How to Create NFTs With AI: 7 Step Tutorial in 2024

How to Create an NFT Collection Using AI?

To create this NFT collection I’m going to be using Midjourney for generating images and ChatGPT to help with the prompts.

I broken this guide into 7 sections as follows:

• 1. Create a Midjourney Account
• 2. Make a ChatGPT Account
• 3. Brainstorm an Amazing Idea
• 4. Create A Prompt for Your Project
• 5. Add Rare Features with Vary(Region)
• 6. Add Your NFTs to the Blockchain
• 7. Market Your NFT Project

Many agree that Midjourney is the best AI image generator available, and with permutation prompts, it makes creating a series of NFTs a breeze, we’ll get into that soon. But first things first, let’s learn how to get going with Midjourney 👇

1. Create a Midjourney Account

Getting started with Midjourney is straightforward and you can gain access by joining their discord server. Midjourney have also made their brand new web app available to users who have more than 1,000 image generations.

To check how many image generations you have made in Midjourney, type /info to the Midjourney bot and hit enter.

Once you’ve setup Midjourney, you’ll want to chose a subscription plan. For creating an NFT project I recommend using the Pro Plan for 2 reasons:

• GPU Minutes: The Pro Plan allows for 30 hours of fast image generations. This will allow us to take advantage of permutation prompts and not have to worry about running out of GPU minutes.
• Privacy: The Pro Plan allows for stealth image generation – meaning your image generations won’t be available for everyone to see in the Midjourney community area.

You can cancel your plan after a single payment and you get the full month’s worth of use.

If you can’t afford $60/month, you’ll have to sacrifice privacy and keep a close eye on your GPU minutes. Again, you can check your usage by typing /info to the Midjourney bot in Discord.

2. Make a ChatGPT Account

If you don’t already have an account head over to OpenAI and make one.

ChatGPT 3.5 is free and is enough for what we need here, but it’s absolutely worth paying the $20/month for GPT4.

In this guide, I’ll be using GPT4 to help me generate ideas for my NFTs.

3. Brainstorm an Amazing Idea

Coming up with an excellent idea for an NFT collection might arguably be the hardest, and most important part.

Coming up with an excellent idea for an NFT collection can make the difference between the next BAYC, or the next nothing project.

If you don’t have any good ideas, try looking at the NFT projects that have done well on OpenSEA and MagicEden for some inspiration.

You can also use ChatGPT to help brainstorm some good ideas. I outline what makes a good NFT project at the end of this article. It can be anything, I’ve even seen an NFT projects made entirely of AI QR codes. 🤷‍♂️

For this article, I’m making an NFT project based on the famous CryptoPunks – A super popular collection of 10,000 8-bit avatars created on the Ethereum blockchain in 2020.

4. Create A Prompt for Your Project

To get started making your NFT project with AI in Midjourney, you’ll want to create a template prompt that you can reuse again and again to build your collection.

There are 2 main concerns when creating your prompt:

• Consistency: You want your prompt to generate characters that are consistent enough that people will recognize what they are. Consistent generations in Midjourney is a hot topic and can take a while to get right.
• Simplicity: You’ll want your prompt to be simple enough that your characters remain somewhat consistent BUT, include enough details you can make unique images.

Creating the right prompt can be time consuming, but it’s something that is worth spending the time on now so your project runs smooth later!

If you’re brand new to AI or Midjourney, I recommend checking out some top AI prompt marketplaces. These marketplaces allow you to download pre-made prompts for a fee and they’re a great way to fast track your skillset.

At this time you can get to work in Midjourney crafting the perfect prompt for your NFT collection.

Remember, at this stage, you’ll want to focus on the consistency and the overall flavor of your images rather than specific features or intricate details.

It took me a while but I eventually found a prompt I was happy with, you can see the prompt template I’ll be using for this project in the code block below.

8-bit pixel art of a {character1, character 2, character 3}, in the style of cryptopunks NFTs, flat [color] background, 16x16 resolution, limited palette with blocky pixels --s {10, 30, 60, 90} --no details

You’ll notice I’ve kept the prompt relatively simple with only 2 variables. The curly brackets are for the permutation prompt – meaning this single prompt will generate 48 separate images.

Here’s a sample of some of the characters I generated using the above prompt template:

5. Add Rare Features with Vary(Region)

If you know anything about NFTs you’ll know that they are usually a massive set of very similar images with unique features.

The good news is that we can make unique features by using Midjourney’s Vary (Region) feature!

Let’s take this “Cigarette Dude” from the library and add some features to make him into a super rare NFT. 😉

To use the Vary (region) feature in Midjourney simply upscale your base image of choice then click Vary (Region) from the menu.

Highlight the area you want to add or remove a feature and modify your original prompt to suit.

6. Add Your NFTs to the Blockchain

Adding an NFT collection to the blockchain essentially involves minting your newly made digital assets on a blockchain platform.

This process requires choosing a blockchain (such as Ethereum, Solana, or Cardano), which will involve comparing transaction costs, speed, and environmental impact.

The next step is to select a marketplace that supports the chosen blockchain, where you’ll upload your images and define the properties, metadata, and rarity factors of your NFTs.

To initiate the minting process, you’ll usually need to connect a digital wallet to the platform, ensure it’s funded with cryptocurrency for transaction fees, and follow the marketplace’s steps for uploading and minting your collection.

