Daniel Isles: The Architect of Unseen Worlds
Daniel Isles is a British artist and illustrator known by his pseudonym DirtyRobot, who has created several NFT collections, including the renowned digital universe RENGA.
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Daniel was born in the UK but and currently lives in Hokkaido, Japan. His passion for drawing began in his childhood, fueled by his love for comics, anime, and cartoons. Following his mother's advice, Daniel pursued formal education in art after completing school. He soon received his first personal commissions from the British division of the gaming company Capcom, eventually launching his own clothing brand which he ran for more than five years.
Daniel employs a blend of traditional tools such as pencils and ink along with digital technologies like image editing software. He describes his style as retro-futurism, which merges Western and Eastern cultural influences and continually evolves. Each of his characters, whether they are ordinary humans, wizards, or high-tech androids, has a distinct story and universe. However, Daniel’s ultimate goal is to create a unified fictional world that encompasses all his characters.
I’d have to say the biggest impact on my work would be those old Kung fu movies I grew up on back in the day, which still influence me sometimes, today. There’s also the animated stuff such as Ulysses 31 and the original Transformers, and of course anime and manga such as, Fist of the North Star, Wicked City and a ton load more,
says Daniel.
His debut NFT collection, The Art of Seasons, consists of 7,237 images. Each original painting celebrates the seasons and is available in multiple editions. This collection rapidly gained traction among users, with its trading volume reaching over 13,000 ETH ($45 million). Unfortunately, its value has since decreased by more than 99%—a drop that may be seen as fortunate, as it allows enthusiasts to now purchase The Art of Seasons NFTs for merely 0.0135 ETH or $48 each.
The Art of Seasons Collection. Source: OpenSea.
Daniel Isles' second and premier NFT collection, RENGA, was created by burning a special series of NFTs known as the Black Box. A significant portion of these was distributed through an airdrop to owners of his previous collection, The Art of Seasons. The collection's goal is to establish a dynamic universe with numerous storylines that the users themselves create: collectors have the opportunity to write or illustrate stories for their NFT characters.
The RENGA collection comprises 10,000 retro-futuristic characters, each featuring unique traits such as archetype, attire, eyes, hairstyle, and more. The minimum market price for a RENGA NFT is currently 0.12 ETH ($420). To mint a new RENGA token, a special NFT from the Black Box series, priced at least 0.415 ETH ($1400), must be burned. So far, 9,000 RENGAs have been issued.
The RENGA Collection. Source: OpenSea.
Daniel is deeply engaged in further developing, promoting, and enhancing the RENGA project. His plans include creating a new graphic novel based in this universe and releasing a range of merchandise and colorful souvenir items to sustain collector interest.
Daniel Isles advises aspiring artists to focus on cultivating their unique style and not to compare themselves to other artists. He emphasizes the importance of continuous practice and development in one's artistic journey.
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