Artist turns iconic images into 8-bit-inspired watercolor paintings

8-bit-inspired art has made a big splash in recent years, touching on the nostalgia many feel for old-school gaming. Artist Adam Lister's work is no exception. In an email exchange with The Verge, Lister said that he's always had a deep connection to cubism and geometric abstract color field painting, but likes to draw from the classic visuals of his youth. "Having grown up with with a visual language rooted in Atari and Nintendo video games," he said, "I've always connected with the minimal, block-like 8-bit depiction of form, space, and movement."

In his gorgeous series of 8-bit paintings, Lister toys with icons in pop culture and fine art by combining what he calls "the hard edge geometry of the 8-bit and the softness of the watercolor." The images he uses are some of his favorites, but also those that he feels are universally appreciated. Wonder Woman, for instance, "started as a drawing in a comic book, but over time she became so much more than just that, conceptually and culturally." The same goes for Batman, Darth Vader, and, naturally, Walter White. Take a look at some of his work below.

Images courtesy of Adam Lister