You’re probably here because you already know what are NFTs and you wish to create one of your own to start earning some royalties.
But how do you exactly do that? Do you have to be good at art to create an NFT?
What kind of software or experience would I need to have to create one?
Well, it may be surprising but it’s actually pretty simple and doesn’t require much at all!
Here’s how.
The steps involved to create NFTs:
- Deciding on the theme/topic of the artwork,
- Creating the artwork,
- Setting up a crypto wallet,
- Deciding on the platform to make the artwork an NFT,
- Deciding on the details of the NFT.
Before we jump right in, you’ll first have to decide what type of NFT you are creating. There are generally nine types of NFTs you can choose from.
But the more popular ones right now are artwork NFTs and Profile Pictures (PFPs)/Avatars NFTs.
Thus, in the context of this creation process, we will be referring to the creation of artwork NFTs as they are the most common.
Step 1: Deciding on the Theme of The Artwork
Ask yourself this.
What kind of topics do you enjoy daily? Or what kind of content do you gravitate to when you scroll through social media for example? What defines as art to you?
It could even be something as simple as a funky text of your name or even a random scribble you drew on your phone. Graphic designs are also an option.
If you need more inspiration, you could also look at popular NFT trends or watch YouTube videos to follow along.
So long as the artwork design you made can be exported in digital file formats that are supported by the NFT marketplace you are planning to use, it can be established as an NFT.
For instance, JPG, PNG, GIF or TXT digital file formats are commonly accepted.
Step 2: Creating the Artwork
There are many free and simple tools out there that allow you to create beautiful digital artworks.
Free tools such as Figma or Canva provide tons of different templates, elements, or typography that can help you get started easily.
You can also use paid applications such as Procreate on Apple’s App Store or Sketchbook Pro on Google’s Play Store.
If you already have an idea in mind, these applications have a range of brush, illustration, and sketching tools that you can explore to bring that idea to life.
Or if you’re not an artist, you can also hire a friend or someone on Fiverr to help you with this!
For the sake of this demonstration, let’s stick to creating a simple graphic on Canva.
Graphic Artwork created on Canva
Here, I created this graphic artwork using 3 block rectangles of different colours.
After you’ve created your desired graphic, you can now choose to export it in either of the digital file formats mentioned earlier.
Download Process
Canva offers all those file formats, so it really depends on which you prefer.
To download, click on the top right button that shows an arrow pointing upwards with a slight border around it at the bottom.
There will be an option named ‘Download’, where you can select your desired format.
There you have it – your created artwork has been successfully exported as a digital file that can be used as an NFT.
Step 3: Setting Up a Crypto Wallet
Okay, now this is where things start to get a little trickier.
The first thing you must note, your crypto wallet is different from the wallet in the platform you may use to trade cryptocurrencies.
Coinbase and Coinbase Wallet
For instance, I may use Coinbase to trade Ethereum, but I would have to download another separate application, Coinbase Wallet, for the sole purpose of NFTs.
Besides Coinbase, popular crypto wallets include Metamask. We also have a list of the best crypto wallets in Singapore for you to choose from.
This crypto wallet will eventually be linked up with the platform you choose for the creation of your NFTs, where you will store the royalties earned into this wallet.
Take note that you need to select a wallet that’s compatible with the NFT platform you decide to mint your NFT, so do check before creating one!
So, what you’ll eventually be doing is connecting Coinbase to Coinbase wallet and then to the platform you will use.
Step 4: Deciding on the Platform to Make the Artwork an NFT
Now, let’s move on to the platforms that can be used to create the digital artwork we’ve made.
There are many platforms available that allow you to do so – but the largest one currently is OpenSea.
Plus, creating an NFT on OpenSea is free (though they charge a fee on every sale or purchase transaction you make).
They have since established a relatively big name in the NFT world and many people who aren’t into NFTs have also heard of the OpenSea platform.
Others include Rarible or SuperRare, which also specialises in artwork NFTs.
These platforms allow anyone to create NFT art without any coding or developer experience, which makes it suitable for most people.
OpenSea Platform
Let’s take a look at OpenSea. When you first arrive at its page, you will be given the option to create an NFT on its platform.
Connecting your Crypto Wallet
Once you click ‘Create’, it is now time to connect the Crypto wallet that was created previously. OpenSea currently offers 13 wallets in its selection, so do check if your wallet is included if you are using OpenSea.
This step also automatically opens an OpenSea account for you.
Each wallet has its respective ways of connecting – such as with QR codes, manual downloads, or a separate login page, so be sure to do it correctly based on your desired choice of wallet.
After a successful connection between your crypto wallet and OpenSea, this is when we can move on to create the NFT.
Step 5: Deciding on the Details of the NFT
Creating the NFT Collection
Now that you’re ready to start creating NFTs on OpenSea, click on ‘My Collections’ which will direct you to a page with a button that prompts you to ‘Create a collection’.
