More Monkes

I don't know how to describe how cool @MoreMonkes is, but it's one of the best monkey PFPs that I've ever had.

It's simple, clean, and adorable.

I'm not complaining, but most of the ape/monkey derivatives are so flashy and in your face.

But this is subtle.

I can feel the fresh approach; simple form factor, crayon palettes, paper texture, and grunge shading.

It's more like a school kid made it for me.

I love it!

This project was minted in stealth mode without any roadmap. Just to fill the CT with tiny monkeys; a pure fun-based initiative.

But now it's under the radar of popular figures, so exciting things can happen.

So NFA, just get one for the art.

I snatched two a couple of days back, and I'm looking forward to getting more.

Here's the link: https://magiceden.io/marketplace/more_monkes

More Monkes

Fantasy

I picked up this art a couple of months back because it reminds me of Indonesia. 

To know more, read below.

Artist: @xubizxxx
Marketplace: @objktcom 
Chain: @tezos

https://objkt.com/asset/KT1TkbPcM67jWnnMQpph1qV6T3ZT74ZSHM88/0

Indonesia is one of the countries with strict drug laws. Possession of cannabis can get you jailed for up to 12 years with a hefty fine and a life sentence for cultivation.

But centuries ago, cannabis was an inevitable herb around Java and Sumatra, especially in Aceh.

Aceh is a region in Northern Sumatra where cannabis is still intertwined in the culture, from cuisine to medicine to intoxication.

Even under the strict law, the government doesn't interfere much in the cultivation and usage of the Aceh region.

For the sake of the media, sometimes the police burn hectares of hemp fields in Aceh and raid sellers who smuggle cannabis out of Aceh.


But in reality, cannabis usage is popular.

I think it's because of the consequences of the past freedom movement that happened in Aceh called Gerakan Aceh Merdeka, a.k.a. the Free Aceh Movement, which started during the late 70's until 2005.

Another interesting fact about Aceh is that it is the cornerstone of Islam in Indonesia and the only province in Indonesia that follows strict Sharia law.

There is a lot of controversy between human rights & religious rights, but it's still semi-detached from the nationwide law.

Now when I connect the dots, @xubizxxx artwork makes sense to me and it depicts the socio-political situation of Aceh.

"Weed fields in Anatolia. That is the fantasy", 
and for me that fantasy is Aceh.

When it comes to the artworks of @xubizxxx, the majority of them depict the stories and lives of people from the Middle East in a psychedelic palette; those who are victims of a never-ending conflict between human rights and religious rights.

There is an old saying, "A picture is worth a thousand words". 

So better you check out his work on Tezos - https://objkt.com/profile/xubixxx/created

And follow @xubizxxx for more


Fantasy by Xubizxxx

GNOCCI BOY x YHIB

I picked up this artwork last month because the layout reminds me of the Excise stamp (a.k.a. beer stamp) issued by the US during the 1870's.

Artist: @YourHalfsBigger x @mikegrillmadeit
Marketplace: @objktcom 
Chain: @tezos

https://objkt.com/asset/KT1PqbQtgZR5m2QH8XTC7SLXmCP67ZzzmKvH/17

The beer stamp is the same as the revenue seal that you see in liquor or cigarette boxes nowadays. which is issued to brewers as a big sheet and each stamp is cut from it and used as a seal over the opening in a barrel of beer.

For reference, adding a couple of beer stamps below

The artwork is not purely a beer stamp design; it's more like a fusion of features from beer stamps like layout and ornaments with features from dollars like engraving and the treasury seal.

"GNOCCI BOY x YHIB" is part of a 16-item collection called "YHIB x 404", and each artwork is a collaboration with popular projects and artists.

If you like to collect, check it out here - https://objkt.com/collection/KT1PqbQtgZR5m2QH8XTC7SLXmCP67ZzzmKvH

#tezos #nft #nftcollector #nftartist

GNOCCI BOY x YHIB

Why did I start collecting digital artwork now?

What stopped me from collecting it before?

How do NFT and other technologies encourage me to start?

🧵

As a child, I collected a lot of things, from wrappers to tickets to matchboxes to any random good-looking thing that I found on the road.

Over time, it became serious and narrowed my taste to postage stamps, postcards, vinyl records, CDs, and cassettes.

Now NFT'ed artworks.

Digital artwork was there even before the NFT, but what blocked me from collecting were mainly three factors.

- Proof of Authenticity
- Proof of Ownership
- Preservation

1/ Proof of Authenticity

Being a serious collector, I care about what I collect. Always do multiple checks before getting it, even from a whitelisted dealer.

In a tangible world, it's quite hard to keep your collection authentic, and now imagine it in a digital world.

Even if it's an NFT'ed artwork or not, the authenticity is still a question mark.

In some premium marketplaces, there will be a dedicated team to verify and flag the fakes. But in high volume markets, it will be difficult.

As a collector, there will be times when we face fakes and counterfeits, and it is an inevitable part of collecting. 

So it's always good to have a checklist, especially when purchasing from platforms that don't have a pest control system in place.

2/ Proof of Ownership

This is where the NFTs play a role.

Every NFT that is minted on a blockchain has a creator and an owner. And when the NFT gets transferred, it will get recorded on the blockchain. This transaction history is enough to track and prove the ownership.

3/ Preservation

Even if you are an amateur or a professional collector, preservation is your prime responsibility.

In the case of tangible items, you need to take care of multiple factors like dust, humidity, and pests, which will destroy your collection.

For digital collectibles, you don't need to worry about dust or humidity. But, you need to worry about permanent data loss, which is more painful than the slow death of physical items.

Imagine you saved all your digital artwork on a hard drive, and suddenly it stops working.

Or you stored it in the cloud and the provider abruptly terminated the service.

Both are equally destructive.

So how can we preserve our collection forever?

There are solutions like Arewave and Pinata available, but we are in a pre-mature stage, especially in preserving digital files.

But by looking at the current initiatives and innovation happening in the storage space, the future is bright.

To wrap-up, I would say we are at an early stage of collecting NFT'ed artworks. And we have good enough tools and solutions to take care of the collection. But the cognitive load of maintaining the collection is a bit high at the moment.

Over time, I strongly believe this space will grow and become more accessible to even non-tech-savvy people by simplifying and automating the process of collecting, maintaining, and showcasing artwork.

For me, I'm loving this new hobby and enjoying this space. And the best part is that I can talk with the artists/creators and get inspired; it's a different feel all together.

Cheers to all the artists and collectors.

❤️

Why did I start collecting digital artwork now?

Adventure of K&K - 14

illustration, comic, sci-fi, fantasy, adventure

Artist: @ErkiSchotter 
Marketplace: @objktcom 
Chain: @tezos 
Collection ID: 202206 / 0013


Lush green forests, fiery dungeons, gigantic pyramids, and mystical mountains. The journey of Keenan and Kiki across Sotuland is a perfect blend of adventure, myth, and sci-fi fantasy, narrated in a classic comics style.

Adventure of K&K - 13

Collection ID: 202206 / 0017

One of the main reasons why I purchased this artwork is because of the roadmap.

You can check it out here: https://sotuland.com/roadmap/ - "By collecting NFTs, you will help to create the Adventures of K&K universe and ultimately create a comic book series."

Adventure of K&K - 5

Collection ID: 202206 / 0018

This project is a good example of how an independent artist can leverage the power of NFT marketplaces to raise funds to support their dreams.

More than that, a good approach to building and maintaining a user base.

Adventure of K&K - 15

Collection ID: 202206 / 0015

To wrap up, "Adventures of K&K" is an amazing initiative, I really appreciate and support it. 

If you'd like to support, get your artworks here: https://objkt.com/collection/KT1RN5u3dn5tuGRJdRUxvCBSZaTYxMEwcHjj

I look forward to collecting more.

All the best @ErkiSchotter 

❤️ 


Adventure of K&K by ErkiSchotter

Paranoia Season

Illustration, Fictional

Artist: @manggran 
Marketplace: @objktcom
Chain: @tezos
Collection ID: 202206 / 0007

https://objkt.com/asset/hicetnunc/698761


This artwork reminds me of an illustrated book that I used to have about the exploration era.

Especially the composition. It reminds me of scenes from that book where the explorers meet the tribes.

But I would love to hear @manggran's perspective about this work.

Btw if you are looking for a new PFP, check out @manggran's project called "Manggran's Face".

https://objkt.com/collection/KT1GLjXcLNxpW46oJGZ9T8C7mNui7qcWfvc5

Compared with most of the PFP projects, it's vibrant and unique. especially the palette and signature eyes 👀

#tezos #nft #nftcollector #nftartist


Paranoia Season by Manggran

Security for NFT Artists

After talking with multiple NFT artists, one thing I realised is that most of the artists are using a single wallet to manage all transactions.

But using a single wallet will increase the chance of getting rugged or scammed.

So how can we prevent it?

From a security standpoint, I recommend all artists should maintain a three-layer wallet system.

- Layer 1: Burner Wallet
- Layer 2: Main Wallet
- Layer 3: Cold Wallet


Layer 1: Burner Wallet

Burner wallet is pretty popular among degens players, where you don't keep your valuables. Instead, you just load it with the tokens that are required to cover the gas fees.

There are a lot of phishing scams out there in the form of free mints and giveaways, which by default have an "all approve" permission.

If you are using a single wallet to interact with such contracts, then all your assets and valuables get drained in a matter of clicks.

Not only phishing, you can also expect social engineering attacks.

Where people get in touch with you in the name of collaboration and work their way up to building trust. Later, they ask you to connect your wallet to a website and boom.

So the thumb rule is to never ever connect your wallet to an unverified source.

