World's Fair of Rare Digital Art

Where the Buffalo Browse is rare digital art by Joe Chiappetta, available on Atomic Hub Marketplace. While this cartoon pokes fun at virtual reality culture, behind the fun just might be an economic revival for the art industry--the likes of which has never been seen--at least not while wearing a buffalo helmet.

World's Fair of Rare Digital Art:

Digital Art Needs a Multidimensional Digital World

Joe Chiappetta, February 2021

When virtual reality (VR) becomes user-friendly, affordable, with universal technical standards integrated from online gallery to gallery, the art-loving world could see a revival more influential even than the Italian Renaissance. Indeed, everyone (with internet access) could witness this World's Fair of Online Art, open 24-7, poised to impress and built to buy/sell rare digital art as if you were floating through a game-like world because... well... because you would indeed be floating through a game-like world--virtually speaking. Such a place would have free admission for all, economic opportunity for all, and operate in 4 virtual dimensions of height, width, depth, and the dimension of "Wow, this is awesome!"

Of course, online 3-D digital worlds are nothing new, as any player of Minecraft or Second Life will tell you. Neither is cryptocurrency a new thing. In fact, all 3 of these systems have been operational for over 10 years. Yet what would happen if a 3-D digital world were well-integrated with digital art, community equality, and cryptocurrency? It could become the art industry's "killer app."

Silly Daddy VR Helmet is rare digital art by Joe Chiappetta, available on Atomic Hub

At 64 billion dollars for 2019, the global art market saw a decline in sales from the previous year. While 2020 statistics are not compiled yet, it is likely that this figure will be even lower. With fast transactions and borderless payment power, some are scrambling to declare cryptocurrency as the soon-to-be savior of a slumping global art market. 

However, the truth is at least a little more complex. Made possible by cryptocurrency, a small but excited number of people do collect rare digital art. But most in the art world still have no idea what such terms really mean.

What is rare digital art? It's online creative work tied to cryptocurrency that has been released in limited quantities, verifiable on a blockchain. For those in need of a refresher on what cryptocurrency is, think of it as coded internet money or credits released (usually) by entrepreneurs in specific predefined amounts. I should know; I have been researching and writing about this space for many years. In fact, I'm one of those rare digital art collectors. Many know that I am also a pretty prolific rare digital artist and educator in this space as well.

If you are just joining the rare digital art industry now, don't think you are late to the party. While rare digital art is 6 years old, the earliest pioneering developments from 2014 were not widely publicized and very slow in adoption (running on top of Bitcoin, often using Counterparty). Indeed, the first 4 years of rare digital art went by without much notice. Even now, the mainstream art world remains quite slow to completely jump on the bandwagon. So we are still in the very early days of rare digital art! For example, the Italian Renaissance lasted about 200 years, and some art historians find traces of the Renaissance roughly 100 years prior to its start through the work of Giotto. 

Whether the Italian Renaissance lasted 200 or 300 years, is not the point. Rather, it is significant that when a new movement starts, the early years of that movement are never as defined as historians make them out to be. Therefore if you are in rare digital art now, congratulations, fellow pioneer! You will be one of the early ones to help define and further shape it.

Since we are the early adopters, the question at hand is "Where do we go from here?" The first step is to soberly see where we really are now. The practice of buying rare digital art is only slowly being adopted by mainstream art collectors, and much of the rare digital art industry is dominated by speculators looking to make a quick profit flipping art. 

As an old-school physical collector turned rare digital art collector, I am not a flipper or speculator. In fact, of the many rare digital artworks in my collection, I rarely sell pieces from my collection. That is because I acquired the art in the first place because I wanted it for the fun of it. The art spoke to me in a unique way and simply made me happy. So if I can add such a piece to my collection, I will, and not worry about whether or not I can make money off of it later.

Zine Machine is rare digital art by Joe Chiappetta, available on Atomic Hub.

By contrast, I do sell a nice amount of my own original artworks. That has been a practice of mine in the physical world (since the 1990s at comic book conventions) as well as in the digital world on rare digital art markets. While (literally by the grace of God) I have collectively sold hundreds of pieces of rare digital art on MakersPlace, SuperRare, Atomic Hub, Book of Orbs, and pixEOS, I can't say the same for everyone. Indeed, the opposite is true; the majority of artists--despite their great talent--are not selling much.

Unlike myself, not everyone has the benefit of 4 decades experience in the arts as well as authoring one of the longest running autobiographical comics about family like I have with Silly Daddy Comics and Silly Daddy Zine. Most folks are just starting out as artists, or are really strapped for time working odd jobs and doing art on the side. Therefore, people can't be wasting time on markets where they may never sell anything. Everyone's time is valuable. So it is important, as we shape the rare digital art economy, that we build more opportunity in it--not just for the superstars, but for everyone.

Loyal Daddy is rare digital art by Joe Chiappetta, available on Atomic Hub.

Despite the challenges of emerging artists struggling to make significant impact, artists are flocking to release new works on rare digital art markets in ever-increasing numbers. Naturally, due to the sad difference between supply and demand, as I alluded to previously, most of these artists will not sell anything there, and will soon leave the market discouraged. Some, in bitterness, may even spread a bad report about the true innovation going on in this still growing space, but don't be deceived; the best is still yet to come!

Next Steps for Rare Digital Art Markets

So what's the solution to increase demand for this kind of art? A higher quantity of serious art collectors will need a number of good reasons to jump into the rare digital art market. That's because the experience of collecting most digital art (rare or otherwise) is often--for lack of a better term--anticlimactic. It is hardly a social activity since collectors typically buy their art alone on their computers--with absolutely no fanfare. I know this because that is what I do as an art collector. 

