
Editor's note: This post is part of our weekly In the NVIDIA Studio series, which celebrates featured artists, offers creative tips and tricks, and demonstrates how NVIDIA Studio technology improves creative workflows.
Tis the season for friends, family and beautifully rendered Santa animations from this week's In the NVIDIA Studio artist, 3D expert Bo o Balov.
This week also marks an incredible milestone, with over 500 NVIDIA RTX-powered games and creative apps now available with support for ray tracing and AI-powered technologies like NVIDIA DLSS. Over 120 of the most popular apps - including the Adobe Creative Cloud suite, Autodesk Maya, Blender, Blackmagic Design's DaVinci Resolve, OBS, Unity and more - use RTX to accelerate workflows by orders of magnitude, power new AI tools and enhancements and enable real-time, ray-traced previews.
To celebrate, NVIDIA GeForce is hosting a giveaway for gift cards, rare, sought-after #RTXON keyboard keycaps and more. Follow GeForce on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or X (formerly known as Twitter) for instructions on how to enter.
THANK YOU FOR 500 RTX GAMES & APPS
To celebrate use #RTX500 ALL December across our social channels for a chance to win $500 gift cards courtesy of Green Man Gaming + other great prize giveaways.
For your first chance to win:
Comment #RTX500
Tell us your favorite pic.twitter.com/l3g7kTKujD
NVIDIA GeForce (@NVIDIAGeForce) December 4, 2023
Say it ain't snow: the NVIDIA Studio #WinterArtChallenge is back. Through the end of the year, share winter-themed art on Facebook, Instagram or X for a chance to be featured on NVIDIA Studio social media channels. Be sure to tag #WinterArtChallenge to join.
Winter has returned and so has our #WinterArtChallenge!
Share your winter-themed art (like this incredible one created on an RTX GPU by @rafianimates) using the hashtag for a chance to be featured on our social channels!
We can t wait to see what you create! pic.twitter.com/Ml4cUAUgW3
NVIDIA Studio (@NVIDIAStudio) December 4, 2023
Finally, 80 Level - the creative community for digital artists, animators and computer-generated imagery specialists - is hosting its Community Metasites Challenge. Artists can showcase their creativity by applying unique aesthetics to a simple block level via characters, game mechanics, visual effects and more - with a chance to win a new NVIDIA Studio laptop. Register today.
Special Thanks to @NVIDIAStudio who is offering this incredible prize for the first place winner of the 80 Level Community Metasites Challenge.
An ASUS ProArt Studiobook 16 OLED H7600 16" Laptop!
Register Nowhttps://t.co/OigWqOUlSD#NVIDIA #80levelmetasiteschallenge #UE5 #CG pic.twitter.com/atOozRqSxR
80 LEVEL (@80Level) November 27, 2023
Wrapper's Delight Balov's Christmas Rush 3D animation reimagines Santa as a resident of the coastal city of Split, Croatia - but with a harsher, less jolly edge.
https://blogs.nvidia.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/studio-bozo-balov-wk86-face-closeup-1280w.mp4
Balov jumped straight into modeling edgy Saint Nick in the virtual-reality modeling software Quill. He deployed vertex-painting techniques and used a photogrammetry scan of a Vespa as a base, adding brushstrokes to blend it with the rest of the scene.
https://blogs.nvidia.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/studio-bozo-balov-wk86-turntable-light-1280w.mp4
To achieve a flickering effect on Santa's clothing, Balov created a custom texture with different brush strokes in Adobe Photoshop. The texture doubles as an alpha map, which intentionally clips the geometry.
https://blogs.nvidia.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/studio-bozo-balov-wk86-solid-anim-1280w.mp4
When it comes to rendering 3D graphics, nothing really comes close to NVIDIA GPUs. - Bo o Balov
He then used Adobe Photoshop to paint monochromatic background layers. Balov's GeForce RTX 3080 Ti GPU unlocked over 30 GPU-accelerated features, including blur gallery, liquify, smart sharpen and perspective warp.
Balov then converted the files to the FBX adaptable file format for 3D software before importing them into Blender, where he animated the layers to move in the opposite direction of the character to create a sense of speed. He kept the lighting fairly simple, with one light source as the base and a few supplemental ones to emphasize specific parts of the scene.
https://blogs.nvidia.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/studio-bozo-balov-wk86-turntable-half-1280w.mp4
Balov prefers working in Blender's real-time engine EEVEE to animate his scene, cutting wait times. RTX-accelerated OptiX ray tracing in the viewport enabled greater interactivity with smoother movement, speeding his ideation and creative workflow.
Extraordinary detail. Rendering is a joy on NVIDIA RTX cards, said Balov. Since OptiX made its debut, rendering times have been cut in half or more - Blender Cycles feels like a real-time engine.
When asked for advice to give aspiring artists, Balov emphasized the importance of individual passion.
Pursue what matters to you, he said. Don't spend time fulfilling other people's ideas of what art should be.
https://blogs.nvidia.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/studio-itns-bozo-balov-wk86-artist-feature-1280w.mp4
Check out Balov's art portfolio on Instagram.
