Ann Fokina on Her Love for Art EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH GRABCOINCLUB’S NFT ART DIRECTOR
Behind every project, there are people. GrabCoinClub (GCC) is no exception. We are extremely proud of our team of genuine professionals who perfectly do their jobs and love what they do. We think it’s time to introduce them to you.
So, grab your favorite drink and get comfortable. Today we have the pleasure of being in the company of Ann Fokina, the NFT Art Director at GCC.
Hello, Ann! Thank you for taking the time to chat. We know your schedule is packed, as you oversee a large team of illustrators, designers, and animators.
Hello! Yes, that’s true. Time management and organizational processes play an important role in my work. And that’s exactly what I enjoy because I love working with people and finding new exciting ideas for creativity.
How did you enter this profession?
Well, it happened in the usual way — through my friend who was enrolled in an art school by her parents. I decided to join her and see what would come out of it. Five years of education flew by unnoticed. I started my studies in graphic design with a red diploma. From that moment on, my complete immersion in the artist profession began, which is an integral part of me, a substantial piece of my heart and soul.
Please tell us more about your creative career.
Over the course of sixteen years in the field of art, there have been ups and downs, constant learning, meeting incredibly talented people, and participating in grand projects. I was fortunate enough to touch the dizzying universe of MARVEL and create a hundred-page comic together with that studio! And now, together with a team of developers, I’m involved in creating the amazing, fantastically beautiful, interesting, and rich world of GCC.
How was the first GCC collection created?
By the time we encountered the GCC project, we already had good experience in creating NFTs. Therefore, the workflow was smooth, with the understanding that every detail, every variable should have meaning, its own story, aesthetics, and technical aspects, and everything should fit together.
We became so engrossed in creating sketches and finding the right characters that we ended up with more FiHunters than we initially planned. We intended to develop a “magnificent four” of main heroes but ended up selecting six characters. Thus, Roxie, Bluma, Claw, Sharpy, Sonata, and Strong were born — the coolest and beloved representatives of the MetaMind Metaverse!
Ann, please, clarify for the readers why there are only 6 main characters when there are 15,555 in-game NFT avatars in the collection?
The six main FiHunters are the progenitors of all the other avatars. They are the basic models that participated in the generation of the first NFT collection by GCC. All 15 generations of alien tigers and dragons were created based on the characteristics of the first six FiHunters.
Why was the decision made to create the first collection in 2D?
We were looking for our visual language that would be understandable to the audience. Our project is dynamic and constantly changing: 2D, 3D graphics, holograms… (Ann smiles. — Ed.). We have endless dreams and plans! But no matter what graphics we use, each object, and each avatar has its own significant gameplay and collectible value.
At the stage of creating 2D NFTs, we didn’t know what the characters would look like. Besides, we lacked experience in 3D generation, but we have passed that stage.
The project has a cool team and such energy that makes you want to create, try, and experiment. The flow of ideas is endless, and everyone is interested in creating something cool for the community, something useful, aesthetic, and modern. So, 3D NFTs didn’t take long to appear. The Metaverse continues to grow and evolve.
Will the first collection be reissued in 3D?
Yes, because we need to adapt the models of tigers and dragons for the game. Soon we will change the images to 3D objects, add animations, and create modern NFTs. These will be NFTs that are prestigious to own and fun to play with.
Ann, there is also a second collection of game NFTs. It includes artifacts such as factories, harvesters, spaceships, FiHunter pets, ammunition, and many other exclusive NFTs. What design solution did you find for these in-game assets?
The second collection, GrabCoinClub Artifacts, is developed in 3D. We refine every detail. There are no random elements. Everything has meaning, history, and importance. The collection of artifacts is created with great love from each team member.
Sometimes in the middle of the night, I receive messages from artists saying, “Look at what I came up with, let’s add it, it will be cool!” This project is about love and creativity… About love for art.
How did you get into GameFi and Web3?
I got into GameFi and Web3 primarily thanks to the GrabCoinClub project and an interest in contemporary art. It’s interesting to see what the future holds. It is important for me and my team to be as effective as possible for the people who turn to us.
How do you see the future of the MetaMind Metaverse?
The MetaMind Metaverse undoubtedly has an interesting and multifaceted future. I think there will be something like a general educational school for newcomers and a marketplace where you can touch and even try on some goods, experience them. The Metaverse will not only be about games. A significant part of our life will be there, and we will be able to use this space as another tool.
Can AI replace 3D artists?
I don’t think that in the near future AI will be able to replace 3D artists or any other artists. Again, AI is just another tool that can be used in work.
When 2D graphics appeared, the number of traditional artists didn’t decrease. Their art is still in demand as it was before. Working with traditional materials will always be fashionable. I am absolutely confident that in the future, many advanced tools will appear in the field of art, and this is a big plus alongside traditional brushes, palettes, canvas, and easels. It brings diversity and facilitates work in certain aspects. AI can be considered as an assistant, but robots do not compete with real artists.
There is a beautiful example. With the advent of cinema, theater didn’t disappear. With the advent of electronic music, vinyl records remained as a valuable and beautiful art form. Live concerts are still relevant, and electronic music didn’t replace them. Photographers use phones, cameras, and film…
Technologies expand our world and the boundaries of imagination, and you should not be afraid of them; it is better to make friends with them :)
Does AI help you in creating NFT collections?
Yes, we work with artificial intelligence and keep up with the development of the digital world and all the things that emerge. We try to use these tools in our lives. Some things stay with us, while others go away because they don’t fit. With the help of AI, we create sketches, which speeds up the work, but AI only helps with making rough drafts — it’s the initial part of the sketch, the most basic — a kind of reference on which the artist, who is engaged in the initial development of the design, creates the drawings. Later on, these drawings go to 3D artists, and they bring them to life in three dimensions.
What equipment and software tools do you use for creating illustrations?
Mainly, we use artificial intelligence, Photoshop, and Blender for our work.
What are the future plans for the project?
In the immediate plans, we have the launch of the GrabCoin game in the MetaMind Metaverse. We want to observe and experience the gameplay in action. At the same time, we are working on releasing multiple NFT collections in collaboration with well-known brands. The project already has two worthy partners — Eurasia Stars and Eagle FC. So, expect the appearance of collectibles related to beauty, fashion, and sports.
Ann, thank you for the pleasant company and your answers, and the love for art that is truly infused in the NFT collections of GrabCoinClub! We wish you success in your creative endeavors!