Aside from the excitement of in-person rare digital art auctions, which are few and far between, why does collecting rare digital art hover on the sometimes anticlimactic side? It is actually a design problem. For most web sites selling rare digital art, the pieces are almost always offered in a visually dull grid layout. This is basically a 2-D catalog experience. Such design conventions have not changed since the mail order days which showcased department store catalogs of centuries gone by. That's not much different than scrolling through an Instagram art feed. Things really must change, and they can.

Gratefully, we have the technology to make those changes now. Online galleries who move to a virtual 3-D exhibit experience can be the ones who can stay relevant in an increasingly digital world.  As art-seeking and collecting becomes more of a game environment, more people will get excited about it.

The WAX community, and in particular the Atomic Hub Marketplace, is doing an incredible job at making 2-D rare digital art galleries fun, gamified, and incredibly user friendly. In fact, Atomic Hub has a "bundle" feature that allows collectors to buy multiple pieces of art in the same transaction. I liken it to the coolness and excitement of being a kid and buying a pack of trading cards. 

Digital Art Needs a Multidimensional Digital World by Joe Chiappetta. It's rare digital art available on MakersPlace.

Another example of innovation is the unlockable content feature for owners of rare digital art. MakersPlace and a growing number of other rare digital art markets have this feature. I used this feature to release my newest book, Silly Daddy Zine #1. Here's how it works: everyone can just see the cover of the book. But only those who buy it as rare digital art gain access to download the 50 page book. This unlockable download for owners is one of the most exciting new features in the industry, providing more incentive for further adoption.

Silly Daddy Zine #1 is rare digital art and a 50-page book by Joe Chiappetta, available on MakersPlace.

Looking to the future, the next bold step is to migrate the best of these current rare digital art markets, like MakersPlace and Atomic Hub, onto one virtual 3-D world that is only somewhat similar to Minecraft, Decentraland, Cryptovoxels, or Somnium Space. I say "only somewhat similar to..." because none of those sites have all of the below essential features:

VR Art Gallery Essentials

1. Exhibitors earn the rights to virtual 3-D land and wall space by purchasing affordable rare digital art in this world.
2. The virtual 3-D land to have gallery space will always be cheap and not manipulated by early speculators trying to drive up the price of land.
3. The virtual land borders keep expanding as more users exhibit in the space. Like the internet, where users can make an unlimited amount of new web pages, the same goes for wall and land space. More gets created as more is needed.
4. Collectors can explore, exhibit their collections, and still buy and sell art all in a 3-D realm.
5. The virtual 3-D gallery can be explored without a VR headset, plus users can buy and sell art without a headset too.
6. The virtual 3-D gallery world has a 2-D auto-generated counterpart for those with slower technology.
7. The 3-D world and its members have a code of conduct that adheres to the moral standard outlined in the FCC's guidelines and is a kid-friendly environment.
8. Users can create individualized exhibit space right in the 3-D environment without any coding knowledge. All necessary virtual building materials are available for free.
9. A few non-essential, yet more flashy premium gallery building materials are earned by those who buy a high volume of rare digital art, or complete defined and helpful tasks to advance the community.
10. Users can teleport to any location in the "world" quickly and easily. These links work in-world and also as links on a regular website.
11. Users can customize their own avatars.
12. The gallery does not issue its own new cryptocurrency, but rather leverages existing and widely adopted currencies. The art and art experience is the product, not another alt-coin.
13. Transactions to buy and sell art in the 3-D virtual environment can be done via credit card, PayPal, or existing crypto such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, EOS, and WAX. These cryptocurrencies are mentioned as they all have an existing and established track record of being used in current art markets. By default, financial actions on the site should be using blockchains that have no transaction fees to use the network.
14. No sign-in is needed to view and explore this world.
15. Open standards are used to foster as much continued development and international collaboration as possible. Perhaps Blockchain Game Alliance can help make this happen since they are a diverse professional coalition from a variety of blockchain and gaming platforms.
16. The environment also has 3-D games that a user can play--kind of like walking through a carnival; there's a game booth, and next to it is an art booth, including a collaborative VR drawing space, like a VR version of Dada.art. Prizes won in the game booth can include rare digital art. As an added example, imagine being able to play a great rare digital art shooter game called Spells of Genesis in a multiplayer 3-D universe and receive game points, crypto, or rare digital art as your winnings!
17. This VR cryptoart world should also have built-in user-to-user messaging (perhaps through secure chat), audio capabilities, and parental controls.
18. Designed as an ever-expanding World's Fair of Online Art, collectors can seamlessly use their avatars to explore a 3-D version of contemporary high-end Expressionist art from various galleries on one virtual block, perhaps on a street called Emotional Way. Then they would turn a corner and walk down Budget-Buy Boulevard, where all rare digital art is no more expensive than a bottle of water.
19. Such a site should also have a daily virtual newspaper, which aggregates relevant art news from this realm and sends it to members who subscribe. This would be things like how many new pieces of art were sold, created, who collects the most art, who releases the most art, who sells the most art, who has spent a lot of time on the site yet is not receiving many gallery visitors, who refers the most new users to the site through a referral code... kind of like a game leader board, but also designed to help everyone.
20. Site should have the ability for creators to upload new rare digital art of their own creation to be displayed on exhibit space owned by the artist. The operators of the site would take a commission on these sales and artist would receive the bulk of the sales. The artist could also receive a percentage of the resale commission on all secondary market sales if made via blockchain through the platform.

