There was a time whenMicrosoftwas thinking about killing off the legendary software that is MS Paint in favour of their new 3D version. to pay tribute to the great bit of kit that’s been around for decades, we’ve been on the hunt for the best artworks created with spray cans and splodges.
During our hunt, we came across the works ofPat HinesAKACaptain Redblood. A superb artist who uses MS Paint to create some real masterpieces. Hines has been working with Microsoft’s paint program for over 10 years. He says his passion evolved from simple doodles with a mouse while working an overnight job all those years ago.
Since then his skills and talents have increased somewhat and he’s moved through various styles that have included everything from movie posters to comic book covers.
A simple portrait of a young boy (a son of Hines' friend) shows the surprising power of MS Paint and the level of detail that’s possible when you have a steady hand and a keen eye.
Zero G Slowdance
This image was created in a moment when Hines was feeling like working on something more abstract.
Here even the glow of stars in the night’s sky is carefully captured with a level of detail usually unseen in MS Paint.
The Force Awakens
Hines submitted this painting to the “Art Awakens” fan art contest. Here Hines creates aStar Warsposter-like piece of artwork inspired by the designs ofDrew Struzan.
Like all the works featured here, there’s an impressive amount of detail considering the tool used to create the artwork.
David and Casey
A hand-drawn portrait of a couple on their wedding day. This image took over two weeks to complete with at least two hours a day being spent on adding colours to every pixeled square to create the finished work.
We bet you’ve never seen an image like this in someone’s wedding album.
Camp Redblood and the Essential Revenge
Another comic book cover from Hines’s collection of comics. This is from the special edition of “Camp Redblood and The Essential Revenge” a book packed full of monsters and inadequate heroes on a foul-mouthed summertime adventure.
Bus spider
Every arachnophobe’s worst nightmare is a spider on the loose while driving.
We’re impressed by the blurring effects in the background to highlight the speed of the chasing vehicle.
Bill Gates in MS Paint
The Microsoft legend that is Bill Gates is incredibly represented by the most well-known paint program he and his team created.
A never-ending Bill Gates inception makes for a sight we didn’t think we’d see created in such an intriguing way.
Godric’s Hollow
A scene from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling. This painting is one of the only images by Hines to use some Photoshop tweaks (he used it to slant the text on the graves) but otherwise is painstakingly created, pixel-by-pixel in MS Paint.
An intricate painting of the street where Hines grew up in West Roxbury, Boston. We were impressed by the lighting and the colouring of this piece.
Red shirts
This work, entitled “red shirts” is a reimagining of Hines' childhood. The Boston Youth Cleanup Corps were known for their bright red shirts and hard work on the streets of Boston.
The intricacy of this image and the level of detail is incredible and shows what a steady hand Hines must have. Right down to the colouring of the butterfly, the registration on the car’s number plate and the casually smoking teens.