But your gut feeling is telling you to connect, then use the burner wallet.

Layer 2: Main Wallet

This is the wallet that you use to connect to verified sources like platforms, protocols, and exchanges. 

One rule you can attach to the wallet is that, I will only connect this wallet to the official links from my bookmarks, never from any other sources.

It's good practise to bookmark the official links of platforms, protocols, and exchanges that you frequently use, so that you can avoid clicking on spam and phishing links.

Compared with the burner, the main wallet is limited to interacting only with contracts that you trust.

Layer 3: Cold Wallet

This is your safe vault, where you don't interact with any contracts at all.

Sometimes people refer to hardware wallets as "cold wallets," but that's not true. Cold wallets are defined based on how you use them.

A cold wallet can be any wallet that you never use to interact with contracts and keep it offline.

Just move your assets to and from the main wallet, and keep it offline. It's more like a freeze on your assets.


I pretty much covered the aspects of the three-layer wallet system.

As a revision:

- Use a burner wallet to ape into any contract.
- If anyone asks you to interact with a contract, use the burner.
- Beware of phishing, scams, and social engineering attacks.

- Keep your main wallet interaction limited to a set of trusted contracts.
- Always bookmark the official link to avoid phishing and scams.
- For long term plays, use a cold wallet and freeze your assets.

Three-layer wallets are only a small part of crypto security. If you like to read more about it, check out the thread by @thedefiedge 

https://twitter.com/thedefiedge/status/1504127620157358081?s=20&t=6Xd-olkHEFt-7QuzW7HSgg

Security is all about patience and discipline.

Stay safe and have a great day!

For future reference, you can bookmark the unrolled version of this thread here: https://typefully.com/PseudoCode88/1JibQWM

A Three-layer Wallet System

Scattersol

Abstract, Glitch, Pixelated, 80s Digital

Artist: @kit_valo 
Marketplace: @objktcom
Chain: @tezos
Collection ID: 202206-002

https://objkt.com/asset/hicetnunc/742813


I was scrolling through the explore page on @objkt and found this artwork, and for some reason, it reminds me of the album art of a Techno/Progressive House album called "Dubnobasswithmyheadman" by Underground, released in 1994.

There is no 1:1 similitude with the album art, but for some reason, Scattersol's palette, lines, and glitches remind me of the pattern on the sides of the album cover.


About the album: "It's monumental; a pioneered version of techno."

Some people always have a misconception about techno music, which is full of bass, noise, and vertigo. But still, there is always a yin and yang, and dubnobasswithmyheadman, it's on the brighter side.

Years back, this album was on full repeat. And it was on yesterday. After a long time, I went back and played the album. It's all because of this artwork.

I feel thankful to the artist for reminding me about this album.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kog7h-Mfv5sc02JhwsXqQOHlFtyTTeu-s

#tezos #nft

Scattersol by KitValo

PaperBuddhaBuddy - 078 

Collage, Buddhism, Tibetan, Thangka, Cosmic, Vintage Sci-fi

Artist: @paperbuddha 
Marketplace: @objktcom 
Chain: @tezos
Collection ID: 202206-001

https://objkt.com/asset/KT1BtqNrG4JcLawpwUNLr9AgBYfcmuFyL7hp/82


@paperbuddha is one of my favourite projects. I have been browsing through the collection for the last three months without knowing where to start. Finally, I collected my first piece two days back.

Why is it one of my favourite projects? because I'm a big fan of Tibetan art, especially the Thangkas. I still remember clicking the pics of almost all the thangkas from the first Tibetan monastery that I visited back in 2006.

Thangkas are so expressive, colourful, and deep in detail. It requires a highly trained skillset where the artist needs to care about the measurement and proportions following a guideline and even in picking colours because each colour has a different meaning.

In the case of @paperbuddha, it's not 100% traditional thangka, but the interesting part is the way the artist included vintage sci-fi elements to make it more cosmic and spaced out. In my opinion, this cultural blend makes it a unique expression, and I love it.

#tezos #nfts

NFT Art Collection: ID #202206-001

Want to start collecting NFT art, but worried about high gas fees and hefty price tags.

Then @objktcom is the right place to start.

It's a platform of admirable talents with endless artworks in different styles, from manga to pop, to abstract to kitsch, you name it.

Compared with the look and feel of other popular marketplaces, it might look bland.

But it's simple and usable.

Maybe you will find difficulty when you land on the explore page, but the 'Tags' in the filter section is going to be your time saver.

When you find something you like, go to the artist's profile, check who they are following, what they collected, and keep diving.

That's pretty much what I do.

So to start, set up a wallet @TempleWallet or @KukaiWallet, load it with 50 XTZ, which is enough to get a bunch of quality artwork.

It is one of the largest NFT marketplaces in the Tezos ecosystem, making it a rabbit hole for art lovers. So be prepared to get lost.