Self-Directed

FrownyTown

FrownyTown is my world of silly things. I have always enjoyed inventing cute characters and stories, so I created FrownyTown to be their home.

Role

Creative Director
3D Artist
Graphic Designer
Web Designer
Product Development

Collaborators

Generative NFTs

Smart Contract Developer

Ryan Peters

3D Modeling Support

Generative NFT

To catalyze the development of FrownyTown, I decided to create a set of 10,000 generative NFTs based on some of my original characters. The characters featured here, Phibb and Troy, are both candidates for mayor of FrownyTown.

My plan was to deploy the NFT collection on the Ethereum blockchain, then host an on-chain election where NFT holders, or "Residents" of FrownyTown, could cast a vote for their preferred candidate. This way, anyone who found FrownyTown interesting could play an integral role in driving its narrative.

Website

I built a website both to introduce people to the world of FrownyTown and to host the launch of the NFT. For many reasons, I decided to forgo the NFT launch. I am now in the process of transitioning FrownyTown and its website into a sort of "digital hangout" where people can play games, participate in the overall FrownyTown narrative, and buy delightful physical and digital products.

Character Illustrations

After creating 10,000 pieces of generative 3D artwork, I decided to explore new illustration styles to see what would best allow me to create new characters and compelling artwork.

Doodles

I started a series of low-fidelity "sticky note" doodles to further explore characters, narratives, and drawing styles. This low-stakes method of creating allowed me to finish illustrations without becoming overly precious about every detail. I plan to continue exploring new characters and narratives with methods similar to this.

Products

In the future, I want to create physical products from the FrownyTown world. Enamel pins are a good example of an initial product, considering their low barrier to entry (they were also featured in the original NFT artwork). I plan to start small and work my way up to producing toys, plushies, and games.

© Dan Grove + respective copyright holders