Welcome to our PetDrops NFT How-To Hub!
Great news! We are busy building the NFT platform and marketplace.
Even more good news – this gives you time to think about the most important part of creating NFTs for art – and that’s the art itself! Here is a little background if you are curious.
NFT’s – The Beginning of a New Movement
The NFT art world made a big splash featuring simple (sometimes really simple) graphics and computer-generated (CG) art. Just like with famous abstract paintings from the 1940s to today, many examples of art for NFTs look like they were not very hard to create. The simplicity of some of the artwork with high dollar NFT price tags is the 2020s version of an 80-year-old controversy around abstract art.
Very few would argue that it takes years to acquire the technical skills to paint like Leonardo or sculpt like Michelangelo, and even then most people could not come close to creating art as they did. In contrast, almost anyone could reproduce some abstract paintings in an afternoon.
The question many ask is this: if the artwork doesn’t look like a real object, doesn’t take advanced skill to create, and is so simple almost anyone with time and desire can copy it, how is it valuable?
The answer is this:
Whether it’s digital artwork for NFT drops or real tangible art, the value of what appears to be “easy” art derives from two things: the story behind the art and artist, and the community or movement around the artist.
We are witnessing the start of a new era. Eventually, all artwork sold and collected will have an NFT identifier, including tangible and virtual art. Artwork for NFTs does not have to be in the blocky or cartoonish “NFT” style of many of the first-gen digital editions. Any kind of art can have and NFT, including real 2D and 3D pieces, photo, video and (of course) native-digital art created with graphic design tools.
Preparing Your Artwork for the NFT Process (Minting)
As a reminder, the artwork in NFT art is not the NFT. You will “mint” an NFT that is specific to the artwork. It’s kind of like the creator’s digital signature or certificate of authenticity. The artwork will have the same NFT through all future sales or exchanges.
Before you create the certificate or NFT, you need to prepare your artwork.
Don’t forget, if you don’t want to or don’t have time to edit your artwork, we have a service that will do it for you. Please see our DFY services page (coming soon).
Here are some steps to think about to prepare your photo or other art, before you mint your PetDropsNFT.
1. Choose or Take a Photo
For PetDrops, most of you will be using photos of your pet. We recommend you choose or take a photo with good lighting and without clutter behind them. Here is a fun video with tips on how to take good photos of your pets:
2. Basic Photo Editing
You may choose to use the photo as-is or any basic photo editor on your phone can improve lighting, change saturation, brightness, crop, add filters and make other changes.
3. Adding Special Effects
As we said, you don’t have to turn your photo into a cartoon image, unless you want to. If you do want to get creative and add special effects, the choices are almost endless. There are many apps that make it really simple to add additional filters or special effects like brushstrokes.
Here is one example:
GoArt photo editor https://goart.fotor.com/
This is First Mate Chuy. He is the Captain’s dog, reporting for duty on a Mexican naval vessel.
Officer Chuy looks muy guapo (handsome) in that photo already, but we can add extra effects if we want to. You can choose to make a single variation or create an “edition” of a few versions of the same image, each with different effects or slight variations.
You can also add different accessories for details to the same base image. This screenshot of Wonderpals collection is an example.
You can also create editions that have different images that are tied together by a theme or other elements. In this example from Bryce Durbin for TechCrunch the frames and hand-drawn effect lend this collection of different animals a cohesive look. This is a great idea for teams participating in PetDrops.
4. What about real artwork?
If you are creating an NFT of a real painting or drawing, take some pictures of the painting in good light. Later, you will clarify in your listing if you are selling the painting itself, only digital copies of it, or both.
Coming Up Next!
Now you have the basics to get the artwork of your pet ready. The next step will be creating the NFT for your artwork so you can post it to the marketplace. Sign in below and we’ll let you know when the platform is ready and the next steps to mint your PetDropsNFT!
Pssst….Want to be in our Sneak Preview Gallery?
We will credit you and identify you as the artist, of course, unless you’d rather remain anonymous.
