Your weekly newsletter for Web3(-curious) creators! Looking to further your creative practice as a creator in Web3? You’re in the right place! Here’s a weekly rundown of information curated for creators, by creators.

Everything You Have Missed in 2023 So Far

Creator Royalties is officially 10 weeks old! That means we have covered 10 incredible Web3 education topics that we’ve curated especially for artists.

We know Web3 moves fast… so every 10 weeks, we plan to take a breather and look back on everything we’ve covered so that you can get caught up, and better yet dive deeper or revisit the topics that are of interest to you.

Let’s get started.

#001: Open Editions

Our first issue covered open editions, made popular by creator-friendly tools such as Manifold. Since then, we have seen other platforms offer open editions as well, including Foundation and Objkt for artists minting on the Tezos blockchain.

Aside from explaining what open editions are, we also discussed some of the considerations worth having, including how scarce you’d like your art to be and balancing that against maximizing revenue for yourself.

#002: AI Art

ChatGPT took just 5 days to reach 1 million users. Without a doubt, AI is taking over the world, but more importantly, is becoming an extremely useful collaborative tool for artists.

Since we wrote this piece, GPT-4 and Midjourney v5 got released, resulting in even more stunning creations. Learn how you can get started with AI, while also being mindful of the various ethical considerations.

#003: Creative Sovereignty

Most artists when minting their first NFT do so via a lazy minting process and on OpenSea’s shared contract. However, there are significant benefits to owning your own smart contract, including knowing who your collectors are and insulating yourself from changes in marketplace policies.

Get started with a host of creator-friendly minting tools from Manifold to KnownOrigin to Objkt.

#004: Growing Your Income Through Commissions

Some of the most successful artists, including Andy Warhol, are highly commissioned artists. Better yet, some of the deepest artist-collector relationships are born out of commissioning one-of-a-kind artwork! After all, there is something truly special about working with an artist to bring your creative vision to life.

In this issue, we take you through how to start building a successful commission practice, and how you can find your first few customers through HUG.

#005: CC0

CC0, which stands for Creative Commons Zero, allows creators to give up their copyright and put their work into the public domain.

While this may not make sense for a lot of artists, it is interesting to see how some creators are leveraging CC0 to grow their reach and have their work be more recognizable by inspiring other artists to co-create with their work.

#006: Burning NFTs

Burning NFTs, which is similar to destroying them, in exchange for a different NFT, has become a popular tool for artists to gamify the collecting process.

We go through several different case studies from Jack Butcher’s Checks to a variety of independent artists to inspire how you could incorporate it into your next drop.

Psst. Still curious about burning NFTs? We may have a way for you to get involved more directly soon.

#007: Introduction to Tezos Blockchain

While Ethereum remains the most popular blockchain, we have been seeing a thriving community of artists and collectors develop on other blockchains, one of them being Tezos.

Here, we introduce you to a number of different artists on Tezos and walk you through how you can get onboarded to the Tezos art community, from setting up a wallet to finding a marketplace, and more.

#008: The Debate on Creator Royalties

Creator royalties are an important part of the Web3 ecosystem, and are what attracted a lot of artists to enter in the first place.

This is a rapidly developing space, and we help you understand the latest moves by NFT marketplaces, and what you can do to protect yourself as a creator.

#009: Finding Your 1000 True Fans

While an artist’s artwork sums up who they are, marketing is incredibly important to make sure you are getting your message out there.

Here, we talk about how you can market yourself as an artist and start building deep personal relationships to acquire your 1000 true fans.

#010: Introduction to Bitcoin Ordinals

Last but not least, we took a look at the latest technology that has captured the attention of the crypto art space. What are Bitcoin Ordinals, and how are they different from NFTs?

This issue explains what Bitcoin Ordinals are, how artists are starting to experiment and innovate with what are also known as digital artifacts, and some platforms you can check out to get yourself acquainted with Bitcoin.

Closing Thoughts

Eager to chat anything and everything about the year so far?

We are joined this week on Twitter Spaces at Thursday, 4:30PM EST by Mai Akiyoshi, founder of Curious Addys and also Erika Lee from NFT Now to discuss all of 2023’s trends, and what we should be keeping an eye out on.

In the News

Industry News

• A big week for AI as not only did GPT-4 get released, but so did Midjourney v5. Creators and innovators have been experimenting this past week to some astonishing results.

