Designing NFT art has been popular for a while, and you might have noticed different characters and pictures for sale for a large sum of money. However, many still do not understand what is the difference between digital art NFT and cryptocurrency. They do not know how it works and what its purpose is.
This article will cover the most popular questions related to the topic and also discuss some NFT designs and styles you can use to create such tokens. You will become familiar with blockchains and their connections to the NFT. We also discuss ways to design NFT art without using any related software and talk about the pros and cons of that. So let's get started.
A non-fungible token is a unique item that costs a particular price and can be anything, starting from tweets and ending with sounds. What do non-fungible and fungible mean? Let's imagine you want to put a picture of the Mona Lisa somewhere in your room. Of course, you will not try to get the original version painted by Leonardo Da Vinci.
You search the web and look for similar pictures. They were copied and pasted thousands of times, and you will buy one of those and won't care about what copy you get. These are called fungible things.
Talking about the original Mona Lisa, it has some backstory. Da Vinci painted it in 1503. It took him many years to finish the portrait. This is a unique item. It has a particular backstory and value. We call it non-fungible.
The same happens when you think about what is a NFT art. Those are unique, one-of-a-kind digital files that sometimes have a backstory or serve a purpose. We discuss ways of their usage in further sections.
What is an NFT art is a popular question that partly speaks for itself. It is a form of art, usually some pictures, NFT game art, and other static visual representations. But as we mentioned earlier, anything can be a non-fungible token. For instance, the NBA sells its top shots as a video file.
You may also sell music, maps, any digital file, games, and even real estate. However, the most popular are jpeg images of characters or locations with multiple buildings or scenes that represent something.
For artists, there is no difference in what styles to use during digital file creation. They work in 3D and 2D workspaces just fine. However, clients order a specific project with technical requirements included, which will dictate the rest of the creation process. In that case, to meet all the criteria, artists will have to choose the workspace and styles to use.
There are several styles people use for a distinguishable NFT graphic design. Illustrators may combine them and use different colors and details from cartoons, movies, or video games. Clients order a pack of images. In this case, characters or locations need to have features in common but, at the same time, look different and unique.
Yes, artists often combine graphic design. NFT looks unique. They take specific features and implement them into another style. The most popular ones are:
You can draw each of these styles in 2D and 3D workspaces. However, it takes a lot of skill to create a realistic picture in 2D, so not every illustrator will take that job. Sometimes you notice combined results. Connect cartoonish heroes and locations with monochromatic art, where most colors are black and white.
In short, there are a lot of different blockchains. It is an ecosystem accessible for a whole network, where the validator should verify all the transactions. The transactions are tracked and recorded by multiple PCs. They are also called nodes. Bitcoin and Ethereum are examples of blockchains. Each of those has many nodes that track the transactions.
You might wonder about the purpose of such ecosystems and why you need them. The reason for blockchains is to create a trackable list of transactions but, at the same time, make it uneditable. Transfers cannot be wiped out or changed. The information about them is established.
The answer is yes. Most cryptocurrencies would not exist without a blockchain. Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, Litecoin, and other coins have unique blockchains. Multiple computers verify the transactions. These devices do not interfere with each other. Each blockchain is individual, and you can't link it to another. Computers save the transaction history and make it visible to others but, at the same time, untouchable.
You may wonder what an art NFT price is. It depends on the work and the popularity of the person who sells it. Usually, all the images cost more before the reveal. For example, the author has a pack of different digital files or a crypto art gallery available for purchase. But the image is not available instantly. Everybody sees it after some time passes. The price is most likely to drop after everyone sees what they got.
Such art usually costs a particular number of crypto coins. The currency depends on a blockchain, so people are not capable of paying for it with an unsuitable coin. Roughly speaking, NFT links with a blockchain, and if it costs, let's say, one Ethereum, you cannot change the price to Bitcoin or another currency.
As we mentioned before, digital art crypto value varies before the reveal and after it. Before the reveal, everyone buys a non-fungible token for a particular number of crypto coins. After that, you can resell it at a higher price or wait until the features of your character become visible.
After the reveal, the price depends on the attributes your image has. So some pictures will cost more, and the price of others will drop significantly. It is not necessary to sell them, but you have the right to do so.
Speaking of fungible and non-fungible assets, cryptocurrencies can be called fungible. You are capable of trading them. Another difference is that you buy NFT with the help of cryptocurrency, but not vice versa. Coins play an economical role, while NFTs serve as a form of art. Moreover, this form of art works in a way that a person becomes the owner of it. Later the owner has the option to sell the NFT art design to another person.
There are a few main ways to use NFT. Let's discuss them. Selling on marketplaces is one of the ways to NFT art usage. What is it? Marketplaces are online websites where you browse a list of available files and buy them from other owners. Thus, becoming an owner yourself.
The most common marketplaces are:
To create non-fungible tokens, people call for help from 3D and 2D artists. Such illustrators can draw their product, but the chances to sell it are low unless you are a widespread individual. Designers publish their character creation services on the web or contact popular sellers to receive technical requirements for the next project.
The payment method may differ. Illustrators may either receive a one-time payment or agree to the royalty payment. The first option speaks for itself. Once the job is complete, you get a sum of money or crypto you discussed before making an order. The second option allows you to receive a percentage from sales. Two parties discuss it beforehand. Designers might receive 2%, 2.5%, or 10% from sales. It depends on the will of the buyer.
Now we understand the basics of how artists earn money in this field of work, but what about artificial intelligence? Recently it became more popular because people who do not know how to model or draw managed to earn money with NFT. AI allows you to type in features and characteristics.
For example, you write down a crocodile with a red hat, golden chain, and black glasses. The technology will generate the image for you, which often looks flawless. If there are some angle disproportions, PhotoShop helps you out with fixing them. After that, you send the result to the buyer, and voila, you get your payment.
Artificial intelligence usage makes the process of creation faster. It pays attention to the listed attributes and creates the ready image in a minute. On the other hand, it may cause poor results, such as blurred and unrealistic objects or disproportion. These issues postpone the deadline and take time to fix them, under the condition that you know how to use PhotoShop. If not, the results can lead to bad ratings and a failed job.
Another disadvantage is that the increase in artificial intelligence usage devalues the hard work and knowledge of artists, which leads to the possible loss of jobs. The more people use AI to earn money, the less expensive such services become. It may negatively affect designers who make a living by modeling and drawing.
Freelancers usually offer many opportunities for buyers, so you should check some related platforms. The most popular are Fiverr and Upwork. These two allow you to sign up for free, publish your portfolio and describe your services. Buyers are able to search for hashtags and browse illustrators.
Moreover, they have the ability to publish their technical requirements and describe the job needed, so people understand whether or not they manage to do it. The difference is that Upwork requires designers to pay for the opportunity to apply for jobs. Fiverr is free.
Another way is to find individuals on popular websites, such as YouTube. They often post tutorials or share their works. You can contact the ones you like and discuss the pricing. ArtStation is another popular platform where you can look for the best jobs of the last month and see who you appreciate the most.
Usually, it takes a few nuances to look for: