Artists from all over the world are leveraging NFT technology to earn a living doing what they love. That said, you don’t have to be technically inclined to create NFT art. I turned my art into an NFT in minutes. So, how do you make NFT art? Just follow the steps below.
How to Make NFT Art
1. Choose your art form
NFT art isn’t limited to just digital art. Regardless of what kind of artist you are, you can turn your artwork into an NFT. So whether you are a painter, sculptor, photographer, illustrator, or the latter, you can turn it all into NFTs.
If you have been an artist for a while but you’re just getting into NFTs, don’t change your style just because you think it will suit the market better. You should never worry about creating art just to satisfy trends. Instead, create what you love and focus on that.
If you’re in the beginning phases of your artistic career and you aren’t yet sure what style of art you enjoy most, try it all out.
2. Decide on a blockchain
You have to decide which blockchain you want to mint (publish) your NFT on before moving forward. This is an important step considering certain blockchains are preferred by collectors over others.
Nonetheless, Ethereum is the most popular blockchain network for buying, selling, and creating NFTs. It’s also one of the most expensive because of the gas fees (transaction fees). But, don’t worry, there are ways around this fee that I will touch on later.
With that, Ethereum isn’t the only blockchain used to create NFT art. Here are the best blockchains to mint your NFT art on:
- Ethereum (the most popular and secure NFT blockchain)
- Solana (up-and-coming blockchain with cheaper transactions)
- Flow (mainly used for gaming NFTs)
- BNB (fast and inexpensive transaction fees)
- Polygon (Ethereum side-chain with zero transaction fees)
- WAX (cheap but not as popular as other blockchains)
- Avalanche (fast and cheap transactions, still largely unknown)
- Tezos (popular blockchain for both artists and collectors)
- Palm (known as the eco-friendly blockchain)
- Arbitrum (a relatively unnoticed blockchain with low transaction costs)
Although each of the blockchains listed can be used to turn your art into NFTs, you will likely have greater success on more popular blockchains like Ethereum, Solana, Tezos, and Polygon.
Other things to take into consideration are the security of the blockchain, scalability, ease of use, and transaction costs.
3. Setup your crypto wallet
Before you can create your first NFT, you need to set up your crypto wallet. This wallet is used to interact with the blockchain. Hence, you need it to sign into decentralized platforms, create and sell NFTs, as well as store them.
There are two types of NFT wallets to consider.
Software wallet (hot wallet) is a software or app you download onto your computer or mobile device. Although easy to use, this type of wallet is always connected to the internet meaning your chances of being hacked are greater.
Hardware wallet (cold storage) is a physical device that is used to manage your digital assets including your crypto and NFTs. This type of wallet is best used for storing valuable assets and large amounts of crypto since it remains offline.
In general, a software wallet is good to use for buying and selling digital assets, but not for storage. And a hardware wallet is good for storing your valuable assets and crypto.
So, perhaps you can sell your NFTs using a software wallet, but, make sure to transfer your profit to a good NFT hardware wallet.
Also, it’s worth learning how to securely store your NFTs before creating your own. That way, you reduce your risk of being hacked.
Here are the most popular NFT wallets by blockchain network.
| Blockchain | Best NFT Wallet By Blockchain |
|---|---|
| Ethereum | Software: Metamask Hardware: Ledger |
| Solana | Software: Phantom Hardware: Ledger |
| Flow | Software: Blocto Hardware: Ledger |
| BNB | Software: Trust Wallet Hardware: Ledger |
| Polygon | Software: Metamask Hardware: Ledger |
| WAX | Software: Wax Cloud Wallet Hardware: Ledger |
| Avalanche | Software: Coinbade Wallet Hardware: Ledger |
| Tezos | Software: Kukai Wallet Hardware: Ledger |
| Palm | Software: Math Wallet Hardware: N/A |
| Arbitrum | Software: XDEFI Wallet Hardware: Ledger |
4. Pick an NFT marketplace that suits you
Once you have your NFT wallet set up, it’s time to choose an NFT marketplace. This is where you will create your NFT art and list it for sale.
Although an NFT marketplace doesn’t determine your success as an artist, it does play a role in who might see your work and collect it. But, if you do a good job marketing yourself as an artist, a marketplace is secondary to your reputation.