OpenSea is still the most popular Ethereum NFT marketplace in 2024 and there’s a details guide on how to mint your collection below. 👇

7. Market Your NFT Project

Marketing your NFT project is as important as creating it, and without the right marketing strategies even the coolest NFTs can go unnoticed.

Below are some of the best ways to help you effectively market your NFTs:

• Build a Community: Start by building a community around your NFT project where NFT enthusiasts hang out. Platforms such as Discord and Twitter are a great start. Engage with your followers regularly and provide them with exclusive insights and updates about your project. Building a strong community results in free marketing for your project as they will create content on your behalf!
• Leverage Social Media: Use platforms like Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and LinkedIn to showcase your NFTs. Regular posts, stories, and updates discussing your project can help attract potential buyers.
• Collaborate with Influencers: Partner with influencers and other artists in the NFT space who can promote your collection to their followers. This can provide your project with credibility and exposure to a broader audience.
• Consider Email Marketing: Collect emails from your website or during NFT events and use them to inform subscribers about new drops, auctions, and project updates. Personalized emails can help in building a loyal customer base. Alongside this, email lists remain unaffected by updates or other issues with social media and seatch engines.
• Press Releases: Write and distribute press releases about your NFT project to crypto news websites and blogs. Also, consider creating blog articles, videos, or even podcasts that provide value and insight into your project and the NFT space in general.
• Offer Limited Editions and Pre-sale Perks: Limited editions can increase demand through scarcity, while pre-sale discounts to early supporters can help kickstart sales. Both strategies can create urgency and incentivize purchases.
• Provide Transparency and Build Trust: Be transparent about the creation and sale process of your NFTs. Share detailed information about your project’s roadmap, the benefits of owning your NFTs, and your future plans. Trust is a critical factor in the NFT market. Consider “doxxing” yourself to help build trust with your users and prevent any talk of rug pulls or other bad acts.
• Implement SEO Strategies: Optimize your website and content for search engines to attract organic traffic interested in NFTs. Use relevant keywords in your content and meta descriptions to improve your site’s visibility.
• Consider Airdrops and Giveaways: Rewarding your community with airdrops and hosting giveaways can foster loyalty and encourage word-of-mouth promotion, expanding your project’s reach.

By implementing these strategies, you can increase the visibility of your NFT project and attract potential buyers and collectors, ultimately contributing to the success of your project in the highly competitive NFT marketplace.

What Are Permutation Prompts?

Permutation prompts in Midjourney allow you to combine multiple descriptive elements in a single prompt, allowing the AI to generate a variety of images based on a single prompt. Permutation prompts are a massive time saver as you can generate a whole library of images with a single prompt.

To give you an example of how permutation prompts work, let’s say we want to generate different colored apples, say a red, blue, and green apple. The prompt looks like this: {red, blue, green} apple. This is the same as entering 3 separate prompts: “red apple, blue apple, green apple”.

When I was creating my CryptoPunks characters my prompts looked something like this:

8-bit pixel art of a {cigarette dude, bubble gum chick, stoned eyes guy}, in the style of cryptopunks NFTs, flat sky blue background, 16x16 resolution, limited palette with blocky pixels --s {10, 30, 60, 90} --no details

Using this prompt I was able to generate a wide range of images and upscale the best ones for my NFT collection.

What Makes a Good NFT Project?

So far we’ve learned how to generate an NFT collection using AI, but unfortunately, the days of generating a few simple images and seeing success are long gone (or very rare at least). There’s a low more to creating a successful NFT project these days. Let’s take a look 👇.

• Originality and Creativity: The best NFT projects bring something new and unique to the table. This could be a novel concept, exceptional artwork, innovative utility, or a combination of these elements.
• Authenticity: It is crucial that the NFTs are created by the actual artists or developers they are attributed to. This ensures the legitimacy of the NFT project.
• Utility and Value: Good NFT projects usually come with some form of utility or value beyond the digital asset itself. This can range from access to certain services, rights to royalties, or a role in a virtual ecosystem.
• Community Engagement: A strong community behind an NFT project can contribute to its success. Community members often promote the project, add value through participation, and potentially increase the value of the NFTs.
• Scarcity: The more limited an NFT collection is, the more valuable it can become. Limited edition NFTs often fetch higher prices in the marketplace due to their rarity.
• Roadmap and Future Plans: A well-planned roadmap shows the intent of the creators and can give potential investors a clear view of what to expect in the future.
• Quality of Art or Content: This is particularly applicable for art, music, or any other form of creative NFT. The better the quality, the more likely it is to hold or increase its value.
• Transparency: The more transparent the project is, the more trust it can generate among its community. This includes the transparency of the creators, the sales, and the project’s finances.
• Security: Given that NFTs involve significant monetary transactions, ensuring security is a critical aspect. The blockchain used, the smart contract standards followed, and the security measures implemented play a vital role.
• Sustainability: With growing concerns about the environmental impact of NFTs and blockchain, projects that show a commitment to sustainability can get attention and stand out.

Wrapping Up

Well, there you have it. How to create an NFT project using AI!

This whole thing took me no more than a few hours and serves to demonstrate the power of AI and Cryptocurrency combined.

If you really sat down and got your prompts perfect and spent some time creating rare NFTs you can really generate some original and creative NFTs using nothing but AI!

Making an NFT collection is just one of the many ways you can make money from AI art and I hope to see some of your AI-generated NFT collections out there in the wild 😉

What do you think, should I make CryptoPunks 2.0 with my Midjourney prompt? 😎