CONTENTS

Foreword………………………………………………………………………………………2
Introduction…………………………………………………………………….……..…...….3
CHAPTER 1. Digital Art……………………………………………………………………...4
1.1.What Is Digital Art………………………………………………………….……………...4
1.2.A brief history of digital art……………………………………………………………..
…..4
1.3.Why do some people use it? ……………………………………………………………..…
7
1.4.Is digital art ‘real art’? ……………………………………………………………..
……….8
1.5.Types of digital art……………………………………………………………..…………..8
CHAPTER 2. Digital NFT………………………………………………………….…..
…....11
2.1.What is an NFT? ……………………………………………………………………...…..11
2.2.History of NFTs…………………………………………………………………...…..
…..11
2.3.How do NFTs work? ………………………………………………………..………..…..12
2.4.Blockchain and Fungibility…………………………………………………...…………..12
2.5.Examples of NFTs…………………………………………………………………….
…..13
2.6.Are there downsides? ………………………………………………………………....
…..14
WEBOGRAPHY………………………………………………………………….....………15

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 FOREWORD
One argument for why I chose NFT-Digital Art for my certificate is the growing
importance and relevance of this emerging field. As technology continues to play an
increasingly significant role in our daily lives, the intersection of art and technology has
become an area of great interest and potential.

NFT digital art represents a new and innovative approach to art ownership and
authentication. By using blockchain technology to create unique, non-fungible tokens, NFTs
allow digital artists to sell and authenticate their works in a way that was not previously
possible. This has opened up new avenues for digital artists to monetize their work, while also
providing collectors with a new way to invest in and collect digital art.

Additionally, the rise of NFTs has created a new ecosystem of artists, collectors, and
platforms that is rapidly evolving and changing. As such, there is a need for individuals who
understand this ecosystem and can navigate its complexities.

Furthermore, NFT digital art represents a unique opportunity to explore the boundaries of
creativity and technology. By combining traditional art techniques with cutting-edge
technology, digital artists are pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the world of art.
Choosing to focus on this field for my certificate shows a willingness to explore new ideas
and push the boundaries of what is possible.

In conclusion, choosing NFT digital art as the focus of my certificate is a reflection of my

interest in and commitment to exploring the intersection of art and technology. It shows a
willingness to explore new ideas and to position myself as a knowledgeable and skilled
contributor to this emerging field.

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 INTRODUCTION
Digital art is a rapidly growing and dynamic field that merges traditional art techniques
with modern digital technology. It encompasses a wide range of mediums, including painting,
drawing, sculpture, and photography, all created using digital tools such as tablets, software,
and digital cameras. With the increasing prevalence of technology in our daily lives, the field
of digital art has become more important than ever before. It offers artists the ability to create
unique, one-of-a-kind works of art that can be easily shared and distributed across the globe.
The digital nature of this art form also allows for experimentation and innovation, pushing the
boundaries of traditional art forms and challenging our perceptions of what art can be. In this
certificate, we will explore the world of digital art, the history, the impact on the art world,
and why people use it.
Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) have revolutionized the world of digital art by offering a new
way to authenticate, sell, and collect digital works of art. As technology continues to play an
increasingly important role in our daily lives, the intersection of art and technology has
become an area of great interest and potential. NFT digital art represents an innovative and
rapidly evolving field that blends traditional art techniques with cutting-edge technology. By
using blockchain technology to create unique, non-fungible tokens, NFTs allow digital artists
to sell and authenticate their works in a way that was not previously possible. This has created
new opportunities for digital artists to monetize their work, while also providing collectors
with a new way to invest in and collect digital art. In this certificate, we will explore the world
of NFT digital art, the history, how it’s work and the downsides.

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 CHAPTER 1
Digital art

1.1.What Is Digital Art

Digital Art is an artistic composition that relies heavily on the use of technology in its
creation. It's been around since the 70s and is used mainly for advertising and visual effects
for film. Digital Art comes in many forms, most often it's either solely computer generated,
drawn using various types of software, or digital paintings sourced from photos. Digital art,
once called computer art or new media art, refers to art made using software, computers, or
other electronic devices. Anything produced or made on digital media, such as animations,
photographs, illustrations, videos, digital paintings, and such can be classified as digital art.

Digital art is any artwork that draws upon digital technology as an essential part of its
creative process. It encompasses a wide range of techniques, from digital drawings, paintings,
and illustrations, to photos, videos, and even sculpture. All can be classed as digital art, so
long as they’re created, enhanced, or exhibited digitally.

Some artists may also produce prints and exhibit in person, while others might go straight
to a virtual or online environment. In an increasingly online world where children might
access a tablet as easily as a coloring book, it’s a gateway for many aspiring creatives. And as
you’re not confined by physical materials or media, the possibilities can be seemingly endless.