Here are some of the most popular NFT marketplaces by blockchain.
| Best NFT Marketplace | Blockchain Network |
|---|---|
| Opensea | Ethereum |
| SolSea | Solana |
| Rarible | Flow |
| AirNFTs | BNB |
| Opensea | Polygon |
| AtomicHub | WAX |
| Opensea | Avalanche |
| Objkt | Tezos |
| Palm Studio | Palm |
| StratosNFT | Arbitrum |
When choosing a marketplace to mint your NFT, it’s important to consider how easy the minting process is. For example, Opensea allows you to create NFTs in minutes with minimal technical skills required. Basically, if you can list an item on eBay, then you can mint an NFT on Opensea.
5. Mint your NFT art
After you have decided which NFT marketplace is best for you, it’s time to mint your NFT. Regardless of which marketplace you choose, the minting process is likely similar.
Of course, this varies between blockchains as well.
In general, minting NFT art is as easy as creating a free account on your marketplace of choice, clicking the “Create” button, uploading your NFT file, and filling in the required info such as a title, description, royalties (where applicable), and any other properties.
Moreover, you will have to approve the minting process using your wallet. All this means is that you have to sign a transaction (and in some cases, pay a transaction fee) before your NFT is officially created and available to list for sale.
Notably, if you are required to pay a fee, you will likely have to pay it using the blockchain’s native currency. You can buy crypto using your crypto wallet.
6. Price and list your NFT
Finally, it’s time to list your NFT art for sale. But, how do you know how much to list it for? To be honest, there is no right or wrong price. If you aren’t largely known as an artist, it could take some time to sell your NFT.
As a result, you will likely have to experiment with different pricing. If you want to sell your NFT art quickly, listing it for a lower price could help. Then, once you start gaining some traction you can increase the price of your art as the demand for it increases.
Many popular artists have used this approach successfully, such as XCOPY. He originally accepted offers on his artwork for $50 to $90. Now, XCOPY’s NFT art sells for hundreds of thousands of dollars each.
Also, be sure to consider the costs associated with creating your art. Supplies, blockchain fees, commission fees, and other associated costs can add up quickly. At the very least, make sure your listing price allows you to break even on what you initially invested to create your art.
Furthermore, there are different ways to list your NFT that you should consider. You can list your art for a set price or put it on auction.
When you’re just starting out, the auction method is a good option to help you determine how others value your NFTs. That is, you can set a minimum price and if someone is willing to pay more or you get multiple bids on your NFT, then you can assume there is some level of demand.
7. Market your NFT Art
If you want to sell your NFT art then you need to market it. In other words, you need to begin building your reputation as an artist so that others can discover you. Just because you create something doesn’t mean that someone will find it, let alone want it.
So, how do you market yourself and your art? Here are some of the best ways to build your brand as an artist and get your artwork noticed.
- Social media. Undoubtedly, social media is the best way to build your reputation as an artist. Sharing your art and your creative process on TikTok, Youtube, and Instagram are all great options. Likewise, make sure you’re active on the most popular NFT platforms like Twitter.
- Collaborate with other creators. Collaborations are always a good way to get noticed and build your reputation. By collaborating with other artists you can leverage their audience to gain new collectors and increase awareness.
- Create your own Discord. Discord is arguably one of the most popular mediums for growing an NFT community of your own. Not only should you join other’s Discord channels, but you should make your own and be active with others who decide to join it.
- Create a website. Having a website portfolio of your artwork can add to your reputation as an artist. Not only does it enable you to display all your work in one location, but you can link to your listings on NFT marketplaces so that people can buy your NFT.
- Participate in the community. Overall, you need to make sure you are actively participating in other communities that share similar interests as you. This can be other artists or creators that are active on Twitter Spaces, Reddit, and other platforms. Then, start asking questions, engaging with others, and sharing your work.
Your main means of marketing should simply be to share your journey with the world. That includes both successes and struggles. And by utilizing platforms with underpriced attention like YouTube and TikTok, you can begin to build a name for yourself as an artist.
Can I Make NFT Art for Free?
You can create NFT art for free using lazy minting. Lazy minting enables you to create NFTs with zero gas fees by not minting them to the blockchain. Rather, the buyer pays for the minting fee at the time of purchase. Opensea and Rarible allow you to create NFT art for free with this method.
Another option to make NFT art for free is by using a blockchain that doesn’t have transaction fees such as Polygon. Also, Solana charges minimal fees to mint an NFT.