While it must be acknowledged that some VR art galleries are already operational (and have been for years), most just feature artists creating VR experiences as an isolated piece, not other kinds of art, and not connected to a whole VR world. Additionally, few of these galleries use cryptocurrency, none of them are household names, and they're all fragmented realms. More importantly, none of the existing sites have even a fraction of the features numbered above. Yet this is what is needed for wide consumer adoption.

That's not to say that existing VR galleries are failing or prospering; the data on that is not easily available (or reliable). Yet like the rest of the art world, these sites are typically siloed, many requiring expensive hardware to view (while this same hardware will be obsolete in a few years), and most of the existing VR galleries are hustling to make an individual name for themselves. There's nothing wrong with hustling to self-promote, but much effort must also be spent on collaborating to build a unified virtual art fair experience.

Consider this analogy as the current state of VR art galleries: disconnected food trucks with delicious food, yet non-uniform procedures exist at random, hard to find parking lots, while what is really required is a cohesive international full service food court. A combination of the above-listed elements could create a very compelling art environment that would be unprecedented, and perhaps even become the "Ready Player One" artistic universe of tomorrow... yet live in our own time. It would inspire many repeat customers, delighted to explore a dynamic virtual art market in an exciting and gamified role as art collectors, art-seekers, and new art pioneers.

Joe Chiappetta
http://SillyDaddy.net

The World's Fair of Online Art

Digital Art Needs a Multidimensional Digital World by Joe Chiappetta. It's rare digital art available on MakersPlace.

The article that originally appeared with this artwork has been heavily revised and updated here.

The Future of Art in Gaming

Gamified Art Gadget is rare digital art by Joe Chiappetta on MakersPlace.
This animated tech cartoon alludes to what must happen for the art industry to be saved.

The Future of Art in Gaming:

Revitalizing the Art Market Through Game Integration

The ability for the masses to create art has become commonplace in our highly technological society. Everyone can be an artist, especially with all the online art-making tools available now. In the past, a person needed artistic skills to make art. Now all we need are certain websites that make the art for us through a form of artificial intelligence. To reiterate, I am not talking about tools that are coming soon. I am talking about free art-making tools that are available right now. A person needs to look no farther than Artbreeder to see the truth in this.

On one hand, making art simply by pressing buttons is a good thing, since more people can express themselves creatively. On the other hand, it may not be great for those trying to sell their art in an increasingly flooded and talented market. As the supply of art increases, it's value will decrease.

Therefore the future of art--as a highly valued commodity--lies not just in creating "better" art. Rather the future of valuable art lies in creating a better art experience. When art gets integrated into gaming environments, art can get radically more fun, relevant, and valuable. The exhibit halls, galleries, and artists able to make art-viewing and collecting more of a literal game are the ones who will rise to the top of an over-saturated art market.

The Plight of the Current Art Market

Some might still argue that the art market is fine as-is and does not need fixing. People might point to a few high-profile art sales at auction. However, these stories are in a fractional minority, and in most cases, the artist gets nothing from the resale of their work at auction.

Moreover, the rate at which colleges are cranking out graduates with $100,000 art degrees is staggering because most of those poor folks end up in horrible debt with no career in the arts to show for it. According to a 2014 report on art degree results, only 10% of those with art degrees make their living in the arts. So there is a massive disconnect between what the art market can currently sustain verses the myth sold to naive art students. Such issues can only fester for so long.

Saving the Art Industry

A number of companies already see the writing on the wall for the art market and are providing solutions to this matter. Opportunity has presented itself in the form of a whole generation that has grown up with video games, craving more, more, more. Therefore some digital visionaries are making bold moves to blend art and gaming into one integrated ecosystem.

EverdreamSoft CrystalSuite, MakersPlace, pixEOS, and CryptoVoxels all have projects that combine gaming with art in various ways, providing potential economic opportunities for the entrepreneurial artist. It should come as no surprise, since I am a long-time artist and art collector, that I am an active member of these communities. In fact, I spend a good deal of time touting the benefits of these new projects because most still don't know that these opportunities exist. I drink the Kool-Aid--so to speak--as do a growing number of professionals in the art and gaming industries.

Ironically, all 4 of these projects are blockchain-based, with cryptocurrencies playing a key driver in their innovation and economic agenda. All 4 projects also have ways to issue limited-edition cryptocurrency that is tied to artwork. This effectively makes owning limited-edition digital artwork possible too.  Yet the surviving projects will not be the ones who simply flash cryptocurrencies around... or rare digital art around. Rather the attractive companies will be those who integrate payments seamlessly (as in user-friendly) into their systems while also maintaining a lively gaming and artistic atmosphere that leaves customers coming back for more.

Soon it will not be enough to just collect art, or view art. The rising population of digitally native people will want to experience new adventures with their favorite art. Games can provide the perfect vehicle for such art. Imagine a virtual game where collectors shoot at each other's avatars while holding defensive shields that take the form of particular pieces of their art collection. Perhaps the art remains digitally scarred for a week before reverting back to its original appearance. The winner of the game could receive new rare digital art from an artist. Or perhaps the winner could receive a piece of the defeated collector's art.

Or imagine a virtual 3-D world where you--as an avatar--walk through digital galleries that display art on virtual walls that prompt you to discover new art by solving mysteries or riddles. All sorts of gamified incentives can be coded into this realm. Perhaps the more artwork of other artists that you share about on social media, the more points you receive that can be traded in for new artworks. Another option is that members of this 3-D virtual art world can earn new gallery wall space to exhibit their own collections as they complete certain online games or tasks.