• Sotheby’s is celebrating women all around the world. Curated by Unicorn DAO co-founder and Pussy Riot creator Nadya Tolokonnikova, My Body, My Business features a variety of works from 32 women artists, with proceeds from the sale benefiting reproductive healthcare organizations, including Planned Parenthood. Special shout out to HUG Studios Member - Glam Beckett, for being one of the curated artists!

• Wild, an NFT platform focused on experiential artwork, announced its latest artists-in-residence, which includes artist and software engineer Sarah Friend, who’s known for experimental blockchain projects, as well as artist and musician Serwah Attafuah, who has worked with GQ and Paris Hilton on prior NFT drops.

• OuterEdge LA (formerly known as NFT LA) kicks off this week, bringing together several innovators across art, culture, technology, and entertainment. Check out the latest group of speakers added.

• The NFT bubble may have popped, but there’s still untapped potential in digital art - according to this insightful article on the history of digital art.

Tools & Resources

• Metaverse gallery OnCyber is introducing a GPT-powered AI tool for text to world building. Check out the sneak peek and register for early access here.

• Check out TwelveFold’s Artist Figge’s new solution to Ordinal Provenance here.

Notable Creators

• In honor of Women’s History Month, check out this list of 14 women and women-led projects that are building the future of Web3. You may spot some familiar names and faces!

• Check out how NounsDAO is pushing co-creation to the next level with this feature length NFT Movie.

Artist Grants & Opportunities

• It is not too late to get your art showcased IRL in New York City. HUG is excited to announce a collaboration with 0x17 Gallery at the iconic Pier 17 in Manhattan. Apply for a HUG Artist Profile for a chance to get featured. More details in this tweet.

• Get featured in the Daily Ralpha, a Web3 newsletter with a daily circulation of 75K. All you have to do is apply for your own HUG artist profile, and submit your interest here.

• Today is the last day to submit your work to get showcased in the Lower East Side of New York City with Comp Stomp Studios. There are 8 artist-curated galleries available, each featuring different themes. Learn more and submit your work here.

• Are you a Southeast Asian and part of the LGBTQIA community? Submit your work by March 27 to be featured in Lao New Queer (LNQ), a virtual art celebration in the metaverse. More details in the tweet below.

This Week’s Art Drops

• Mother Earth by Arya Wirawan (Timed Open Edition, 0.012 ETH): This piece depicts the love from Mother Earth that is unconditional for any human or animal species, and how she encourages us all to lead a good multidimensional life.

• Vermillion Posies by jprittee (1/1, 0.165 ETH): Part of Fragile Flora, Volume II, jprittee releases three new 1/1s showcasing delightful 3D florals in a vase with a geometric design.

• Distinct by Minimal Erika (1/1, 0.11 ETH): Part of Urban Uncluttered, Erika looks to transform the urban’s complex nature down to its essential elements, as a reminder to us to focus on what truly matters.

• The Awakening of Sawulak by Sarira Merikhi (1/1, 0.4207 ETH): Inspired by difficult global conditions from war to global warming, Sawulak represents a sleeping demon who is waking up to expand its territory and plunge the world into pure darkness.

• melancholy by Thomassupernova (1/1, 0.25 ETH): This piece is a visual interpretation of Melancholy Hill by the band Gorillaz, and reflects the song’s themes of comfort, renewal, and reflection on past memories.

• Root connection 5̫͉6̡̪̝3͍͔͖7̡̻7̪͚̼ by Alexandra Oz (Limited Edition 10/10, 4 tez): An animated gif of a digital screen glitching in a mesmerizing and lush plant room.

• Freedom by Wisnu Pradana (Timed Open Edition, 0.015 ETH): A colorful rendition of the digital world we live in.

• Recovering A Sense of Power by Kelly Llanos (1/1, 0.2 ETH): Part of the 1% Happier collection, this portrait of Amara depicts her journey to reclaim her sense of personal power, and is a testament to the power of creativity and resilience of the human spirit.

Creator Spotlight: jprittee

Jack, also known as jprittee, is a designer & 3D illustrator that is on a mission to spread joy and make Web3 a more inclusive place.

Jack's various collections are designed to support & celebrate LGBTQIA+, BIPOC & women creators in Web3 by spotlighting, curating, and reinvesting profits directly into the works of diverse artists throughout our community.

Learn more about Jack from his HUG Artist Profile, or follow him directly on Twitter.

We asked jprittee…
What have you learned this year, and how are you incorporating that into your latest art drop?