Interview with Pixelado from Boomerville
Collections 23.10.2023
Interview with Pixelado from Boomerville
Today we are coming with the third interview from Cardano Artist Spotlight series - Pixelado. Previously, we had the opportunity to interview Netanel Cohen and SkullTakes.
Where you can find Pixelado?
X (Twitter): Pixelado
X (Twitter): Boomerville!
Please let us know your thoughts on the series and who you'd like to see next! If you're a Cardano artist interested in being featured, don't hesitate to contact us on X (Twitter).
Can you introduce yourself and share a bit about your background as an artist?
How would you describe your artistic style and the themes you explore in your work?
What drew you to the world of NFTs, and why did you choose to create and sell your art on the Cardano blockchain?
Can you walk us through your creative process, from conceptualizing an artwork to minting it as an NFT?
What unique opportunities or advantages do you find in creating and selling NFTs on Cardano as an artist?
Are there any specific challenges you've faced as an artist in the Cardano ecosystem, and how have you overcome them?
Could you share some of your most significant achievements or milestones?
How do you see the relationship between your art and blockchain technology? Does it influence your creative decisions?
Are there any upcoming projects, collaborations, or exhibitions that you're particularly excited about?
What advice would you give to fellow artists who are interested in exploring NFTs and integrating blockchain technology into their artistic practice?
My name is Rafa, I'm from Spain, and I'm a graphic and industrial designer. I've always worked as a freelancer managing my own design and craftsmanship project. Illustration has always been a passion of mine, and I've been drawing all my life. Since I was a kid, one of my dreams was to become a comic book author.
I believe that due to my background as a designer, my style can be described as simple and clean. I take great care in using and combining colors. When it comes to themes, I enjoy approaching real life with humor and sarcasm, critiquing things I dislike. Additionally, I have a strong passion for science fiction, which is something I plan to explore in my work at some point.
The first time I heard about NFTs was through NBA Top Shots. I thought it was a brilliant idea, and I started researching it. Quickly, I realized the immense potential they held from a collector's perspective. Nevertheless, it took me a bit of time to dive in. It wasn't until the summer of 2021 that I made the decision to get involved. I chose Cardano because the barrier to entry on Ethereum was too high due to high fees, and Cardano's philosophy seemed to offer much greater long-term growth potential.
Right now, I'm fully focused on my project, Boomerville! I've been working on it since late 2021, and I've always seen it as a process of learning and evolution. The project began with two characters, Ash and Tray, and a series of very simple comic strips with equally simple drawings. However, this served as a valuable learning experience for me, as I gained skills in creating comics, minting NFTs, and managing a community.
The project expanded when I created my pfp collection, "We are Boomers!". This introduced new characters and transformed the project into something bigger. It allowed me to raise funds to continue working on it, and now I find myself at a point where I have one foot in the digital world and the other in the real world, creating comics, managing my own merchandise store, and having a clear medium-term plan.
My creative process is quite chaotic. I'm always thinking about what's next, setting challenges for myself to learn something new. I usually start with a concept and then figure out how to bring it to life. When it comes to drawing, I always begin on paper with pencils and markers. This is my favorite part of the process. Then, I scan the drawings and rework them in Illustrator, adding colors, shading, and more.
I'm not a maximalist; ideally, NFTs should be a format, like JPG or MP4, that works on any blockchain. What I value most about NFTs is their authenticity, ownership, and the ability to provide collectors with unique benefits. I understand that Cardano offers advantages like lower costs, but what I truly appreciate about Cardano right now is the community of independent professionals who are creating incredible tools. These tools allow people like me, with no programming knowledge, to harness the potential of NFTs.
The main challenge is gaining attention and support. I understand how the market works and what people are looking for, and my expectations are very much in line with reality. I know where I want to go, what I want to achieve, and the value it will provide to collectors in the future. However, I'm aware that the type of collector I have in mind isn't very common in the NFT world. That's why I also aim to reach a more general audience through comics, merchandise, and other collectibles. I see NFTs as just a part of my universe, and one of my primary focuses will always be to provide added value to collectors.
I have several moments that have been significant for me. The first one was in September 2022 when I released the final comic strip of Ash and Tray, closing their season and marking a conclusion for the project. The second moment was when I completed the last illustration of my collection, "We are Boomers!" there were 1998 NFTs, all handcrafted without using layer blending tools. It was a considerable effort, and I remember the excitement of finishing it and the anticipation of launching the collection.
The most recent milestone was the release of my first comic, not just a comic strip but a full-fledged comic with pages, panels, and all. It was a dream come true, and I'm incredibly proud to have achieved it. My next challenge, which I'm determined to tackle, is launching a Kickstarter campaign to publish my comics in physical format, within approximately one year.
From a thematic perspective, I strive to move away from blockchain-centered topics to reach a broader audience.
From a more technical viewpoint, I believe that the potential of blockchain is significant, irrespective of the economic climate. It serves as a guarantee of authenticity. For the artistic world, the blockchain is an ideal formula for launching original products, ensuring ownership, receiving royalties, and tracking one's work without the need for intermediaries.
In a way, yes, because the reputation of the NFT sector isn't the best. Sometimes, I try to distance myself from it to connect with an audience closer to the world of comics and humor. One of my goals is to make that audience, which might be unfamiliar with NFTs, see the value of this technology when it's used properly through my project.
I don't pay too much attention to what's happening around me, which is why I often arrive late to the party! I follow very few projects, ones I know and am interested in, but I don't have much time. When this is published, it may have already passed, but I'm very curious about the sector study being launched by Thesis & Dysmorphia, the ownership transfer in Disco Solaris, and in the DeFi sector, I'm keenly following what Iagon is doing.
I would tell them to have a clear plan, to align their expectations with reality, to exercise a great deal of patience and resilience, to give their utmost effort, and, despite all that, to have a Plan B.