Microsoft’s venerable Paint app is one of my most used applications on my PC, but this is mainly to resize and crop pictures and add the odd arrow or pointer.

Pat Hines, a Boston artist, has however proven with talent you can create amazing art, even with only 256 colours.

He has written a graphic novel, with all illustrations created using the app, perfecting his skill over a decade.

“I honed my craft working long overnights at a hospital reception desk,” noted Hines.

His novel, Camp Redblood and the Essential Revenge, is a story that combines “all elements of summer camp lore, from the knife-wielding maniacs and monsters of 1980’s slasher films to the raucous comedies of the same era.”

Microsoft was believed to be planning to ditch Microsoft Paint, first introduced in 1985, for the much more complex Paint 3D, but an outcry by Insiders put those plans to rest. Hines’ work shows that there is much love for the app even beyond the techie community.

Admire more of his illustrations below, and reward his work by buying is ebook at Amazon here.

Gallery

See more of his work at DeviantArt here.