As you can quickly see, such experiences are well-suited for building memorable interactions, and they are exactly what is needed to keep art more relevant as a highly valued item in our fast-paced, attention-competitive society. Therefore to the galleries, curators, artists, and collectors, I pose this question as a challenge;

To build a more vibrant future, how will you gamify your corner of the art world today?

Joe Chiappetta
http://SillyDaddy.net

Rise of Crypto-Art: 3 Opportunities for Artists on the Blockchain

Blockchain Bonnet by Joe Chiappetta is available as rare digital art on the SuperRare marketplace.

An Introductory Crypto-Art Article by Joe Chiappetta of Silly Daddy Comics

An overview of opportunities for artists on the blockchain are covered here, including rare digital art, crypto community graffiti, and online crypto social meritocracy.

It’s a pretty interesting time to be alive. Especially as an artist, I have seen rapid opportunities opening up for creative people. This has been largely due to advances in cryptocurrency, blockchain technology, and high speed mobile internet. With new technology often comes new terminology, methodology, and of course, opportunity. Such is the case with a wide classification of artwork known as crypto-art, which can be very loosely defined as artwork having something to do with cryptocurrency. 

All Quiet on the Bitcoin Front by Joe Chiappetta is mixed media on paper, available as rare digital art on MakersPlace

Of course, the broad category of crypto-art includes physical artworks where the subject matter has to do with cryptocurrency, such as a tangible painting on canvas featuring a Bitcoin logo. In fact, such artworks are probably the first types of modern crypto-art. Yet this article has more to do with a newer phase of crypto-art: specifically digital art that is powered by blockchain technology.

Squiggly Rare Silly Chain by Joe Chiappetta is rare digital art available on the MakersPlace marketplace.

Indeed, cryptocurrency and the mobile web are opening up the art world in unforeseen ways. Three new categories for an artist are now available... where previously there was nothing in terms of opportunity. This crypto-art article for beginners is focused solely on existing opportunities rather than resources that will soon be available. To be even more specific, in this primer I’m talking about current ways for digital artists to increase their exposure and earn more income from their digital artwork through new developments in cryptocurrency. Opportunities covered here include the following:

1. Rare Digital Art making
2. Rare Digital Art collecting
3. Crypto Social Networks

There are actually more than 3 categories of opportunity now available, but the opportunities that I chose to highlight in this crypto-art article are in their infancy yet have large growth potential, plus they are widely available now to every artist with high-speed internet and a computer.

Crypto Bridge of Wisdom by Joe Chiappetta, available as rare digital art on SuperRare

DISCLAIMER

While I absolutely believe that this is a time of incredible and unprecedented opportunity for artists because of cryptocurrency developments, I must also add a disclaimer. Cryptocurrency is fairly new technology, somewhat unregulated, yet subject to certain tax laws and often volatile in its US Dollar equivalent highs and lows. In other words, if you do get into this field and start earning a lot, definitely consult a tax professional and know that there’s a lot of price fluctuation in the cryptocurrency market. Moreover, if you’re a risk taker, slightly tech savvy, willing to learn the tax implications, and not faint of heart, pay close attention to developments in this space, and perhaps even test the waters.

RARE DIGITAL ART or CRYPTO-COLLECTIBLES

The first and second opportunity for artists that has become new through cryptocurrency would be in the category of rare digital art: making it as well as collecting it. This category is also known as crypto-collectibles, or even digital collectibles. I personally prefer the term rare digital art, but this field is still so new, that no one really knows which term will stand out above the rest.

Payment Playground is a blockchain card by Joe Chiappetta available on Book of Orbs in the CrystalsCraft Collection

The rare digital art industry is comprised of limited edition digital artworks that are each attached to a unique cryptographic token--also known as a cryptocurrency. A record of who owns this token and its attached art is readily available on a specific blockchain. Cryptocurrency runs on a "chain" of typically unalterable data, grouped in sequential "blocks." That's where the term blockchain comes from.

Often for those first hearing about the concept of rare digital art, an important question comes up. "Why would anyone want to spend money to own digital art when anyone can just copy the artwork file for free from the Internet to their own computer?" The answer is just as simple. Indeed, some will simply copy the file from the Internet. Yet certain collectors want more. These collectors will want to own the digital art that was personally issued directly by the artist in verifiably limited quantities. Blockchain has made this possible, and collectors are already doing exactly that. Moreover, many of these collectors choose to show off their collections to the public. Again, blockchain has made ownership of digital goods a new reality.

As a quick reference, here is a bulleted list that answers this common question:

Why Own Rare Digital Art When I Can Copy It for Free?

• Prestige of Ownership
• Collectible
• Tradable
• Portable
• Curation Statement
• Pioneering
• Patronage
• Safe Crypto Use-Case

Another concept to keep in mind is that there are many different blockchains that have been created. In fact there are well over 2,000 separate blockchains, yet many of them will amount to nothing special. CoinMarketCap, a site that lists key metrics on most cryptocurrencies, currently shows that there are at least 2,070 different cryptocurrencies.

Gratefully we can just focus now on the main blockchains that are in the widest use today to release and sell art directly on the blockchain. Presently there are only a handful. The blockchains that are currently in very wide usage to issue rare digital art include the Bitcoin blockchain (through an add-on crypto-data layer called Counterparty), and the Ethereum blockchain.

Since blockchain data can't be easily altered, and the data is verifiable by anyone, digital scarcity is now a real option for any piece of digital artwork. This means that digital art can now be issued in limited editions and collected for its level of rarity on the blockchain! Such collectible art is packaged in at least two different forms: (1) rare digital game items and (2) independent rare digital artwork.

1. Rare Digital Game Items: This refers to various unique digital game items that interact and function as game pieces within a larger gaming ecosystem. 