Follow NVIDIA Studio on Facebook, Instagram and X. Access tutorials on the Studio YouTube channel and get updates directly in your inbox by subscribing to the Studio newsletter.
North America Stories
13/11/2026
Blue Lucy, the workflow orchestration and integration platform for broadcasters, rights owners and localisation companies, today announced an integration with c...
13/11/2026
Krotos announces Black Friday offers on Studio Pro and Studio Max
Brie Clayton November 12, 2026
0 Comments
First-year annual plans start at US$195.99...
13/11/2026
Blackmagic Design Announces Blackmagic Ambisonic Microphone
Brie Clayton November 12, 2026
0 Comments
New 7th order ambisonic microphone with 108 MEMS...
13/11/2026
Meet the Berklee Student Setting Planetary Motion to Music With his compositional platform SoniKosmos, Javier Roqueni aims to make the universe the ultimate i...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , er...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , er...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Amagi, the media industry cloud company, today announced a partnership with Golden Times Media Technology (stock code 920021.BJ), a Beijing-based media and tech...
13/11/2026
CGI (TSX: GIB.A) (NYSE: GIB), one of the largest independent IT and business consulting services firms in the world, together with its Malaysian partner, Cedar ...
13/11/2026
SMPTE, the home for media professionals, technologists and engineers, today announced that The Studio B&H and Riedel Communications will provide the video infra...
13/11/2026
iWedia, a global leader in connected TV software solutions, will present its software-first approach to DRAM optimization at Android TV APAC Summit 2026 in Bang...
13/11/2026
From pediatric research to smart hospitals, AI is helping care teams spend less time on routine tasks and more time with patients.
Health systems and startups...
12/11/2026
Industry leaders examine how Dynamic Media Facility, Media eXchange Layer, and c...
12/11/2026
The junior Tar Heel is embracing the technical and creative challenges of live production while emerging as a leader and mentor in the control room...
12/11/2026
Gracenote, Nielsen's content intelligence business, has released its fifth a...
12/11/2026
RTL Deutschland will bring the NHL to free-to-air TV in Germany starting Nov. 30...
12/11/2026
Clear-Com supported On Air 2026, a 24-hour student-led broadcast connecting 45 u...
12/11/2026
uniqFEED has opened a Remote Operations Center (ROC) in Madrid, Spain. It is already operational, delivering virtual advertising for LaLiga matches. The ROC is ...
12/11/2026
Disney, ESPN and the NBA will present Dunk the Halls, the third real-time animated NBA game using Sony's Beyond Sports data visualization technology, on Chr...
12/11/2026
Van Wagner has launched Van Wagner RELAY, a digital platform for official athlet...
12/11/2026
Deal brings together two of the industry's most established graphics brands and significantly expands Vizrt's footprint in U.S. sports and regional broa...
12/11/2026
Euro TV Production GmbH of Austria has upgraded its outside broadcast vehicle with Lawo technology. The mc 36 Classic console in service since 2019 was replaced...
12/11/2026
Tagboard has launched Spark Resize, an AI-assisted tool now in beta that takes an existing graphic and produces a new version for a different aspect ratio or sc...
12/11/2026
Ben Winston, Glenn Weiss, and FIFA's Jenni-Lee Van Gelder headlined a day fo...
12/11/2026
Free interactive platform visualizes team tendencies, formations, and schemes, updated weekly...
12/11/2026
Sports Broadcasting Hall of Famer Charlie Jablonski's broadcasting career is...
12/11/2026
Gracenote's 2026 State of Play report signals a rising retention risk: More ...
12/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
12/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
12/11/2026
Broadpeak and Magnite enable advertising on Afree TV to unlock new revenue opportunities for African content providers
Broadsmart, a technology integrator deli...
12/11/2026
PlayBox Neo is perceived in the industry as an innovator way ahead of its time, already making a profound impact in the Asia-Pacific region, where the company i...
12/11/2026
This agreement marks the next step in a multi-year digital transformation programme as distribution expands across more clients and markets, requiring reliable ...
12/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
12/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
12/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
12/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
12/11/2026
LA JOLLA, CA-Central to many immune responses are antibodies, which identify foreign substances and help remove them from the body. The immune cells that produc...
12/11/2026
Bill & Ted Rock Opera Taken to New Heights After Student Workshop Emerging artists from Berklee, Boston Conservatory, and Emerson collaborated with industry p...
12/11/2026
Rally the ranks this GFN Thursday. Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV is coming to...
12/11/2026
The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) today announced the theme and program focus for the 2027 HPA Tech Retreat, taking place Feb. 14-18, 2027 in La Quin...
11/11/2026
Hornets Sports & Entertainment (HSE) and Spectrum have installed WiFi 7 as part of Spectrum's Managed WiFi solution within Charlotte's recently renovate...
11/11/2026
As 4K displays normalize in living rooms and economy flights, aging minor league...
11/11/2026
Northwestern University has deployed Grass Valley production switching and camera technology at its new Ryan Field stadium in Evanston, Illinois. The installati...