FILL YOUR FRAME! Composition basics to look for in NFT art
Y’all. If I see one more NFT selling for over $1k that has a single item or animation smack dab in the center of a blank background, I swear I’m going to blow the whole blockchain up. Artists, STOP DOING THIS. It’s boring. It’s lazy. It’s overdone. And if you’re trying to sell to legit collectors long-term, it’s not going attract the art whales.
If you’re reading this as a collector of quality NFT art (not collectibles, or cards, but art), you need to learn some art basics. While these weak compositions might sell in an overly inflated, under-saturated market, they probably won’t stand the test of time. Once the knowledgeable art folks get in on the game, they’ll spot these for what they are: lazy attempts at composition.
Here’s the thing, collectibles and quality NFT art are different and artists need to recognize that. While your digital figurine or collectible game item doesn’t need a fancy background, a piece of quality art does need to incorporate some basic design principles. And here at Nifty Art Review, we’re concerned with NFT art and only art, so we’ll fill you in on a few things to look for without spending any real time learning about creating.
1. FILL YOUR FRAME! Ask a photographer about this one if you haven’t heard it before. Do you want to take a good picture? Great. Zoom in. Looks good? Ok, now zoom in some more. While this rule is definitely more flexible than others (think, landscape photos, events, skylines, etc.), it’s still a good idea to keep in mind and can be applied to help you spot interesting compositions. When we take a photo with a subject as a small dot in the middle of an expansive background, it makes the subject less interesting regardless of if that subject is a bug, a leaf, or your girlfriend. Instead, imagine a piece of art or photo as having a frame around it. Now, literally fill up the frame. Creating a mix of positive and negative space within the picture, rather than a subject surrounded by negative space, is a great way to keep a viewer engaged.
Here’s an example of an illustration that becomes more interesting because it’s filling the frame. Imagine how boring this would be if it was just a lady with a white background:
2. The rule of thirds is a good rule to know. The principles of design and composition could fill a book, or an illustration class, but we don’t have time for that in this fast moving world of minted tokens. Instead, learn just one rule and it will help you quickly eliminate NFTs from inexperienced artists —or collectible creators masquerading as artists —without learning anything difficult about art. First, look at a piece and split it into thirds both horizontally and vertically. Then, see where the focal points fall. If you have the center of the main subject right in the big, open, middle box you might be dealing with someone who is a less experienced artist and, therefore, less likely to turn out additional high quality pieces that could add to the value of your investment in their work. Here’s an example using a photograph from HuezStrategy (you can buy it as a NFT here). See how the capital building falls directly on the intersection of the lines in the bottom left corner? That’s a good sign. Focal points on the intersections = good.
Alternatively, here’s an artist who I loved when I first discovered NFTs because of this piece:
It’s animated and, while not seamless (more on that here), the loop on this isn’t too bad. I love the detail in the grass and plants around the pink furry guy. Plus, it was my first time seeing the shiny-hair-movement-animation that’s become so popular lately. In the foreground, small specks of dust/light drift by. This piece sold for 3 ETH. However, since following Vegard Aarhus, I’ve noticed something. Look at these and let me know what you think:
The more NFTs he mints, the more boring backgrounds we have. So many of these pieces are a single animated furball centered on a plain colored background. The main focal point for the majority of the animation is smack dab in the middle with some action moving down into the other corners. I still love his work because it makes me smile, but I also don’t plan on spending the 3+ ETH on any of these unless I can see some more diversity. As it stands, these feel more like collectible characters than art. The investment potential is there as these consistently sell for high prices, but if you’re planning on building an art collection that could rival physical ones, this probably isn’t the artist for you.
In summary: Remember, composition counts!
