NFTs are one of the foundations of web3. This series will introduce NFTs through 30 short articles, allowing everyone to gain a deep understanding and mastery of NFT-related knowledge.
We have previously outlined the classification of NFTs. In the following articles, we will further introduce these types. This article will focus on Art NFTs.
Why Art NFTs are Needed#
Art NFTs are one of the best and most widespread uses of NFTs. Before the emergence of NFTs, digital artworks did not have a large-scale dissemination or commercialization scene. With the advent of NFTs, the value of digital artworks has been unleashed. The data of artworks is stored on the blockchain to ensure authenticity, and the NFT market allows for the trading and circulation of art NFTs.
Let's take animated works as an example. Before the emergence of NFTs, artists skilled in animation creation usually had to be hired by animation studios to earn rewards through their creations. This was good for the creators because they could earn value through their own creations. However, at the same time, the themes and rhythms of their creations were completely controlled by the employers, and the artistic creators lost their creative freedom. After the emergence of NFTs, art creators can directly mint their digital works as NFTs for sale. In this case, creators can control their own creations and obtain better value returns without the employers taking a cut.
Another benefit of digital artworks existing in the form of NFTs is that the authenticity of the works is ensured through blockchain technology. In the traditional art market, counterfeit artworks are prevalent, and many counterfeits are indistinguishable from genuine works. Distinguishing the authenticity of artworks is of great significance for determining their value. NFTs can provide an effective solution to this problem. NFTs exist on the blockchain, and the creation information and transaction history of the artworks are recorded on the chain, making cheating impossible.
Subcategories of Art NFTs#
As a major category of NFTs, Art NFTs can be further divided into several types, including 1/1 artworks, prints, and generative artworks.
1/1 NFTs: Each NFT is hand-drawn by the artist, making each NFT unique. It can be understood as the digital version of physical artworks. The marketplaces for buying/selling 1/1 NFTs include SuperRare and Foundation.
Print NFTs: Multiple NFTs are issued for each artwork edition. This means that multiple NFTs of the same artwork edition, such as 100, 1000, or 10000, may be released, with the content of each NFT being the same but with different numbers. Compared to 1/1 NFTs, print NFTs of the same level will have lower prices. Print NFTs can be understood as the digital version of physical prints, where multiple copies can be made from a single plate.
Generative NFTs: The history of generative artworks can be traced back to the 1960s. Nowadays, they are usually produced through code execution, which naturally aligns with NFTs as both are native to the digital realm. The process of generating generative artworks is roughly as follows:
-> The artist writes the generation logic and algorithm as code.
-> The code is saved in the system and provides users with an interface to interact with the system.
-> When users "mint" an NFT through the interaction interface, the algorithm introduces random variables to generate a unique NFT artwork.
The most popular marketplace for generative artworks is Art Blocks.
For more information about Art NFTs, the following resources are recommended:
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Two articles by NFT researcher Zen33:
1.1 https://zeneca33.substack.com/p/letter-10-art-blocks
1.2 https://zeneca33.substack.com/p/letter-19-art-blocks-2 -
A fascinating Twitter thread introducing generative art NFTs:
https://twitter.com/GrailersDAO/status/1525612848113762304
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