This is where you can start inputting the details of your NFT collection which consists of mainly
- a logo,
- a featured image,
- banner image,
- a unique collection name,
- URL and description,
- category
- other embedded links,
- royalties,
- the choice of blockchain,
- the payment tokens used by others to buy or sell your NFT
- and the display of how your NFTs will be shown on the platform.
Some of the more important elements will be (1) the collection name and URL, (2) royalties, (3) payout wallet address, (4) what blockchain you want your NFT to be added to, and (5) the addition of individual digital artworks to your collection.
Collection Name and URL
You’ll first have to use a unique collection name and URL. If your desired collection name is too similar to an existing collection name – it will not allow you to proceed.
For example, if there was already an existing collection named ‘RectangleBlocks’, I wouldn’t be able to name it ‘RectangleBlock’ or ‘Rectangle Blocks’.
In the context of the collection we’ve created, let’s assume its name to be ‘Three Coloured Rectangles’. As such the URL will be given as https://opensea.io/assets/three-coloured-rectangles.
Royalties
Next, you would set up royalties. Royalties are essentially the percentage fees that you as an NFT creator collect if your NFT gets resold and they are completely optional for you to set.
Payout Wallet Address
This is the linked code that you can easily copy from your wallet icon to paste into this required field.
Choice of Blockchain
By default, the blockchain utilised on OpenSea is Ethereum but you can also choose Polygon.
You may be wondering, what’s the difference between the two anyway?
Generally, the Ethereum blockchain is mostly used for the purpose of creating NFTs. Plus, it is objectively known to be more secure than Polygon and widely used by most people in the NFT world as compared to Polygon.
Now, think of Polygon as almost like an add-on feature to the Ethereum blockchain.
If you as a creator lists your NFT under the Polygon blockchain, it requires potential buyers to bridge their Ethereum (ETH) into Polygon (ETH) – which is an additional step that may hinder them from purchasing your NFT.
Plus, Polygon does not allow NFT creators to auction or set a minimum bid on their NFTs.
However, the only plus side is that there are no gas fees directly associated with using Polygon on OpenSea. The only time your buyers need to pay gas fees is during the bridging process mentioned previously.
Ultimately, it really depends on the target audience you are planning to create your NFTs for. Are they more familiar with Ethereum or Polygon?
Adding Individual Artworks to the NFT Collection
Remember the artwork we had created earlier?
Let’s try to make a collection out of the artwork we created earlier. Maybe 3 different artwork files with different coloured blocks?
On the collection page, there will be a button just like the above that prompts you to add each of your artwork files as a single item.
This is where you will upload the actual PNGs of the files that were exported from Canva earlier.
You can also add a name description and an external link to educate OpenSea users on the artwork.
This artwork, for example, could be named ‘Traffic Light’. Kind of appropriate, don’t you think?
You can also add more features to each artwork such as unlockable content, stats and more. Let’s explore some of these options.
Properties
Properties help your potential buyers filter through the NFTs in your collection easily. One example could be the year you had created the NFT, which is the Year ‘2022’ or even the theme which will be ‘Block Artwork’.
Take note that this field is case-sensitive, so keep a lookout when you’re applying the same property to the NFTs in your collection.
Levels
Levels are displayed as progress bars on OpenSea, where it equates to the rarity of your item.
Let’s assume you are releasing 2 artwork NFTs in your NFT collection. The first artwork only has 1 edition, while the second has 5 editions. The first artwork would be considered rarer since it is the only one, thus making the ‘level’ – 1/6.
Stats
This is where you can choose how many versions of the particular artwork you wish to release.
For example, if you wish to create 5 versions of the ‘Traffic Light’ artwork, you will type it as shown above.
However, there are certain restrictions in this field currently, where creators are unable to release 100 versions at once – but this is something that OpenSea is working towards.
Unlockable Content
This refers to content that becomes available to a buyer once they’ve purchased your NFT.
In this case, unlockable content could be the unique Canva link that was used to create the artwork – which will allow the buyer to possibly download the banner art in other different formats such as JPEG or GIF.
Explicit & Sensitive Content
As the name implies, if your artwork NFT contains adult-themed content that is meant for users aged 18 years and above – you should be turning on this function.
After you’re done toggling all options, do remember to click ‘Create’ and Save/Submit Changes’ after the creation of each item as well.
And congratulations, you’ve just created your very own NFT and NFT collection!
Conclusion
Now that we’ve understood the basics, I hope you’re as excited to create your very first NFT and NFT collection as I am.
I mean, creating NFTs are nothing too crazy or overwhelming once you break it down simply.
Just a little bit of advice, don’t be too focused on making the NFT super trendy, profitable or out-of-this-world although they are a great way to potentially monetise your creative ideas.
Start small, and design something that best reflects you and that you would like to share with the rest of the world.
Take it as a passion project or some sort, and who knows where it will take you?
Just have fun with the process and express your creativity!