   

   Heavenly Shepherd blockchain card playable in Spells of Genesis mobile game

   One fine example would be the Spells of Genesis blockchain cards that are playable in their online game and tradeable on the blockchain. Incidentally, EverdreamSoft, the Swiss company that makes this cool game and issues its blockchain cards, holds the distinct honor of being the very first to ever issue rare digital art.
2. Independent Rare Digital Artwork: This refers to stand-alone, limited edition digital art pieces, both as static images as well as animated artworks.

CrystalsCraft Collection (launched March 2018) on Book of Orbs marketplace contains many Joe Chiappetta blockchain cards.

I have sold an incredible amount of my comics in the rare digital art marketplace. Naturally, I look forward to issuing more of my art there, as well as other key places. Many markets already exist out there for rare digital art, additionally known as non-fungible tokens (but I sure hope that odd, techie name referring to the art's non-interchangeable and unique nature doesn't stick). 

Joe Chiappetta rare digital art store on the MakersPlace market

Markets that I favor for issuing and also collecting rare digital art (because I personally use these particular markets) are many and varied, probably because I am pretty prolific. Therefore I like to diversify, having my art on a number of markets, based on where I think the art will sell the best. These crypto-collectible markets include:

• MakersPlace (using Ethereum or a credit card)
• SuperRare (using Ethereum)
• Book of Orbs (using BitCrystals, a Counterparty token running on Bitcoin)
• Cryptographics (using Ethereum)
• RARE Art Labs (using Ethereum)
• CryptoSketches (using Ethereum)

Street sign illustration by Joe Chiappetta pointing the way to some of the many crypto-collectible marketplaces

There are many additional rare digital art markets, with new ones launching every quarter. I suppose no one person--other than a die-hard crypto-art researcher--could cover them all thoroughly. The markets that I use are working for me and have a nice track record of professional accomplishment. Of course, as time and opportunity permits, I am open to trying additional markets.

The Collectible Vitalik is a vector drawing of Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin, by Joe Chiappetta on CryptoSketches

As a specific market for minimalist rare digital art, CryptoSketches deserves a bit more attention because of its groundbreaking nature. When I say minimalist, I mean line drawings that take about 40 strokes or under to complete. It is the only site I know of currently where anyone can instantly make a minimalist drawing directly into the CryptoSketches drawing app and that art becomes a piece of finished rare digital art on the Ethereum blockchain within the hour (or as soon as the transaction is cleared on the Ethereum network). This means your art is available for sale with no human approval necessary--and in the same hour that you created it.

Artists will need much more Ethereum than usual to issue their art in this particular platform. On other Ethereum platforms it currently only costs a few cents to issue rare digital art. But on CryptoSketches, the transaction fee to issue rare digital art is currently between $3 and $6. My guess is that this is probably because there is way more data in a CryptoSketches smart contract since each drawing's vector data is contained in the transaction, making it more expensive to run that transaction through the Ethereum network. I think of these expense, high or low, as if they were postage costs to send my work to a global market. That expense also weeds out spam artists who would otherwise flood the market with junk.

Another nice feature of CryptoSketches is that when you view finished pieces in the market, a replay of the drawing process is automatically generated. Currently, this might only be viewable to those who have the MetaMask browser installed. If you do have MetaMask, see the drawing replay example here of my ETHmobile art.

These unique features make CryptoSketches first-in-class for being the only app (so far) for direct draw-to-market issuance of rare digital art that also includes a video replay of the creative process. I am going to rephrase these features because it is a huge innovation for the entire art world. Think about it; where else can any artist quickly draw digital art and in that same action, directly and immediately issue that art onto the market for sale as a one-of-a-kind piece of rare digital art?

Since this is a vector based app, the built-in video-redraw features also gives CryptoSketches that added bonus of being able to review the exact creative process for each piece of art issued on its marketplace. This video replay turns the art into more than a static image owned by a unique collector on the blockchain. That collector is also buying the exact artistic process. In other words, what the collector also owns is not just the finished art, but also the code that replays the lines that made the art. How cool is that?

Cryptographics, mentioned earlier as another fine market for rare digital art, is also groundbreaking in so many ways. It is a generative art site, meaning that artists go there to add (or generate) unpredictable elements of randomness to their art. Additionally on Cryptographics, one artist's work can even be combined automatically with another artists work. This creates new hybrid artworks, where all contributing artists get a portion of the hybrid art sale for each crypto-collectible generated.

Blockchain Kingdom is rare digital art by Joe Chiappetta available on Cryptographics marketplace

While being one of the newest sites that I issue rare digital art through, Cryptographics has instantly earned my respect as one of the most innovative and useful tools that a visual artist could utilize in this ever-changing digital age. In fact, I even wrote a more in-depth review of Cryptographics after using it extensively.

Asset pack created by Joe Chiappetta on Cryptographics allows others to create crypto-art with Chiappetta's art.

CRYPTO SOCIAL NETWORKS

An additional new opportunity for artists is in online crypto social networks. Once example of this is the site Steemit. Therein, creators can post their art, not merely for "likes" that don’t transfer into value, but "likes" that transfer into earning cryptocurrency that can (possibly) have a real world financial value: some only in fractions of a penny, yet others in higher dollar amounts.

Steemit screenshot of Joe Chiappetta posts shows upvote earnings in USD.

However keep in mind that for most people, these crypto-social media earnings will not be enough to live on, and I would guess that some of these sites will not thrive since the market could get flooded or just plain fickle. Remember MySpace? There are only so many social media sites a person can be active on at any given time.

