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NFT artwork examples and inspiration for your designs.
NFT art and characters have taken the digital world by storm, rising from an obscure slice of Internet culture to a mainstream platform that has revolutionised the art sector.
Pixel art NFTs, photos, video - the sky’s the limit! If you’re interested in creating an NFT and are looking for NFT examples and ideas, you can find inspiration all around. Here, we’ve rounded up some great places to start.
Where to find NFT Ideas and inspiration.
There are no hard rules on what form NFT art can take and NFT ideas can come from all manner of places. We’ve included some common inspirations and NFT examples below.
Visual art.
A great deal of NFTs take the form of visual art, making them highly suitable for both traditional galleries and social media sharing. Existing artworks and trends, meanwhile, continue to inspire artists both in the digital and non-digital world. There are plenty of examples of NFTs that have incorporated visual art styles before reinventing the wheel.
Nature.
Inspiring everyone from Stone Age cave painters to Frida Kahlo, nature continues to be a source of creative inspiration to this day. NFT art is full of examples of digital artists drawing on their surroundings to create works that capture the Internet’s imagination. From dreamlike 3D landscapes to colourful animal collections, there are countless cool NFT ideas focused on the natural world.
Films.
Some of the earliest examples of NFT art took their inspiration from pop culture, with plenty playing homage to films; as wide ranging as blockbuster Hollywood hits to cult anime favourite. Today, you can even find full length films released as NFTs, but it’s still films shown on the big screen that tend to offer up the most inspiration.
Videogames.
Created by artists fluent in digital spaces, you’ll find videogames hold a special place in the hearts of many NFT artists. You won’t have to look far to see the influence of videogames in countless NFTs. Pixel art, retro styling, the use of avatars - all have ties to games and gaming culture.
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Social media
Contributing a similar level of influence on digital natives, social media has done a lot to inspire NFT artists. Whether it’s the first ever tweet, viral videos or even quirky memes, with so much time spent online today, it‘s perhaps inevitable that social media outputs result in NFT art ideas.
AI and computer-generated art
Artificial intelligence is able produce NFT art based on a handful of prompt words. While the results may not always be visually appealing, the random nature of the process can result in artworks that become hugely popular within the NFT community. Similarly, computer-generated images that were the result of coded programmes have led to NFT templates capable of producing near endless works.
Types of NFT art
NFT art often falls into one of various categories. While this isn’t an exhaustive list, the below should help you to identify popular trends.
PFPs and avatars.
Profile pictures (or PFPs) and avatars are a popular form of NFT. Typically, a headshot of a character will have various aspects randomised. These PFPs are then released in large but limited quantities, with no two avatars the same.
One-of-one (1/1) artwork.
Almost the direct opposite of the PFP, the one-of-one artwork is unique in its existence. While some artists create variations, these NFTs are usually created in the same way as other fine art creations, contributing to their rarity and therefore their popularity.
Generative art.
Produced by either an algorithm or an AI created by an artist/coder, generative art is unique in that the creator isn’t the one to put the figurative pen to paper. Randomisation can play a large part of generative art, with artists running an algorithm multiple times before choosing their favourite results.
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Collectibles.
Collectibles have a long history of popularity in off-line mediums and the appeal hasn’t diminished online either. Whether it’s sport, art or game related, collectibles add an extra level of excitement to the NFT world. The flexibility and theming of collections has resulted in cool NFT ideas centred around almost anything you can think of.
Artwork.
Most NFTs today are artworks, simply because they’re the easiest form of NFT to create. Encompassing several types of NFT, artwork is a catchall term that includes digital images in any format. GIFs, photography, screenshots and short video all fall under the umbrella category of artworks.
Event Tickets.
Focusing less on the visual appeal of artwork and playing more of a functional role, the NFT event ticket is designed to not only offer access to an event but to also provide a memento. Working much like a standard paper or digital ticket, NFT tickets allowaccess to an event, but offers the creators greater visibility on who’s purchased them, helping to reduce ticket scalping.
Examples of NFT art.
Now you know the most common types of NFTs created, we’ve compiled some of the most inspiring NFT art examples below - across some of the best NFT artists around.
PFPs and avatars.
While Bored Ape Yacht Club and CryptoPunks are great examples of NFT art that have reached the heights of popularity, you can also find plenty of inspiring works in other corners of the Internet.
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Doodles, 0N1 Force and World of Women are three projects that are subverting the art form and introducing something new. All three are instantly recognisable as PFPs, but the community, a focus on inclusivity or the way they’re produced are distinct ways of differentiating from other examples.
One-of-one artworks.
There are many examples of 1/1 NFTs available to explore. Whether it’s contemporary artists who made a name for themselves in a traditional setting or an artist who works only in NFTs, 1/1 art have become some of the most famous examples of NFT art. Damien Hirst’s The Empresses, Dmitri Cherniak’s Ringers and XCOPY’s Right-click and Save As Guy are all great examples of 1/1 NFTs that have gone on to influence the art world.
