Retro Workflow – Creating 3D Logos from Flat Art

Rediscovering Quantel Paintbox Techniques for Your Modern Fusion Workflow

In this Video Insight, I’m taking you back to the 1980s to recreate those shiny, metallic logos from the Quantel Paintbox era using DaVinci Resolve’s Fusion. You’ll learn how to transform a flat, scanned logo into a three-dimensional gem without any 3D tools or fancy filters—just pure paint and matte techniques.

This isn’t just nostalgia; it’s a chance for you to master retro skills that still shine in today’s motion design projects.

I’ll guide you through cleaning up a scanned logo and building the mattes that give it that classic 3D broadcast look. You’ll see how simple paint tools can create professional, golden logos, just like we did back in the day. Whether you’re a Fusion veteran or a curious beginner with some node-based experience, you’ll find these techniques practical and inspiring for your own designs.

“Back then, the tools were not quite as sophisticated as what we have today. In Fusion, I will only use tools that are kind of equivalent to what we had access to back then on systems like Quantel Paintbox, Harry, DFX Composium…The common thing these systems had was that they were hardware-based, and that they had pretty sophisticated and fast raster-based paint.”

Igor Riđanović, Post-Production Expert

Step-by-Step: Crafting Your Retro 3D Logo

Here’s how you can follow along in Fusion to create a metallic logo effect, step by step, without needing the video. I’ve kept it straightforward so you can focus on the core techniques and apply them to your own projects.