Most of these crypto social networks could also be called crypto social meritocracies. I use the term "meritocracy" because on these sites, the more you contribute, in terms of time into the community and value-added to the community, the more your presence there often earns you a reputation score that in turn, earns you more cryptocurrency. In other words, this is artistic social activity and earnings based largely on what you do, not on race, social class, gender, or past accomplishments. These meritocracies measure what you contribute now for the community, usually in the form of content creation as well as thoughtful curation of other people’s creative work.

Keep in mind that each crypto social network usually mints its own unique cryptocurrency. Some of these crypto coins are worth a decent amount if you accumulate enough of them over time. Yet others are worth almost nothing.

Summing up the category of Online Crypto Social Meritocracy, if you want to post your artwork on the web and earn some cryptocurrency while doing so, this is a definite way to do that. I am not saying that non-crypto-social media has no value. In fact I still use such sites for publicity, yet in a much reduced capacity because there is no financial compensation for contributing to these sites.

Therefore, as an entrepreneur, I have to look at what gives the most value for my time. Many artists already post their work only on non-crypto sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, yet get absolutely no monetary compensation in return for their consistent contributions to these sites. Been there. Done that. Might as well move to where some compensation exists and start getting paid in crypto for our time on the site. Then in the process, we may also find a new tribe of like-minded, creative-crypto people.

Crypto-Art Conclusion

With all of these new categories of opportunity for digital artists, there is a bit of a learning curve to know how to access the full benefits of these new systems--or even where to start first. Yet artists are learners, risk takers, and observant people themselves. In time those who want to be part of this new crypto-art movement will learn the ins and outs as lifelong learners.

I hope this introductory article on how artists are migrating their business onto the blockchain for increased growth has stirred your curiosity--to say the least. In all my years as an artist I have never seen so much rapid development and economic opportunity for the creative mind. There is no way to tell how rapidly these markets will grow. Neither is there any way to determine which of the opportunities discussed here will be the most beneficial. Therefore, over time, perhaps look into each category. Test the crypto-waters, so to speak. As for me, I will be looking forward to these and probably many more art innovations as crypto-markets mature and increase in adoption. Hopefully, I will see you around the crypto-art universe too!

Joe Chiappetta
http://SillyDaddy.net

Bitcoin for Silly Daddy - A Journey into Cryptocurrency

How many years are we away from a scenario where paper money is frowned upon and even rejected?

Of course no person in their right mind would be so ungrateful (or foolish) as to turn down any form of currency as a gift. But there could come a time when early adopters of cryptocurrency actually prefer to receive money exclusively in bitcoin or other alternative digital currencies. What is Bitcoin? It's a new kind of encrypted digital currency that is already being used on a global scale. The future is here now. And it is not just limited to Bitcoin. There are many other rising digital assets that operate like coins, tokens, and currencies on a new and digital level. For example, Ethereum is another of these rising new cryptocurrencies to watch.

The Tribe of Crypto-Enthusiasts

Cryptocurrency users are usually highly proactive about how to help newcomers cross over to wider digital currency usage. More and more, cryptocurrency users will teach others how to understand and use these new assets. It's been going on for many years already. This is a rapidly expanding and real movement: the Bitcoin Movement, the Cryptocurrency Movement, the Digital Asset Explosion. The names may vary, but the results are world-changing, largely because avid users of these cryptocurrencies operate not unlike a tribe. These groupings of people with shared values are collectively bringing our culture to parts unknown.

While much excitement is associated with all of these digital innovations, no form of money or asset should ever be a cause to live for. People must live for things eternal, and helping others along the way. Nevertheless, every movement needs at least a few good cartoons. Here I offer a Cryptocurrency Movement cartoon from the Silly Daddy Comics Universe. You might even call this a cryptocomic.

As a cartoonist, I am looking with a keen eye to see the mediums in which cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum can advance and prosper for all parties involved, because creators and entrepreneurs can benefit from certain paradigm shifts. I remember when webcomics were a new concept in the beginning of the Internet. Early adopters were trying to figure out an easy way to send micropayments to creators. That never really got off the ground... until recently. Indeed, cryptocurrency and comics make a great combo for an online tipping platform. It will be fun to see what the future holds and watch as more people get on board the crypto-ship.

Calculated Risk

Before jumping in on the cryptocurrency bandwagon, there's a lot more information that a person must weigh out. Most investments (including buying things like Bitcoin) are really calculated risks. It's not much different than gambling, which is mostly about odds, chances, and even gut level feelings. But a calculated risk--an investment--in any cryptocurrency like Bitcoin or Ethereum is best done after a person reviews enough information to make an educated decision. Each person needs to determine if their level of risk is acceptable. The main difference between a gamble and a calculated risk is that with the latter, there are more concrete facts to absorb and assess first. Gratefully, there now exists a wealth of tools and analysis, both pro and con, available about cryptocurrencies so that educated decisions can be made. In the end, each person makes their own choice.

In the case of Bitcoin, Ethereum, and a number of other alt-coins, people who hold these assets right now do get a real value for it. This isn't a case of "maybe this will be worth something some day." These digital assets are worth something right now. In the case of Bitcoin, a holder of the cryptocurrency can even use it to buy all sorts of things instantly at this very moment online.

Peeking into the Crypto-Future

As for the future, only God knows what will really take root, whether it be Bitcoin, Ethereum, the US Dollar, or even some other cryptocurrency. Perhaps one day, I may even launch ComicCoin, or SillyDaddy Dollars as digital assets. Yet for now, based on all the information I have absorbed, I believe Bitcoin, Ethereum, as well as the US Dollar have a place in all of our futures. Despite controversy surrounding each of these currencies, they each have a lot of support and a lot of motivated people/organizations fighting diligently for each currency's perpetual establishment and expansion.

