I wanted to experiment more with the NFT space. Get my hands dirty and actually mint an NFT. But what pieces should one immortalize on the immutable blockchain? Then it hit me! Vincent van Cann.



# Vincent van Cann

Vincent van Cann is an up and coming artist that has been seen posting under the guise of Michael Cann on Facebook. His is however keen to break out and receive international recognition for his exciting, innovative and perhaps even controversial work.

His style is mostly "circle doodles" in abstract form:

[![](./600x400.jpg)](./600x400.jpg)

[![](./wall-circles.jpg)](./wall-circles.jpg)

They are painstakingly created over about 8-12 hours using just sharpies:

[![](./sharpies.jpg)](./sharpies.jpg)

[![](./123.jpg)](./123.jpg)

He finds it very therapeutic and often finds himself entering an almost trance like state while arting. Perhaps his incredible talent is being siphoned into his brain from an artist deity in an alternate dimension?

# NFTs and OpenSea

NTFs have set the art work on fire over the past 12 months so if there was ever a time for an up and coming artist to break out and make a name for himself it was now.

[OpenSea](https://opensea.io/) is currently the largest marketplace for NFTs and there are (as far im aware) two ways to get your NFT listed on there. 1. you create a smart contract, upload the artwork and metadata to IPFS then you link your contract to a collection on OpenSea. Or 2. you mint directly on OpenSea using their mega-contract.

[![](./create-on-opensea.png)](./create-on-opensea.png)

As Vincent van Cann "isn't good with computers and things" he decided to keep it simple and mint directly on OpenSea. Maybe in the future he will get some help from the technical whiz-kid Mike Cann and create his own contract.

Vincent also decided to use Polygon rather than Ethereum as he isnt a wealthy artist and thus dint want to pay the [expensive gas fees found on ethereum](https://crypto.com/defi/dashboard/gas-fees).

As part of the NFT creation process on OpenSea Vincent saw that he could supply a link to his own website.

That got him thinking.. If he wanted international recognition for what is surely some of the best art work on the planet he was going to have to stop getting Mike Cann to post it on Facebook for him and instead get his own website.

# vincentvancann.xyz

Because websites are hard he just Googled it and what do you know, Google told him to use Google Domains to buy https://www.vincentvancann.xyz/ (Mike told him xyz is where all the cool crypto websites live) and Google told him that he could build a website for free with Google Sites too so he did just that:

[![](./google-sites.jpg)](./google-sites.jpg)

Its not a particularly flexible website builder but it was quick and free and it got the job done.

# Minting

Armed with a new fancy looking website and a "crypto bro" domain he was now ready to mint his first NFT on OpenSea.

Phew the process was not simple!

There were multiple steps he had to go through. Multiple things that needed signing with his metamask wallet all using cryptic hexcodes. He had no idea what he was agreeing to half the time.

Each step along the way he was forced to perform "captchas". He would have thought that verification like this would have only needed once, not tens of times (literally).

[![](./captcha.png)](./captcha.png)

Often OpenSea would error for no apparent reason.

[![](./error.png)](./error.png)

Usually refreshing the page fixed the error but it was very confusing for him. He also found that OpenSea to be quite slow, often stalling thus requiring a page reload to get it going again.

Finally after hours, he was able to create his first collection called "[Circles Series](https://opensea.io/collection/circles-series)" and mint his first 5 NFTs

[![](./circles-series.jpg)](./circles-series.jpg)

Vincent felt that 5 is enough for now. ~If~ When there is a great demand for more of his epic art then more will be added (at a higher price of course).

# Conclusion

Getting [a website](https://www.vincentvancann.xyz/) up and running with a custom domain and email forwarding (thanks to [ImprovMX](https://improvmx.com/)) is super easy.

[Minting NFTs directly on OpenSea](https://opensea.io/collection/circles-series) could definitely be easier.

Vincent can now happily sit back and wait for the 7-figure bids to roll in and and thus receive what is almost guaranteed to be international recognition.

Well its been exactly [95 days since my last Alpha release](https://www.mikecann.blog/myprojects/mr-nibbles-forever/mr-nibbles-forever-alpha-7/) of my mobile game Mr Nibbles Forever which is far too long. I apologise to people who have been asking me for a new version. I took on a few paid freelance projects a few months ago and they took up a whole bunch of time then I decided to take a full time position up in Perth a month ago which [drastically cut down my Mr Nibbles development time](https://www.mikecann.blog/uncategorized/started-work-at-thebroth-in-perth/) sadly.



If you follow my [public Trello development board](https://trello.com/b/Ic11WQzF/mr-nibbles-forever) however you can see that I have been working in the intervening time, just not as fast as the earlier development:

[![2015-06-18_15-22-50](https://www.mikecann.blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/2015-06-18_15-22-50-1024x525.png)](https://www.mikecann.blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/2015-06-18_15-22-50.png)

In total there is something like 70 hours worth of my time that has gone into this release:

[![2015-06-18_15-21-12](https://www.mikecann.blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/2015-06-18_15-21-12.png)](https://www.mikecann.blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/2015-06-18_15-21-12.png)

Although 70 hours doesnt sound like all that much I think that this release contains more changes than any other. As hinted in the last release and other posts, I now have an artist on the project, [Woody Stables](https://twitter.com/woodystables) who has helped totally transform the in-game backgrounds, the outfits, the effects and many other aspects of the game:

[![2015-06-19_07-54-53](https://www.mikecann.blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/2015-06-19_07-54-53-1024x575.png)](https://www.mikecann.blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/2015-06-19_07-54-53.png)
[![2015-06-17_20-46-28](https://www.mikecann.blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/2015-06-17_20-46-28-1024x766.jpg)](https://www.mikecann.blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/2015-06-17_20-46-28.jpg)
[![2015-06-19_07-54-14](https://www.mikecann.blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/2015-06-19_07-54-14-1024x576.jpg)](https://www.mikecann.blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/2015-06-19_07-54-14.jpg)
[![2015-06-19_07-54-30](https://www.mikecann.blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/2015-06-19_07-54-30-1024x576.jpg)](https://www.mikecann.blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/2015-06-19_07-54-30.jpg)

So now there are 13 different outfits in the game which you can win by spinning the wheel. They all look different and awesome but still stick to the same cutesy Mr Nibbles art style. Some of them come with cool and interesting effects as the below video shows:

<iframe width="854" height="510" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aN5S0zMux30" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

You will also notice (if you have your sound turned on) that the game also now has a whole bunch more sound effects. That's entirely thanks to [Joe Watkins](https://twitter.com/watkinsonic) who I recruited to help out with the audio on the game. I think the audio really lifts the game up and adds so much more value to the different outfits and is often an overlooked but valuable part of games making.

The game really has started to take its final shape in my opinion but there is the problem. At the moment it has mostly only been my opinion of the game which has shaped its development. I have had a few testers play the game throughout its development and im very grateful for that but now its getting to the point where I need to test in earnest.

I am also very aware of the fact that I need to concentrate on marketing the game much more. At the moment the game is only really visible to a small number of people, people who read this blog, people who are members of the facebook page and people who I have met and talked to about the game. If I want the game to succeed and not get swallowed on the App Store then I need to step up my game in that department.

I have been doing a lot of reading about indie game marketing and have discovered [some valuable resources](https://vgamemarketing.com/). Its a massive daunting task but I have spoken to some other people who have done it and they have given me some great advice which has helped immensely.

So the next few weeks for me will be less about development and more about testing the game and building the things to help promote the game (websites, trailers, presskit etc).

If you would like to try the game out then as usual just [send me an email](mailto:mike.cann@gmail.com) if you are on iOS or [send a request to join this google group](https://plus.google.com/communities/100690884724496136044?gclid=CJSZo8WqgsACFVZwvAodlo0AHQ&dclid=CODB18WqgsACFVQZvAodWV4ATQ) if you are on Android and ill hook you up!

With the beta for Inputtie drawing very near Oli and I are adding some final touches to the build and doing those "things we meant to do for ages".  One of those things being the app icon. This is the icon you will see on your shortcuts and in your taskbar area so its going to be pretty visible.



Oli, my partner-in-crime has whipped up 2 different versions with 2 variations on each version. See what you think:

[![](/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/round_304x304.png "round_304x304")](/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/round_304x304.png)[![](/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/roundborder_304x304.png "roundborder_304x304")](/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/roundborder_304x304.png)

[![](/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/square_304x304.png "square_304x304")](/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/square_304x304.png)[![](/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/squareborder_304x304.png "squareborder_304x304")](/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/squareborder_304x304.png)

I personally am favouring the circle icon with the border, however I worry that it looks too much like the Internet Explorer icon.

What do you all think?

Leave a comment below.

Well as you can probably tell from my [last](https://www.mikecann.blog/art/harmony-html5-procedural-drawing/) few [posts](https://www.mikecann.blog/art/more-harmony-creations/), I have been loving the simple browser drawing app called [Harmony](https://mrdoob.com/projects/harmony/). Well, while playing with it I thought to myself, "Is there a reason this cant be done in Flash?". Well this is the answer to my question.



[![](/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/ScreenHunter_03-Mar.-25-18.47.gif "ScreenHunter_03 Mar. 25 18.47")](/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/ScreenHunter_03-Mar.-25-18.47.gif)

I have called it Scribble and its very basic at the moment, not containing even many of the simple features in Harmony, I do however intend to keep adding to it. So over the course of several weeks I hope to add bit by bit till it becomes a fun little place to Scribble!

Anyways, you can check out the current state of the thing here --> [https://www.mikecann.blog/flash/Scribble_v0-1/Scribble.html](https://www.mikecann.blog/flash/Scribble_v0-1/Scribble.html)

Splendid!

[![](/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/mcimg.png "mcimg")](/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/mcimg.png)

Wow! Although this is doable in flash I must say im pretty impressed with this little HTML5 app by MrDoob called [Harmony](https://mrdoob.com/projects/harmony).



Basically its just a little drawing app. I bet there are some people out there that could do some amazing things with this! As it is, im a programmer and no artist, but there is definately a certain beauty to some of the doodles that can be easily made in this thing:

I call this one rainbow circles:

[![](/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/download-1.png "download (1)")](/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/download-1.png)

(click for full-size)

And this one maze:

[![](/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/download-2.png "download (2)")](/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/download-2.png)

(click for full-size)

Anyways, I would love to see some creations from proper artists. Make your own here -> [https://mrdoob.com/projects/harmony](https://mrdoob.com/projects/harmony) and drop me a comment with yours!


[![image(4)](/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/image4.gif "image(4)")](/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/image4.gif)[![image(5)](/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/image5.gif "image(5)")](/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/image5.gif)[![image(2)](/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/image2.gif "image(2)")](/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/image2.gif)[![image](/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/image.gif "image")](/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/image.gif)[![image(7)](/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/image7.gif "image(7)")](/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/image7.gif)[![image(6)](/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/image6.gif "image(6)")](/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/image6.gif)

[Q-BLOCK - Create 3D Pixel Art Online](https://kyucon.com/qblock/)

Oh my this is good! An excellent use of flash and 3D! (cheers to [Richard Davey](https://www.photonstorm.com/) for pointing this out).

Cant help making the reference to Fez:

<iframe width="100%" height="400" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FrVVIVyLx-Y" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
