion for video games and art, Ian combines his loves to bring the latest news on NFTs, video game art and tech, and more to Creative Bloq. In his spare time he doodles in Corel Painter, 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.


Articles by: Ian Dean

AI art banned in video games; a zombie on a beach

AI art is now banned in video games - can it last?

By Ian Dean published

Video games Game over, maybe.

New design shape; an optical illusion

This shape never existed before (and I'm mesmerised)

By Ian Dean published

Design What does it mean for design?

Blender 3.1 review; a cartoon girl holds a smiling mushroom

Blender 3.1 review: keeps getting better, and it's still free

By Paul Hatton published

3D modelling Faster than ever before, Blender is recommended.

OctaneRender 2022 review; a colourful forest scene rendered in OctaneRender

OctaneRender 2022.1 review: a confusing release schedule, but faster than ever

By Paul Hatton published

3D Lacks some promised features, but OctaneRender 2022.1 is a fast and stable real-time renderer.

FIFA 23 women; a bad model of a FIFA player

Footballers react in horror at their FIFA 23 characters

By Ian Dean published

Video games It's all kicking off.

ZBrush 2023 review; a complex street scene modelling in ZBrush

ZBrush 2023 review: digital sculpting has never been easier

By Paul Hatton published

VFX New tools and Redhshift integration ensures ZBrush remains the industry's best sculpting software.

Unity; a pair of characters in a cyberpunk scene

Unity 2023: discovering the next-gen CG tech every artist needs

By Paul Hatton published

Design Exploring the latest updates to Unity 3D software, one of the leading real-time creation tools for video games, VFX and more.

The Amazon logo on a cloudy background

NFTs aren't dead, and Amazon's new digital art gallery could prove it

By Ian Dean published

NFTs Will a new NFT marketplace launch next month?

PSVR 2 Horizon Call of the Mountain; a hand reaches for a rope

Horizon Call of the Mountain review: shows off PSVR 2 perfectly

By Oscar Taylor-Kent published

Video games A physical workout for PlayStation VR 2 gamers.

Best sewing machines for quilting; two sewing machines on a pink background

Best sewing machines for quilting in March 2023

By Michelle Rowley published

crafts Sewing machines for quilting can be specialist and include long arm quilting machine, but which is right for you?

Lords of the Fallen; unreal engine 5 tech demo, a knight looks at a claw hand

Unreal Engine 5 puts actual real people into Lords of the Fallen

By Ian Dean published

Video games Fantasy becomes reality.

Unreal Engine 5; a muddy-faced girl is animated for a video game

Epic Games just created a scarily realistic human on an iPhone

By Ian Dean published

Video games Video game animation levels up.

Digital art; Frameless projects digital recreation of a Monet painting

The Frameless digital art exhibition puts you inside iconic paintings – I'm inspired

By Ian Dean published

Art Frameless brings art to life.

Xencelabs Display 24 Studio Series; a pen display on an alien landscape

Why I think the new Xencelabs Pen Display 24 is the real Wacom beater

By Ian Dean published

Design Unboxing the Xencelabs Pen Display 24.

Nvidia Ai; a colourful cat

ChatGPT, Nvidia and now Adobe – is AI art about to have its 'iPhone moment'?

By Ian Dean last updated

Design Nvidia Picasso and Adobe Firefly announced.

Best sewing machines for beginners; a group of three sewing machines

Best sewing machines for beginners in March 2023

By Michelle Rowley published

crafts The best sewing machines for beginners can also be the simplest sewing machine, here are my suggests.

Before your eyes PSVR 2; a woman sits on a sandy beach under an umbrella

Before Your Eyes review: live a life in the blink of an eye

By Ian Dean published

Video games PSVR 2's eye-tracking and emotive art direction combine in a worthwhile way.

Jurassic World Aftermath Collection PSVR 2; a dinosaur bursts through a door

How the Jurassic World PSVR 2 game was made

By Ian Dean published

Design The design team shares its secrets with us.

Xencelabs Pen Tablet Small review; a drawing tablet, case, pen case and leads on a wooden table

Xencelabs Pen Tablet Small review: my favourite drawing tablet gets smaller

By Ian Dean published

Drawing Tablets Good things come in small packages.

The Last Of Us comic covers; two comic covers showing events from a TV series

I love these comic book covers inspired by HBO's The Last Of Us

By Ian Dean published

Art They just click.

Microsoft Surface Slim Pen 2 review; a black stylus on a silver laptop

Microsoft Surface Slim Pen 2 review: neat and clever but needs more support

By Ian Dean published

stylus A beautiful stylus with a narrow use.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra; a close up of a mobile phone's cameras

How to watch the first movie made on a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

By Ian Dean published

VFX Hollywood in your hand.

Surface Dial review; a small silver metal circular gadget on a wooden table

Microsoft Surface Dial review: ingenius but not for everyone

By Ian Dean published

Hardware Speed up your workflow, if your app is supported.

Apple wins animation Oscar; The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse

Apple wins its first animated short Oscar, and it's wonderfully on-brand

By Ian Dean published

Animation The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse is a perfect fit.

Coca-cola ad; The Scream painting holds a bottle of Coca-Cola

Finally, a good use of AI? Coca-Cola's new ad is a branding masterpiece

By Ian Dean published

Design Edvard Munch, Andy Warhol and Van Gogh art comes alive.

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