If you prefer to mint your NFT on Ethereum where gas prices are highest, lazy minting is your best option. Just follow our step-by-step guide to mint your NFT for free on Opensea in minutes.
Do I Need Coding Skills to Create NFT Art?
You don’t need any coding skills to create NFT art. Most marketplaces offer an easy minting solution that only requires you to upload your art file, fill in the details, and click create. But, if you don’t use a marketplace then you would need to know how to code or hire someone to do it for you.
There are several reasons why you might want to create your own NFT art via your own smart contract.
- It’s more professional
- You want to offer your NFTs on your own website
- You aren’t subject to marketplace fees
- You have complete control over royalty percentages
That said, many successful NFT artists continue to use marketplaces to mint their NFTs. Coding smart contracts and launching NFTs via branded websites are more often utilized by large NFT projects, not individual artists.
What Are The Different Types Of NFT Art?
Remember, there is no limit to what you can make into an NFT. There are several types of NFT art you can create including but not limited to:
- Photography
- Digital Images
- Painting
- Illustrations
- GIFs
- Videos
- Music
- Clothing Designs
- Sclulptures
The kind of NFT art you create comes down to your interests. If you’re a great photographer, mint your photos. If you enjoy creating music, mint your music or lyrics as NFTs.
The Cost To Create NFT Art
Although creating your first piece of NFT art is rather simple, it does come with a price. Depending on which blockchain you choose to mint your NFT, the price will vary.
The cost to create NFT art may be as low as $0 and as high as $250 per NFT. This price includes the transaction fee for the blockchain, as well as any additional art design programs and classes you may need to invest in.
Here is the cost to create NFT art on various blockchains.
| NFT Blockchain | Cost to create NFT Art |
|---|---|
| Ethereum | 0.01 – 0.05 ETH ($0 – $150+) |
| Solana | 0.00001 SOL ($0.01) |
| Polygon | Free (subjective to marketplace fees) |
| Tezos | .08 – 3.6 XTZ ($0.20 – $8) |
| Cardano | .17 – 1.5 ADA ($0.13 – $1.15) |
| WAX | 0.13 – 13 WAXP ($0.05 – $5) |
| Avalanche | 0.008 – .02 AVAX ($0.50 – $1.50) |
| Zilliqa | 0.7 – 2.9 ZIL ($0.05 – $0.20) |
Top Tips For Creating NFT Art
There is a list of things you need to know before creating your own NFT art, but, with a little research, you can mint your own token in a matter of minutes. With that being said, I want to share with you some of my top tips for creating non-fungible token artwork.
1. Start creating today
The number one most important thing you can do to create non-fungible token art is, START TODAY! Stop wasting time procrastinating and debating if it’s something you should try or not. If you are even considering trying something new, don’t you think that alone is enough to start?
The sooner you start your journey as an NFT artist, the sooner you will be on the right path to success. So, start today, create your art, mint it, and call it a day. Once you go through the initial process once, you will be more likely to continue creating beautiful works of art.
2. Don’t waste time trying to perfect your NFT
Wasting all your time on the small details, especially when you’re first starting out; is really not worth your time or effort. Your main focus should be getting comfortable minting your NFT on the various platforms you wish to use, once you feel comfortable navigating the marketplaces, then you can spend more time sculpting your work to near perfection, as well as building up your following.
3. Have Patience
It may take months to sell your first piece, so patience is a must. But, once you make your first sale you’ll be hooked. Make it your goal to sell at least one piece of your art within 3 months of starting.
If you don’t succeed, don’t worry. You still have time. You may need to reconsider your social following and how you are building a loyal audience.
It may be something as simple as posting your work on social media once per day. All it takes is one person to see the value in your art.
4. Mint your NFT early in the morning or late in the evening
Want to save some money on blockchain transaction fees? Then, make sure you mint your NFT either early in the morning, or late at night. Blockchain transaction fees are based on the current demand for transacting on the blockchain, hence, minting when fewer people are active on the blockchain results in lower demand, which means lower transaction fees.
5. Always be building your personal brand as an artist
The last tip I will leave you with is the most important tip. Build your following from the beginning. Without a following, you will not sell your NFT art.
Even if you are the best artist in the world, you still won’t sell your art if no one knows about it. So, always be sharing your work, helping others, and engaging with your followers. Whether you have 10 followers or 10,000, never stop engaging.
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