Exploring opportunities in augmented reality & the metaverse
About
Art can take on a completely different form when depth and dimension is added to it. Just like translating digital images into lino or screen prints, with all their texture and imperfection, this is what excited me about the prospect of creating new experiences for augmented reality and the metaverse. Following the success of my first NFT collection in 2022, I went on to work on various projects which take my work into novel digital spaces.
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Fashion in Augmented Reality
Context. The world of digital fashion has truly taken off in recent years, where creators and collectors alike are finding exciting new ways to express themselves, through bold statement pieces and innovative materials which may otherwise be inaccessible or too expensive to get a hold of in the real world. The digital space has also been ideal for collaborations, connecting fashion with many others industries through radical creative cross-overs.
Opportunity. My first NFT collection titled ‘Everything Is Energy’ explored the topic of art and identity through expressive mask artworks, reinvented in Chromakane’s art style. Key to that collection was the idea of using masks as a form self-expression, to both convey and conceal our emotions and selves. Following the release of this body of work, I had the opportunity to collaborate with DressX on a limited edition series of ‘digital fashion’ NFTs to be experienced in augmented reality – as shown below. With this collaboration, the ‘Everything Is Energy’ collection came full circle and the masks were redesigned in a way they were originally intended to be experienced: more intimately, worn.
Challenge. I had never worked with augmented reality beforehand, so the thought of being able to bring a new facet and dimension for self-expression into my art was thrilling. This collection involved finding 3D artists to collaborate with, which I undertook independently, sharing my raw sketches and Illustrator artwork files with them, and working together using modelling software like Blender and CLO 3D to bring my vision to life – as shown in the process shots below. It then required working with the DressX team to take my 3D assets into AR technology, ensuring everything was compatible for face and body movement tracking.
Result. This collection is now live on the DressX app, for a wide audience of digital collectors, and I also had the opportunity to showcase it in the metaverse as part of the curated Somnium Space AR Exhibition 2022 with Digital Fashion Collective (which occurred during Fashion Week).
‘Anubis’ mask (NFT artwork)
‘Anubis’ mask (augmented reality)
‘Tiki’ mask (augmented reality)
‘Tiki’ mask (NFT artwork)
‘Tiki’ long jacket
‘Maasai’ mask (NFT artwork)
‘Maasai’ mask (augmented reality)
From initial 2D artwork tested in AR… to 3D concept developed using Blender… to final experience within the DressX app
Somnium Space AR Exhibition 2022 with Digital Fashion Collective; Chromakane’s collection in the DressX app
HUman emotions in the metaverse
Opportunity. Following my collaboration with DressX, I was approached by human-centric metaverse platform Vault Hill to respond to their artist brief – as part of their campaign titled #The22 – where they invited artists to create immersive experiences around the key themes present in their metaverse ‘neighbourhoods’ experienced in augmented reality (curiosity, play, idealism, romance, community, imagination and vitality).
Challenge and result. I created the ‘Aura’ collection for Vault Hill, exploring how the energies we manifest allow our experiences to feel human in infinite ways. Our energies multiply and converge to form our collective consciousness: everything we are, and everything we do, is interconnected. The 'Aura' collection is a series of 77 unique spinning energy capsules, designed for Vault Hill seven metaverse neighbourhoods and which together create a gamified, personalised and collectable sense of collective. The challenge with this collection in particular was testing my skills with light frame and stop motion animation, using Adobe Animate to bring these to life.
The ‘Love’ capsule
The ‘Impulsion’ capsule
The ‘Compassion’ capsule
Accessible creativity: AR filters for social media
Opportunity. Another more accessible way that I stepped into augmented reality was through social media, on TikTok and Snapchat. I was hoping for these free filters to be spark little moments of play, joy and self-expression for everyday users. I wanted them to feel sophisticated enough, and a subtle introduction to what Chromakane has to offer in the digital space. With this opportunity came the challenge of learning new software, such as Snap’s Lens Studio and TikTok’s Effect House, to build basic filters using artwork assets, which I typically exported to transparent PNG or GIF to bring the effect to life.
Challenge and result. I was thrilled to see that these effects were reaching high engagement levels on social platforms, some as high as over 100k plays with hundreds of user shares. Here’s an example below of what this process involved and how it turned out (and would be experienced in-app) in augmented reality. ✺
Initial concept design mocked up in Adobe Photoshop, combining stock imagery with butterfly illustrations extracted from my ‘Meta Butterfly’ artwork
Making the butterflies interactive by adding a basic frame animation to them, which can be done in Adobe After Effects or even Adobe Photoshop, to create the illusion of movement
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