Therefore, unforeseen apocalyptic events aside, I imagine that there will be a significant place for cryptocurrency and the US Dollar in the years to come.

Original Pencil Cover Art from Star Chosen Novel

Pencil drawing on 8.5" x 11" paper by Joe Chiappetta 2010

Here is the original black and white cover art from my Star Chosen science fiction novel. It took quite a while to draw this action-packed cover. In retrospect, it would have been a lot easier to work on all the fine futuristic cityscape details if I had made the pencil drawing on giant-sized paper. You might notice a few gaping holes in the diving spacecraft. Those holes are not due to manufacturer defect. The ship is under attack, as can be found in this all-ages space opera.

Picturing the likeness of the characters for the cover of this full length novel, I tried to capture the looks of a number of real people familiar and dear to me. The character at the front of the hovercraft is modeled after my dad. The guy on the statue is modeled after Jay Shelbrack. The guy falling out of nowhere is modeled after Greg Biggs. And the statue is... well I can't say, as that will give away an important surprise element of the book.

Notice that the original pencil book title logo is very different than the final version that ended up on the printed book and eBook. You can also compare how different this pencil image looks against the final color book cover by going to the Star Chosen sci-fi novel ordering page for this book.

Or go directly to Amazon to order this epic sci-fi novel that is basically Star Trek meets the Bible meets Silly Daddy!

Armed with Intergalactic Weapons: a science fiction eBook

My true conversion story, retold as if it were an illustrated epic sci-fi novella:

This is my autobiographical science fiction story of how a space boy becomes a fighter and an artist--on the wrong and right sides in the galactic battle between good and evil. As a two-fisted comic book artist on the way to becoming a creative super star wars against society, he increasingly questions why his career keeps destroying his close relationships. Will this young man of violence turn into a full-fledged killer, or will he reform his life and join an intergalactic movement to change the universe? As space colonization advances to distant planets, the roles of family and faith become more and more estranged in this sci-fi tale of redemption. Welcome to the out-of-this-world conversion of award winning virtual cartoonist, Joe Chiappetta (Silly Daddy). Contains 13,300 words with 42 illustrations.

Book Ordering Details

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Armed with Intergalactic Weapons is an original scifi story by Joe Chiappetta. It takes place in the Silly Daddy universe of an imaginary future, yet contains true accounts, slightly altered to fit into a science fiction setting. I've been working on the novel off and on for the past 12 years. While the book is not a sequel to the "Star Chosen" sci-fi novel, there are a few overlapping plot elements that the sci-fi loving fan will find intriguing. In fact, some might even call this new autobiographical science fiction book a pre-prequel to Star Chosen.

Definition of Autobiographical Science Fiction

For those that aren't familiar, "Autobiographical Science Fiction," as I am sure you could have guessed, is a sub-genre of Science Fiction, and an offshoot of Autobiography. It's basically true-to-life accounts of the author's life, but remixed into a sci-fi setting. Basically I took my life story (thus far) and rewrote it as if I had lived in the future within a science fiction timeline. All my life events, feelings, and thoughts that happened in this story are completely accurate, yet set in a sci-fi universe. So I would define autobiographical science fiction as a true life story written by an author about him or herself, yet set in a futuristic or technologically altered universe.

Read a short excerpt from this science fiction eBook:

Armed With Intergalactic Weapons Not Of This World:

The autobiographical science fiction voyage of Silly Daddy
By Joe Chiappetta

I am one day old.

My dad sees me for the first time through the hallway window of the maternity ward at Chicago Spaceport Hospital. This is my father's second child, but his very first son.

"Sons born in space are statistically more restless than sons born on the planets," says the medical robot to my dad. "Therefore, remember to instill discipline into your child. Statistics also show that eighty-four percent of..."

From a sterile corridor bursting with hi-tech medical equipment, my father interrupts, "Thanks Doc Tinhead. I'm going to see my kid now."

After taking a good look at me, my father turns to my grandfather and says with a proud smile, "It looks like my son boxed ten rounds with prizefighter Rocky Marciano... and lost!"

The reference to my slightly crooked nose combined with mention of the greatest ancient Italian-American boxer of all time is a good thing. It's a sign of parental approval, and big aspirations. From day one, as the hovering robot nurses clean the birthing fluids off of me, it seems to be decided; Joe Chiappetta is a fighter.

~(+)~

I am five years old.

Welcome to the Borwyn, a densely populated, but usually peaceful planet. The floor of our apartment pod is covered with holographic pictures of superheroes. The green shag carpet is bursting with the most colorful heroic poses that twenty-five credits can buy.

I have downloaded the superhero images from the beginnings of my comic eBook collection and projected all the characters out onto the carpeted living room floor. You can barely walk in here without stepping through one of these full color 3D heroes: Moon-Spider Man, Subspace Mariner, Byte-Man, Super-Robo Man, Captain Earthica, the Fantastic Fandroids, the Bio-Hulk, Astro-Thor, and Waffle-Iron Man. It is such a brilliant sight.

All my heroes... they almost come alive, fighting for what is right. They save the universe and oppose the forces of evil on a daily basis, most of them with intergalactic weapons not of this world. A thought occurs to me; "That is what I want to do."

As the years go by, and human colonization of space marches on, I will be stirring up a recurring question with an elusive answer; "How did everything change? I was supposed to be a hero."

~(+)~

I am eleven years old.

My family has relocated to Planet Roadview. The planet is not much different then neighboring Borwyn. But on Roadview, the virtual school district is a little better. At least that's what the search engines say.