Generative Art.
Generative art projects can theoretically release an almost endless amount of unique works. However, the more pieces there are to contend with, the less rare the pieces become and therefore less popular. Works that tread that line today include Autoglyphs, Chromie Squiggle, and Solvency.
Collectibles.
If NFTs were in a Venn diagram, collectibles would overlay a lot of genre, as almost any form of NFT can be made into a collectible series. Some popular examples include the NBA’s Top Shot, RTFKT’s digital trainers and CryptoKitties.
Learn how to create and make NFT art.
Create NFT Art from scratch or turn your artwork into an NFT.
Bases and NFT Templates.
Often when planning NFT collectibles, PFP or generative art, a base model can be used as a foundation for all the pieces within the collection. Once you’ve tapped into a good base for your NFT, you can expand your collection by tweaking the various aspects on the base image.
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Popular and hugely successful collections to follow this method include Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC). They used a template to create profile pictures, changing items of clothing and expressions on each piece.
Creating unique and eye-catching artwork can help your collection stand out from the crowd and can also help people identify your work as uniquely your own style.
Base NFT Character.
Creating a distinct and easily recognisable base character is a great place to start if you’re looking for an NFT art idea. Characters can be adapted to flesh out world building and lore, creating a space for fans of your collection to meet and interact. Popular examples include ON1 Force and Azuki.
Base Animal.
Animals have proven to be a popular theme, with BAYC coming in as one of the most famous collections in the world today. Similar projects that incorporate animal themes includes Pudgy Penguins, Kennel Club Dog, and Cool Cats. Donning hats, pulling faces and holding all manner of items, the variations in these animals are what really drive their popularity.
Base Clothing.
Fashion companies are no strangers to the world of NFTs and the marketplace is home to a great selection of digital garments and footwear. With variations in pattern, design and colour, these NFTs can’t be worn of course, but are no less popular than their real world counterparts. Examples include Nike’s RTFKT trainers and Dolce & Gabbana’s Collezione Genesi.
Making your creation stand out.
If you’re unsure how to modify your PFPs and avatars to create wholly unique images, we’ve collated some examples of how best to add variation to your collections.
Accessory.
Accessories are a great way to add something special to your NFT characters and can include almost anything! Handheld, worn on the face or even floating in the background, examples can include hands holding food items, characters wearing backpacks or heavenly halos hovering over heads.
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Background.
Changing the background that your avatar is stood against can be an easy and simple way to vary your PFP attributes. Some artists stick to block colours, whereas others feature specific locations or environments.
Clothes.
Depending on your character types, you may want to include clothes. If your avatars are all small dogs, a pair of trousers may be less suitable! However, with a little creativity, hats, shoes and jackets can be applied to almost anything.
Eyes.
Eyes are a great element to change, portraying a wide variety of emotions with minimal editing and adding a level of personality to your NFT avatars. You can use them in conjunction with mouths and eyebrows to widen the variation.
Hair.
Hair styles are a fun way to add some variety to PFPs. Combining colour with size, length and style, there’s an almost endless list of possibilities to introduce to your avatars. From neon pink fauxhawks to waist length braids, the choice is yours!
Honing your character design through research and practice will enable you to come up with really interesting NFT templates and bases.
Adobe’s range of software provides you with everything you need to bring your NFT ideas to life.
Adobe Photoshop - The software of creatives around the world, Adobe Photoshop has everything you need to make your visions a reality.
Adobe Illustrator - Built for any form of drawing, Adobe Illustrator is a great tool for bringing your concepts to life.
Adobe InDesign - Helping your content to look its best, Adobe InDesign is a tool for creating layouts to complement of your NFTs.
Adobe XD - Putting the user first, XD is ideal for creating the perfect website for your collections.
Adobe Animate - Helping your NFTs to stand out from the crowd, Adobe Animate and movement and animations to your works.
Adobe Substance - Providing everything you need for a fully fleshed out 3D scene, Adobe Substance is the tool of choice for 3D artists.
NFT Ideas: FAQs.
What are some good NFT ideas?
The best NFT ideas are the ones that emphasise originality and creativity to bring the digital world something previously unheard of. You can find NFT ideas in almost every aspect of life, but the good ones are those you’re proud to call your own.
What is a good NFT art example?
A good NFT art example is Everydays: the First 5000 Days by US artist Beeple. A collage of 5000 works, this was made as part of a project that saw him creating a new piece of art every day since 2012! Today, the collage is one of the most famous artworks in the NFT space.
What art is good for NFT?
All kinds of art are good for NFTs. There’s no limit to what you can or can’t do, but pixel art, 3D and generative art are currently some of the most popular types.