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InspirationIllustration

On the dot: The perfectly painted pixelations of Nathan Manire

Originally from Detroit, where he obtained a BFA in Graphic Design from Wayne State University, Nathan Manire is now living and working in Brooklyn as a freelance artist, illustrator and designer.

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Pixelated watercolour portrait made of coloured dots showing a smiling man's face in shades of red, orange, black and blue, published in an article titled Let's Really Be Friends by Kyle Chayka

With clients including ESPN, The New Republic, Flatiron Books, Wired magazine, Nike and Iron Mountain, he's carved out a niche for himself using a very distinctive style that lies somewhere between pixel art and pointillism.

"My work is a pixellated style created with painted dots," Manire explains. "I like to use watercolour as my medium, and primarily to paint portraits. Right now, I'm interested in athletes and painting images that contain a certain amount of depth of focus in them."

Pixelated portrait created with painted dots in watercolour, showing a face rendered in gradients of brown, orange, red and blue tones within a white frame
Framed watercolour portrait made up of painted dots in shades of blue, purple, pink and brown creating a pixelated effect
Framed artwork by Nathan Manire showing a portrait composed of hundreds of tiny painted dots in orange, yellow, blue and purple hues
Abstract geometric composition made of painted colourful dots in a pixelated style by Nathan Manire, featuring overlapping shapes in shades of blue, pink, orange, purple and grey
Book cover for "A Selfie as Big as the Ritz" by Lara Williams featuring a pixelated portrait made of coloured dots on a pale background
Abstract composition of multicoloured painted dots arranged in a pixelated pattern on white paper
Framed watercolour portrait composed of hundreds of coloured dots forming a pixelated face by Nathan Manire
Framed portrait painted with coloured dots in a pixelated style, showing a face rendered in warm and cool tones across the composition
Spread of magazines including a Golden State Warriors basketball player on one cover and a pixelated portrait made of painted dots on another
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