Many skills have I acquired to draw the super heroes I have admired for ages. However, drawing superheroes isn't actually the most action-packed thing for a young boy to do. My dad even reads me a report about the future of artists. It says that soon, people with no talent at all may be able to be fitted with implants to give them various skills. "So don't focus on art, Joey," says my dad, "because soon, everyone will be able to do that easily. Besides, a kid needs to be active, and tough."

Therefore, my dad enrolls me in the Comet-Cats Wrestling Club. We practice three or four nights a week, and mind you, this isn't easy virtual T-ball kid stuff. Our practices are physically demanding. The whole team goes home exhausted after every practice. It's one of the few sports on the planet that is still physical, not virtual.

Furthermore, this means that I can't participate in Battlestar Fantastica--the greatest space opera interactive movie series a boy could ever imagine! Only on Wednesday nights is this show on for free. All other nights, you have to pay. Therefore, every Wednesday evening, on the way to wrestling practice, I sigh and rationalize in my mind, "Becoming good or even great at something is not easy. It sure takes sacrifice. Is being able to throw another guy down to the ground nine different ways... Is that worth me not being able to watch guys in spaceships battle evil robots online?"

For now, that deep question goes unanswered, and I miss all the best free interactive shows of my formative years. They all seem to fall on a night when we have wrestling practice. However, I do become a lean, mean, fighting machine, qualifying for the State Tournament on Satellite Cicero three years in a row. I have big muscles, trophies, and a buzz cut to show for it.

My childhood becomes stamped with competitive and unforgettable statements from my dad; "When you take someone down in a headlock, Joey, don't just take them down like you're a ballerina. Make sure they remember you--make it painful, with a little knuckle in the side, or a chin in the back. Win or lose, your opponent will think twice about ever going up against you."

My grappling success comes as no surprise. Between my dad, an ancient karate black belt, and my cousin, the smartest coach in the galaxy, plus their friend, DeeDee, the most charismatic and hard working robotic coach ever, I am poised for success. In fact, everyone these three coaches train becomes a formidable fighter, on and off the mat.

Nevertheless, by the middle of virtual high school, I start to burn out. I can beat most of my opponents, but so what? It's not like I'm fighting super villains or space pirates.

What's the point? Was wrestling success really worth giving up Battlestar Fantastica? Will I ever find out why those evil robots hate humans so much? Oh, what's the point of anything?

Walking away from the wrestling mat for the last time, with sore knees and a bad back, I begin to nurse a deadly combination of three character traits; I am tough, bitter, and ungrateful. Conclusively, I make a decision; "The next time I decide to fight for something, it had better be worth it!"

~(+)~

End of excerpt.
Order eBook Armed with Intergalactic Weapons from Amazon.

Silly Daddy in Space eBook

Putting the Hyper back in hyperspace! Taking a lighthearted yet insightful view of the future, Xeric Award winning cartoonist Joe Chiappetta pokes fun at science fiction, robots, aliens, futuristic gadgets, and unknown events to come. In typical Silly Daddy style, this comic book is filtered through the endearing eyes of Chiappetta's children as well as his own experience as a sci-fi loving husband and father of three.

Ideal for geek dads, geek moms, and anyone looking for good, clean, deep space laughs. It's sci-fi satire safe for all ages and androids too! Inside jokes and parodies abound for fans of Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, and Star Trek. The colorful cast of offworld characters includes Office Space Girl, Christian Robot, funny and weird aliens, plus the whole family.

This eBook comic book is loaded with 72 comics and illustrations plus 12,000 word cartoonist commentary--all either funny, profound, or profoundly funny. Also includes comics colored by Denise Chiappetta as well as a bonus spaceship story by Joe and Luke Chiappetta.

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Note: Please don't confuse the above sci-fi themed comic book with the all-text science fiction novel (Star Chosen) that I released earlier in 2010. They are two totally different books. But if you like one, you will like the other.

Star Chosen - Science Fiction Novel - Book Ordering Page

Star Chosen: a sci-fi novel of biblical proportions

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Paperback, 342 pages including over 100 illustrations
Available in paperback, eBook, or audiobook
Joe Chiappetta dares to write apocalyptic science fiction for the whole family! Think "Star Trek" meets the Bible.

Deleting history was just the beginning. Blast off with STAR CHOSEN, a family-friendly space opera! After war, heartbreak, attacks to your faith, and the erasure of all history and culture, whose side will you fight on: the Proud... or the Chosen?

Xeric Award winner and Ignatz Award nominee Joe Chiappetta crafts "Star Chosen," a science fiction epic for all ages. In a time yet to come, the high-tech Faith War threatens to destroy all religions across the universe. The term "Christian" has been completely eradicated from all culture in a war-torn galaxy.

One small yet bold group, known as "the Chosen," survives due to a miraculous favor from a mysterious military man. In intergalactic combat and matters of destruction, this military man knows no equal. Yet on the home front, his family is falling apart. Unlike most families of the future, torn to bits by addiction to virtual reality game products, this man's family crumbles under his terrible involvement with weapons of experimental technology.

As the man continues to cross paths with the kind-hearted Chosen people, he dreams for a chance at redemption with his wife and daughter, who have disappeared to an unknown planet. He's all too aware that his journey may be shattered by a futuristic conspiracy full of intrigue and high-tech secrecy.

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ISBN 978-0-9644323-2-1
Library of Congress Control Number: 2010903400

This is an action packed, thought provoking Christian science fiction. Be prepared to read this faithful adventure cover to cover, as readers say they can't put it down. As biblical speculative fiction goes, Star Chosen will take you on a space flight that will challenge your faith and entertain at the same time.