Digital painting allows users to experiment in any location or light, with a huge variety of
color and layering possibilities. Digital drawing substitutes a pencil for a stylus and a
sketchbook for a tablet. As in the physical medium, digital drawings are based on lines and
shading. Different brushstrokes are accessible at the touch of a button, which can help artists
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merge the practices of painting and drawing - sketching outlines with a pencil-like stroke and
filling them in with a thicker, more vibrant, and more colorful paintbrush effect.

Although still used to mimic traditional art styles, digital painting has also evolved to
become a technique in its own right.

Part of this evolution has seen digital painters move between 2D and 3D digital spaces.
Using software such as Blender and ZBrush, artists sculpt out 3D maquettes (similar to 3D
modeling) to use as a base for their work to help with creating more realistic light and
shading.

1.2.A brief history of digital art

A brief history of digital art While the earliest experiments with digital art date back to the
1980s, its roots can be traced even further back to the 1960s. At that time, artists such as
Frieder Nake, the EAT (Experiments in Art and Technology) group and Allan Kaprow began
to explore the relationship between man and machine in art. These artists were particularly
interested in imagining a world of limitless communication and interconnection. Over the
years, their work has served as inspiration for many other artists who have continued to push
the boundaries of what is possible with digital art. As a result, we now live in a world where
almost anything is possible and where art knows no limits. Thanks to these early pioneers, we
can now enjoy all the benefits of digital art.

Similarly, in the 1970s, video pioneer Nam June Paik imagined a future of borderless
communication and coined the iconic phrase "electronic highway". However, in the early
1980s, artist Harald Cohen together with a group of engineers invented a painting program
called AARON: a robotic machine designed to make large drawings on a sheet of paper on
the floor. Initial public reaction to AARON was harsh - art critics saw it as a betrayal of
traditional values, while many in the engineering community dismissed it.

In the 1990s, AARON began to use color in his work. Cohen was usually very reluctant to
claim AARON's inventiveness over the fact that the machine was simply a tool for his
expression, but his program has now been called a precursor to what we know today as
Artificial Intelligence, and time has proven that Paik and Cohen were visionaries, and their

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work continues to influence artists and engineers today. In the 1990s, with the introduction of
the
personal computer, digital technology saw several important advances. Among these was the
advent of the internet, which dramatically changed the way people experienced art.

For artists, the internet has provided new opportunities for creativity and self-expression.
They were no longer limited to traditional art forms such as painting and sculpture. Instead,
they could create interactive experiences that engaged viewers in new and exciting ways.

The 1990s were thus crucial for art, and the technological innovations of the time played a
major role in shaping the course of artistic development in the years that followed in the
digital environment.

Tablets have been used to communicate drawings and directions to a computer as far back
as the 1960s. Programs like Ivan Sutherland’s Sketchpad application then paved the way for
modern computer-aided design (CAD) software.

Another key pioneer in digital drawing was Harold Cohen. Cohen created the AARON
computer art program to create drawings via a robotic device. Starting in the 1970s and 80s,
the drawings then grew from abstracts to more representational pieces.

In 1987, Adobe released Illustrator for the Macintosh and it’s still going strong today. This
allowed users to create smooth, incredibly detailed vector curves and shapes using
mathematical control points.

As computer software grew more advanced throughout the 1990s, layering and 3D
functionality added even greater creative freedom and versatility for digital artists.

Like drawing, much of digital painting history can be traced to the creation of graphics
tablets. But from there, the paths diverged. Specific paint programs released throughout the
1980s set the medium apart from drawing and attracted several major artists keen to establish
their potential.

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 Andy Warhol caused a splash in 1985 when he digitally manipulated an image of the pop
star Debbie Harry.
David Hockney, meanwhile, used Paintbox software throughout the 1980s. He described
using the Paintbox tablet and monitor setup as “painting with light”. It would mark a decades-
long interest in the form for Hockney. During the 2000s, he created a renowned series of
paintings - including many portraits and nature scenes - on his iPhone and iPad.

Today, digital painting is accessible to professionals and amateurs alike. Apps and
programs are available on almost any smartphone.

1.3.Why do some people use it?

Some people might choose digital art or electronic painting for practical reasons - others
for creative ones.

