This interview has been edited for format and clarity.
PR: I became familiar with your work through Vengeful Heart. What tools did you use to build the backdrops for the game, and what was your collaboration with the developers like?
DP: Back then I was using Pyxel Edit. Initially I was using Photoshop, but I realised that it wasn’t very convenient for me, so I switched to Pyxel Edit. As for the drawing process – it was pretty simple: Hanna, head of Vengeful Heart‘s development, was sending me descriptions of scenes along with details and references; usually I asked for 5-7 references to get her vision, and then I would just sketch some ideas. I picked the best looking one and just worked on it until it was done.
PR: I see a lot of retro-futuristic and brutalist inspirations in your technological and architectural designs. Where do you get inspiration for your work?
DP: From my surroundings. I spent 30 years of my life in Russia, and every major city there has a lot of Soviet-style buildings. Sure, styles may vary – constructivism, functionalism etc. but overall the peak idea, in my opinion, is brutalism. Despite the fact that it’s not the most beloved style it still has a lot of fans. I would say it has its own megalomaniac charm – huge concrete buildings look majestic. Brutalism basically gave architects of those years the possibility to build things that previously weren’t possible to build. They really encapsulated most bold ideas in terms of concrete usage.
PR: Do you ever work in older graphic building programs/games, like Mario Paint, Art Alive, or older editions of software like Corel Paint? Or, do you prefer working in modern programs and recreating retro looks?
DP: No, I don’t use old programs. I use Aseprite only so can’t say much about any other older pixel art software.
PR: In the post for your piece Noon Time, you spoke about the strengths of working in the C64 palette – specifically, how well it works for sharp shapes. Do you have a favorite set of tools (or palette) to work within, or does it depend on the project?
DP: C64 is a very challenging palette for me – on one hand there are a lot of gray shades, which is a huge plus since I love monochrome. On the other hand, other shades of C64 colours are pretty unusual for me to use, yet they are very appealing. I may say that I am still figuring it out.
As for other palettes, I usually use around 7 palettes which I am comfortable with. Sometimes a client asks to use some certain palette, like it was with Vengeful Heart, and sometimes I can suggest something which, in my opinion, would fit the atmosphere of the game/illustration. It’s all about the feeling that you want to achieve.
PR: What are some of your favorite works of pixel art (in a video game or elsewhere)?
DP: The most influential games, in terms of pixel art, were Megadrive’s Flashback and Contra: Hard Corps. There are many more of them of course, such as Asterix and power of the Gods, Sylvester & Tweety in Cagey Capers, and Desert Demolition, but overall, Flashback influenced me the most.
PR: Conversations regarding pixel art often seem to be focused on character design and animation. Do you think landscapes and backdrops are overlooked in video game art?
DP: I don’t think so. Lot of old Megadrive/NES/SNES games had amazing backgrounds, like Contra. Also, there are a lot of amazing modern-era pixel artists who are heavily focused on backgrounds, so I am sure we are completely fine.
PR: Have you ever/would you consider exhibiting your art on its own, or do you think it is best viewed in a piece of media, like a video game?
DP: It would be great, but it’s pretty complicated to find a gallery to host a pixel art exhibition. I still will continue to try though, since pixel art deserves way more attention, especially considering its insane evolution over the past years.
PR: What’s your opinion of NFTs? Have you ever considered minting your work?
DP: I have been into NFTs scene since 2021. It’s very interesting topic. In my opinion, NFTs helped a lot of artists to grow and gain more attention, but at the same time it kinda backfired since lot of people did not like the idea of NFTs because of very different reasons. To each their own, is the only thing I could say regarding NFTs. For me, it definitely worked.
PR: What does the future of fine pixel art look like in your opinion, and what are the most interesting/promising avenues of pixel art being created today?
DP: I hope pixel art will get more recognition as a standalone genre itself, and I also hope that pixel artists will have more opportunities to share their art via the help of traditional galleries.
PR: What’s your dream project?
DP: A few years ago I would say a game, but now, after I have had more experience in other areas including NFTs, illustrations, other types of work, it’s hard to say. I am just glad that I could draw pixel art, and glad that it became my main profession. I still feel joy while creating it. Perhaps to carry this feeling throughout my life IS a dream project.
PR: What are you working on now?
DP: As for now I don’t have any long-term projects on my hands, so I mostly draw commissions and other stuff for myself to develop and maintain my skills.
… pixel art deserves way more attention, especially considering its insane evolution over the past years.
You can see more of El-Metallico’s art here. You can also follow him on Bluesky (el-metallico.bsky.social) and Instagram (dmitrypetyakin).