
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
02/10/2026
Design reflects feedback on graphics introduced for MLB Red Sox and Pirates games
Boston Bruins games on NESN and Pittsburgh Penguins games on SportsNet Pittsb...
02/10/2026
NEP SS7/ST7 anchors Big Ten Saturday Night; nine Peacock games are produced from...
02/10/2026
In-venue and creative video staffers at the professional and collegiate level ha...
02/10/2026
GameTime Productions provided national broadcast production services for the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) 2026 season, with coverage distributed ac...
02/10/2026
Audio-Technica has introduced the HP-HBM50x, a genuine replacement headband for the ATH-M50x professional studio monitor headphones. The HP-HBM50x is compatible...
02/10/2026
Advanced Systems Group (ASG) has helped audio professional Steve Schatz design and build Black Lava Studios, a 9.1.6 Dolby Atmos mixing and mastering facility i...
02/10/2026
Cobalt Digital has received Best of Show awards from TV Tech and TVB Europe at IBC2026 for solutions from its PACIFIC compression line.
TV Tech recognized the ...
02/10/2026
ESPN and TMRW Sports have announced a multi-year extension of their U.S. media rights agreement for TGL presented by SoFi. The 2027 TGL season will open Sunday,...
02/10/2026
Devlin Design Group (DDG) and Clickspring Design (CSD) have announced a strategic alliance combining their design capabilities for broadcast, media, workplace, ...
02/10/2026
The National Collegiate Hockey Conference has announced a partnership with CSMG (Collegiate Sports Management Group) making the firm the exclusive representativ...
02/10/2026
Mediaproxy will exhibit at NAB Show New York (Booth 561, Javits Center, October 21-22), demonstrating new AI capabilities in its LogServer compliance platform a...
02/10/2026
Mesh Broadcast Services has installed a Calrec Argo M console in the production area of its Eclipse 40-foot mobile unit, recently moved onto a 2025 Freightliner...
02/10/2026
Vizrt has announced that Richmond AFL has signed on to use Viz Libero Teams for coaching analysis and content creation. The platform provides 3D match analysis ...
02/10/2026
Oak View Group (OVG) has announced Cisco as an Official Technology Partner. Thro...
02/10/2026
Clear-Com has announced that the Audiovisual Training Centre in d , Poland, has installed an Arcadia Central Station as the communications hub for its broadca...
02/10/2026
A major figure in international football, three-time French champion and three-time Ligue 1 top scorer, Sonny Anderson will chair the SPORTEL Awards 2026 Jury. ...
02/10/2026
California-based Bantaray Mobile Sports Production has built its mobile producti...
02/10/2026
Overtime has announced a new strategic investment led by Eldridge Capital Management. Eldridge has investments across sports and media including the Los Angeles...
02/10/2026
The Milwaukee Bucks have launched Bucks , a direct-to-consumer streaming service that expands access to Bucks games during the 2026-27 season for fans statewide...
02/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/10/2026
Haymaker VFX acquires SWISS
Brie Clayton October 2, 2026
0 Comments
Stockholm-based, globally recognized creative team becomes part of Haymaker VFX in...
02/10/2026
Treasure & Dirt Shot with URSA Cine 17K 65
Brie Clayton October 2, 2026
0 Comments
DP Edward Goldner, ACS, relied on 65mm sensor to capture vast deser...
02/10/2026
Sonnet Announces Industry's Only Bus-Powered 10 Gigabit Ethernet Thunderbolt...
02/10/2026
Mediaproxy brings AI driven monitoring and browser based multiviewing to NAB Sho...
02/10/2026
Cobalt Digital's Pacific Line Wins Two Future Best of Show Awards at IBC
Brie Clayton October 1, 2026
0 Comments
Manufacturer receives honors from...
02/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/10/2026
Cinematographer Andres Arochi was on his way back from filming in Spain when he got the call that Tim Burton would be directing a music video for Lady Gaga and ...
02/10/2026
Cobalt Digital's Pacific Line Wins Two Future Best of Show Awards at IBC
Manufacturer receives honors from both TV Tech and TVB Europe for advancements in...
02/10/2026
Maxon, maker of powerful, approachable software solutions for creators working in 2D and 3D design, motion graphics, visual effects and visualization, today ann...
02/10/2026
The strengthened TriCaster portfolio increases accessibility to leading media technology, drives more creative experiences, and scales with every production wit...
02/10/2026
LA JOLLA, CA-To sense their environment and respond accordingly, cells enlist me...
02/10/2026
Local AI is becoming more useful by the token.
As AI agents move from experiments into everyday development, increasingly capable open models are shrinking to ...
01/10/2026
Big Blue Marble has announced the addition of live multiview channels to its Clo...
01/10/2026
The company CEO sees AI as a tool in speeding and enhancing product development
...
01/10/2026
Production, tech, crewing, and logistics teams draw on experience of a busy inau...
01/10/2026
The Partnership Will Support Filmmakers Worldwide Through Original Short Films I...
01/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/10/2026
For more than two decades, Disguise has powered some of the most ambitious live events and experiences in the world from Bad Bunny and Coachella to the Burj K...
01/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...