Some of its core advantages include:

a. Flexibility
With digital art, you can give Whistler’s Mother a glow-up (though you’ll likely need
permission first!) or create a mind-blowing VR installation. If you can imagine it, you can
probably create it — all you need is some technical know-how and creative skill.
b. Enhancements
Some creatives use technology to enhance their traditional, physical artwork. A painter could
upload their work to editing software to improve an individual stroke, deepen a shade or add
an entirely new color.
c. Accessibility
Digital accessibility measures, from colorblind-friendly design to image alt text, can help
more people enjoy your work.
d. Budget
You can create art on most mobile devices and laptops. Though you’ll need some form of
down payment for most equipment, you won’t have to continue buying physical art materials.
e. Efficiency
If you damage or make a mistake on a physical artwork, you might have to start again. If your
work is digital, you can repair it with a simple ctrl+z.
f. Aesthetics

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Digital art opens up a galaxy of aesthetic opportunities in 2D or 3D media. There are tools for
almost every creative decision you could make.
g. Space and waste
Traditional artists normally need a studio full of canvasses and materials. With digital
artwork, you can get started with a tablet and create from your kitchen table.
h. Speed
Switch between tools and colors in just a few clicks. You won’t have to worry about refilling
your palettes, either.

1.4.Is digital art ‘real art’?

Yes, it is absolutely real art, it’s just a different way of working!
David Hockney made the jump to digital paintings as far back as the 1980s. Writing in
2008, he proudly noted both the convenience and artistic rigour of using digital software.
Though it might not involve physical materials, digital art still requires serious creative skill.
According to the Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy “In order to be a true digital artist,
you must learn the same types of skills to perform digital artwork that you would for
traditional artwork”.

1.5.Types of digital art

a. Digital sculpting
This allows artists to manipulate 3D models on creative programs using brushes and tools.
These can create a softer, more organic touch than other 3D modeling techniques, which are
based on geometric patterns and vectors.

You’ll find a 3D sculpture in video games, films and online — while the Tokyo artist
Keita Okada has some mind-blowing examples.

b. Animation
One of the first digital animations was Edmund Catmull and Fred Parke’s 1972 short film
A Computer Generated Hand. The two computer science students modeled a hand using
polygons and inputted the data into a computer, making the titular virtual hand move, contract

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and rotate on a computer screen. Catmull would go on to co-found the animation studio Pixar
— which has led the way in digital animated films since the late 1980s.

c. Pixel art
Pixel art is created on software, using minute image components known as ‘pixels’ - often
associated with 8-bit and 16-bit game consoles.
For some, this represented a golden era in gaming history, when developers created simple
but memorable characters, from Pac-Man to the original Mario.

d. Advantages of digital drawings

Digital drawing and sketching software combines the authentic charms of drawing
freehand with the versatility to add layers, details and colors easily.
It can be highly intricate and technical, used to create diagrams and models and also be
used for ideas, sketches and illustrations.

Famous examples
- Untitled Computer Drawing (1982)
 Harold Cohen, via his intermediary computer programs, was responsible for a range of
highly innovative digital drawings. Untitled Computer Drawing presents sparse,
abstract and curiously human shapes created with a computer program. The forms
were then colored by Cohen.

- Untitled, Computer-Assisted Drawing (1975)

 Paul Brown created a series of dense patterns aided by a computer for his own 1975
drawing. Brown would go on to found the UK’s National Centre for Computer-Aided
Art and Design in 1984.

Who is the most famous digital artist?

One of the most famous and influential digital artists is Harold Cohen. His work with his
proprietary computer software AARON created some of the very first digital art. Today, there

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are a wealth of icons to choose from. Aiste Stancikaite and Sara Lundy are two inspiring
artists especially known for innovating in digital techniques.

CHAPTER 2
Digital NFT

2.1. What is an NFT?

An NFT(Non-fungible tokens) is a digital collectible asset such as a piece of art or a
trading card (or something even more at home on the internet such as a meme or a tweet) that
provides a record of its ownership and authenticity and thus allows it to be sold and collected
like a Picasso at Christie’s.

Because they model the scarcity and uniqueness of traditional artworks, they’re also
quickly becoming an investment vehicle.

NFT is a digital asset that represents Internet collectibles like art, music, and games with
an authentic certificate created by blockchain technology that underlies Cryptocurrency. They
are bought and sold online, frequently with cryptocurrency, and they are generally encoded
with the same underlying software as many cryptos.

NFTs can be traded and exchanged for money, cryptocurrencies, or other NFTs—it all
depends on the value the market and owners have placed on them. For instance, you could use
an exchange to create a token for an image of a banana. Some people might pay millions for
the NFT, while others might think it worthless.
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 Cryptocurrencies are tokens as well; however, the key difference is that two
cryptocurrencies from the same blockchain are interchangeable—they are fungible. Two
NFTs from the same blockchain can look identical, but they are not interchangeable.

2.2. History of NFTs

BLONFTs were created long before they became popular in the mainstream. Reportedly,
the first NFT sold was "Quantum," designed and tokenized by Kevin McKoy in 2014 on one
blockchain (Namecoin), then minted and sold in 2021 on Ethereum.

