Ian Dean is Editor, Digital Arts & 3D at Creative Bloq, 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

This Unreal Engine 5 Star Wars racer has surprisingly old-school art direction
By Ian Dean published
Star Wars Galactic Racer's key art is perfectly nostalgic.

The new Rogue Trooper movie poster looks like it fell out of a ’70s cinema
By Ian Dean published
And fans love it.

The new Spectrum and THE64 handhelds have made retro gaming weird and personal again
By Ian Dean published
Rubber keys, clacky keyboards, and deep cut retro games.

Mullet MadJack (Switch) review: a masterclass in '90s anime visuals wrapped around a thin arcade loop
By Ian Dean published
It's a brilliant retro-like rush that burns out too quickly.

Artists are split over Claude AI and Blender – here’s why
By Ian Dean last updated
A creative partnership that’s raising eyebrows.

This game artist turns “emotion and dance” into haunting creature designs
By Ian Dean published
The gesture and geometry of Liuyazi (Arya) Hou's sculptures.

Amazon’s Gaming Week 2026 sale is a goldmine for retro game remake deals
By Ian Dean published
Dragon Quest, Resident Evil, Mario Galaxy and more at impulse-buy prices.

How Autodesk’s new AI tool gets us closer to ‘just press animate’
By Ian Dean published
Flow Studio’s new features turn character creation and animation into a single process.

Directive 8020's glossy, late-’90s sci-fi aesthetic gives it an edge
By Ian Dean published
My hands-on shows how smart art direction can reshape familiar horror tropes.

Warframe’s latest short feels like a lost 2000s anime music video
By Ian Dean published
Inside the glitchy, music-led animation redefining the game's visual language.

For Earth Day, I asked AI to show me what the future looks like
By Ian Dean published
The results were eye opening.

NEOGEO AES+ pre-orders are surging and sparking FOMO
By Ian Dean published
Don’t miss your shot at this retro revival – here's where to pre-order.

The best Cricut machines
By Beth Nicholls, Ian Dean last updated
The ultimate vinyl cutters for home crafting, with precise material cuts to help you transfer your designs onto mugs, T-shirts and more.

The best Adobe Illustrator alternatives, for all budgets and skill levels
By Tom May last updated
From Affinity to CorelDRAW, try these top vector-editing tools.

Why Metal Slug still looks better than many modern games
By Ian Dean published
30 years on, this pixel art masterpiece refused to evolve, and that's why it still matters.

Why Mullet Madjack’s retro VHS-era anime art style still stands out
By Ian Dean published
Ahead of its Switch release, art director Alessandro Martinello explains why imperfection matters.

Why this artist swapped architecture for Unreal Engine
By Ian Dean published
Techland's Jan Buczny wants to build worlds that tell stories.

Why Metro 2039 is doubling down on tightly curated, story-first level design
By Ian Dean published
4A Games is pushing back against open-world excess.

The Target x Pokémon collection could sell out fast – here’s what to know and beat the rush
By Ian Dean published
Choose your favourites today and stay ahead of the pack.

Why the new NEOGEO AES+ console changes everything about retro gaming
By Ian Dean published
This isn't emulation, it’s a chip-level reconstruction of how gaming felt in the '90s.

Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss review: stunning UE5 visual design and ambitious ideas impress
By Ian Dean published
Not perfect, but a Lovecraftian detective-horror I can't put down.

The best drawing tablets: fully tested for all kinds of digital artists and budgets
By Ian Dean last updated
These are the best drawing tablets for all kinds of artists and budgets.

The best 3D modelling apps for iPad
By Rob Redman last updated
Our experts select the best 3D modelling apps for iPad to sculpt, concept, and draft, whether you're a pro or hobbyist artist.
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