If you’ve been hearing about NFTs for a while and feel you’re finally ready to make one, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’ll go through a step-by-step guide on how to make NFT art, or any type of NFT for that matter, as anything can be turned into an NFT. You don’t need to do any coding to create an NFT, anyone can get started and make an NFT. 

We cover the following steps below: 

1. Choose an NFT marketplace
2. Mint your NFT
3. List your NFT for sale
4. Build a community & Promote your NFT

Choose an NFT Marketplace

There are many different NFT marketplaces for art, and new ones are popping up all the time. There are also different blockchains on which the NFT platforms are built, meaning that they will use different cryptocurrency and a different wallet. Some marketplaces are open for anyone to use and sell their creations on; others are curated, and you will need to apply with a portfolio to be accepted. 

You can see our in-depth guides on the different NFT marketplaces in the links below. Depending on what type of NFT art you’re trying to sell, the lists below will help you choose which one is the most appropriate for you:

Mint your NFT

Minting is the process of creating an NFT from your art (or any other item) on the blockchain. The minting process is very simple; you simply click a “Mint Now” button or something similar, and there you have it! 

However, before you can hit that Mint button, there are a few steps you’ll need to take if you’re totally new to crypto and NFTs. So let’s backtrack a bit. In this example, we will use the most popular NFT marketplace, OpenSea, and how the process works on the Ethereum blockchain. 

Step 1. If you don’t have a crypto account yet, you can create one on popular cryptocurrency exchanges like Coinbase or Crypto.com. Please note that these exchanges might not be available in some regions of the world; in that case, you can search for which crypto exchanges are available in your country. Once you have opened an account, you’ll need to purchase ETH (the native currency of the Ethereum blockchain). 

Step 2: Download a crypto wallet such as MetaMask, Fortmatic, or TrustWallet. MetaMask is the most widely used wallet. Here are useful MetaMask FAQs. It is very simple to set up these wallets, simply follow the instructions listed on the wallet sites. 

Step 3: Now that you have your ETH and crypto wallet ready, you can transfer ETH from your crypto account to your MetaMask wallet. You will need the ETH to mint your first NFT artwork. If you’re using Coinbase, you can read the following instructions on how to transfer ETH to MetaMask. This process is also simple, just copy and paste your MetaMask wallet address and send the money. 

Step 4: Now that you’ve done all the boring tech stuff, you can finally move on to creating an NFT! The first step is to log into OpenSea (follow the instructions and connect your MetaMask wallet). 

Once you have signed in, click on “Create” and go to “My Collections.” Now customize the collection by filling out the details such as name, description ,and adding a main image. At this point, you’re just creating a folder for your NFTs; this is not the part where you’ll be making an NFT.

Step 5: It’s time to create that NFT! Click on the blue button that says “Add New Item.” Now, you can upload your artwork, song, video, etc. You can add the name of your NFT, an external link to your webpage or more information about it, and a description. You can also choose what special features you want to add to make it more valuable and unique.

You can also choose whether to mint one NFT or many NFTs of the same art piece. Once you’ve filled out all the details, click on “Create” to get your NFT minted. 

List Your NFT for Sale

Once you’ve created your NFT, it is time to list it for sale. There are two transactions to complete before you can sell. They are both free except for the gas fee. These are: initializing your account to do sales (this is only done once) and allowing OpenSea to access the items in your collection when there is a sale. 

Once you’ve completed these two steps (which will pop up when you’re setting up your account and creating the NFT), you’ll be asked for your digital signature to confirm your listing. From there on, you will not pay gas fees for future sales (the buyer pays them).

Every NFT marketplace has its own fees for every sale you make, usually around 2.5 – 5%. You’ll be able to set your own royalties on all Ethereum-based NFT platforms and on some other blockchain platforms too. 

Build Community & Promote Your Work

If you haven’t been using Twitter, it’s time to open up an account and get chatting with fellow NFT users. Twitter is where all the NFT action takes place, and one of the most important parts of selling NFTs as an artist is building a community of supporters, whether they are collectors or fellow artist friends who are happy to promote your work. 

Discord is another popular app that NFT communities connect through. You can eventually set up your own group there where you can post about new NFT drops and keep your fans up to date with your latest creations.