NFTs are built following the ERC-721 (Ethereum Request for Comment #721) standard,
which dictates how ownership is transferred, methods for confirming transactions, and how
applications handle safe transfers (among other requirements). The ERC-1155 standard,
approved six months after ERC-721, improves upon ERC-721 by batching multiple non-
fungible tokens into a single contract, reducing transaction costs.

In early March 2021, a group of NFTs by digital artist Beeple sold for over $69 million.
The sale set a precedent and record for the most expensive digital art sold at the time. The
artwork was a collage comprised of Beeple's first 5,000 days of work.

2.3. How do NFTs work?

NFT stands for non-fungible token. Non-fungible means non-interchangeable.
Unlike the way one US dollar is exchangeable for another US dollar or one bitcoin is the
same as another bitcoin, each digital work and its corresponding token that holds the record of
its value is unique.

Because NFTs and the marketplaces they trade on are linked to the blockchain (the digital
database that supports cryptocurrencies with a public ledger), these files now have a unique
digital identifier that cannot be copied, substituted, or subdivided, and that is used to certify
authenticity and ownership.

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 When you buy an NFT, you’re getting a digital file as well as a certificate of authenticity.
Though there might be other copies of the file out there on the internet, the NFT system
provides proof that you own the one that matters.

2.4. Blockchain and Fungibility

Like physical money, cryptocurrencies are usually fungible from a financial perspective,
meaning that they can be traded or exchanged, one for another. For example, one bitcoin is
always equal in value to another bitcoin on a given exchange, similar to how every dollar bill
of U.S. currency has an implicit exchange value of $1. This fungibility characteristic makes
cryptocurrencies suitable as a secure medium of transaction in the digital economy.

For this reason, NFTs shift the crypto paradigm by making each token unique and
irreplaceable, making it impossible for one non-fungible token to be "equal" to another. They
are digital representations of assets and have been likened to digital passports because each
token contains a unique, non-transferable identity to distinguish it from other tokens. They are
also extensible, meaning you can combine one NFT with another to create a third, unique
NFT.

2.5. Examples of NFTs

Perhaps the most famous use case for NFTs is that of crypto kitties. Launched in
November 2017, crypto kitties are digital representations of cats with unique identifications
on Ethereum’s blockchain. Each kitty is unique and has a different price. They "reproduce"
among themselves and create new offspring with other attributes and valuations compared to
their "parents."

Within a few short weeks of their launch, crypto kitties racked up a fan base that spent $20
million worth of ether to purchase, feed, and nurture them. Some enthusiasts even spent
upward of $100,000 on the effort. More recently, the Bored Ape Yacht Club has garnered
controversial attention for its high prices, celebrity following, and high-profile thefts of some
of its 10,000 NFTs.

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 Much of the earlier market for NFTs was centered around digital art and collectibles, but it
has evolved into much more. For instance, the popular NFT marketplace OpenSea has several
NFT categories:

 Photography: Photographers can tokenize their work and offer total or partial

ownership. For example, OpenSea user erubes1 has an "Ocean Intersection" collection
of beautiful ocean and surfing photos with several sales and owners.
 Sports: Collections of digital art based on celebrities and sports personalities.
 Trading cards: Tokenized digital trading cards. Some are collectibles, while others
can be traded in video games.
 Utility: NFTs that can represent the membership or unlock benefits.
 Virtual worlds: VIrtual world NFTs grant you ownership of anything from avatar
wearables to digital property.
 Art: A generalized category of NFTs that includes everything from pixel to abstract
art.
 Collectibles: Bored Ape Yacht Club, Crypto Punks, and Pudgy Panda are some
examples of NFTs in this category.
 Domain names: NFTs that represent ownership of domain names for your website(s).
 Music: Artists can tokenize their music, granting buyers the rights the artist wants
them to have

2.6. Are there downsides?

Because they rely on the digital power of the blockchain, NFTs consume a lot of energy
and are being criticized for their contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. There are
alternatives in the works that require less energy, but as long as NFTs work closely with the
cryptocurrency Ethereum, they will take a toll on the planet.

Aside from environmental concerns, the meteoric rise of popularity in this form has seen
huge brands like The New York Times and Taco Bell jump on the bandwagon, creating NFTs
just for the sake of being part of the conversation. Because of the unique nature of each NFT,
Taco Bell’s entry might not directly impact the average illustrator making art for art’s sake,
but it does provide a clear example of ways the form may be exploited by larger players.

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 Wherever NFTs go from here, they’ve previewed a future where more digital creators can
sustain themselves on their art alone. And while it’s possible that an artistic titan like Jeff
Koons or David Hockney won’t be able to resist the current upside of NFTs and decide to
mint their own work, it’s already true that established digital artists are in a great position to
market their work to online communities who appreciate it just as much for its artistic value
as its new investment potential.

WEBOGRAPHY

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