# Pebbles Unearthed *An overview of genesis generative art project on NextGen platform* By [Art, Culture, Investing & Decentralization - A Noob's Diary](https://paragraph.com/@blocknoob) · 2024-02-11 6529, nextgen, 6529memes, zeblocks, sgt. pepe, arsonic, generative art, pebbles --- Recommended Pre-Read -------------------- [Tyler Hobbs](https://twitter.com/tylerxhobbs) has written what maybe regarded to as the best essay on Long-Form Generative Art, I highly recommend reading this prior to delving deep into this article on Pebbles. [ ![](http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5c12933f365f02733c923e4e/t/610d480f02c3c56fadcaa36e/1628260367608/long-form-generative-art-banner.jpg?format=1500w) https://tylerxhobbs.com The Rise of Long-Form Generative Art - Tyler Hobbs -------------------------------------------------- There's a new art form on the rise. Generative art has existed since the 1960s, but the new on-chain generative art platforms are pushing the medium in an exciting new direction. While many of the generative techniques are the same, the goals for the program output are wildly different from before. ](https://tylerxhobbs.com/essays/2021/the-rise-of-long-form-generative-art) Overview of Pebbles, a Generative Art collection ------------------------------------------------ Pebbles to me are a form of biomimicry, a beautiful one. Below is the official description from [NextGen website](https://seize.io/nextgen/collection/pebbles/about) ; > Pebbles is a generative art collection that captures the organic diversity of stones as seen through a modernist lens. Against a backdrop that suggests the texture of woven fabric, each piece in the collection presents a playful scatter of rounded shapes and colors. The collection's signature lies in its structured randomness, with certain artworks featuring a deliberate grid of circles that contrast with the free-form distribution of ellipses above. This juxtaposition of order and chaos mirrors the natural world's balance, evoking the varied forms pebbles take when tumbled by water and time. Pebbles is a homage to the beauty of natural simplicity found in the most basic elements of our environment, reimagined through a digital medium. About the Artist Behind Pebbles ------------------------------- Guillaume & Sebastian host their professional and experimental projects under the umbrella of [Zeblocks](https://zeblocks.com/). They self describe themselves as ; > Zeblocks is an artistic duo driven by a deep passion for art and blockchain technology. Every day, we're committed to pushing the boundaries of on-chain generative art. Our goal is to inspire and move people, showcasing the unique possibilities of on-chain art. We encourage thinking outside the box, demonstrating why this medium is not just innovative but truly exceptional. Pebbles' Debut Platform : NextGen --------------------------------- NextGen probably can have an article dedicated to itself and I wouldn't be doing justice to it trying to explain it in one paragraph. The platform and everyone who has been a witness in building of it, experienced the minting on it and/or has explored Pebbles on the platform would attest to the fact that 'The platform is a work of art'. Read more about NextGen [here](https://seize.io/nextgen/about). Also, give 6529's thread a read to learn more [![User Avatar](https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1756440660163407872/u2ufNGBW_normal.jpg)](https://twitter.com/punk6529) [6529](https://twitter.com/punk6529) [@punk6529](https://twitter.com/punk6529) [![Twitter Logo](https://paragraph.xyz/editor/twitter/logo.png)](https://twitter.com/punk6529/status/1754915236027539667) 1/ Why NextGen? ![✅](https://twemoji.maxcdn.com/v/14.0.2/72x72/2705.png)Why did we build NextGen? ![✅](https://twemoji.maxcdn.com/v/14.0.2/72x72/2705.png)What is different? ![✅](https://twemoji.maxcdn.com/v/14.0.2/72x72/2705.png)What are we doing this week? We believe NFTs are critical infrastructure for decentralized societies. We won't go into details in this thread, but it is important to reiterate in this context. [![Like Icon](https://paragraph.xyz/editor/twitter/heart.png) 475](https://twitter.com/punk6529/status/1754915236027539667)[ 11:09 AM • Feb 6, 2024 ](https://twitter.com/punk6529/status/1754915236027539667) The Aesthetics of Pebbles ------------------------- I believe most of you wanted to skip everything mentioned above and delve deep into Pebbles and see some beautiful outputs of the algorithm. So here we go. ### Traits Pebbles collection has a total of 8 different trait categories namely ; Color Density, Edge, Flow, Overlap, Palette, Size, Special Elements & Traced. Apart from Palette, I'll discuss 'Size' and 'Traced' traits for this article, will keep the rest for a deep dive later. **Palette** The most prominent trait that defines the aesthetics of any generative art collection (usually) is the Palette thus we'll discuss that first. Pebbles have 20 Palettes, let's explore ; ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/f74f70aebc2bb851cdee319d394310c9.png) ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/a33fb2a9318d4af8a96896501c29470d.png) ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/fae9346db0e5b8ce54fab69a92513fc9.png) ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/e3392383f5183a05a4f2ab11b9f214bd.png) Pebbles Palette distribution is shown below ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/7875c09aeacf660095af9f6c83aef3e5.png) **Size** The second most prominent trait that define people's perceptions in 2D Generative art and is also results into a great divide between aesthetic lovers and stat heads focused on rarity, Pebbles demonstrates this divide as well. Statistically "Mountlet" is the rarest when it comes to sizes ; ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/ba34eb7b235280cf2c2f8b01310657c0.png) Some "Mountlet" Pebbles - ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/82b4d746e21ca246b77fea036e65e1d4.png) Size - Mountlet Now, if we look at the Highest Last sale thus far, it's not a Mountlet but the secondary market is also around 3 days old. The Top 5 does feature two Mountlets but you see how we see a divergence when it comes to the "Size" trait between aesthetic lovers and stat heads. The ideal scenario is of-course the convergence of both rarity and aesthetics. ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/08239870b627bf1de31549b1130f5176.png) Craiglet for example might not be the rarest but are beautiful ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/8d7cf2bcdf25e77fed2b750bfc3cc610.png) Size - Craglet Rocklings might are the least statistically rare when it comes to Trait size but one would argue that they are aesthetically pleasing (hold on to this thought till conclusion) ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/1b0e105eac6a853494f31cf882ba6112.png) Size - Rockling **Traced** The Traced trait has three subcategories namely ; Border, No Border & No Fill. The distribution is shown below ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/23965a753e74ac8e31ab0da09890c1be.png) No Fill's are total 45 in count and are clearly distinctive when it comes to aesthetics. It essentially gives a minimalist vibe. ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/d52f3be71e3b18b56e6c565bde07dfd0.png) Summary ------- If you did the pre-read on 'Long-Form Generative art' essay from Tyler Hobbs, he has mentioned ; > Instead, the artist needs to ensure that bad results are extremely rare. The algorithm can't stumble across great results by luck anymore, it needs to produce them dependably. Speaking as an artist, I can assure you that this is difficult. I mentioned you all to hold on to the thought of least rare 'Size' of Pebbles being as good as any other is a testament to the algorithm and the broad variety that this collection has shown. It lives up-to if not exceed the principles of Long-Form Generative art. Spend some time exploring Pebbles for yourself on NextGen - [https://seize.io/nextgen/collection/pebbles](https://seize.io/nextgen/collection/pebbles) --- *Originally published on [Art, Culture, Investing & Decentralization - A Noob's Diary](https://paragraph.com/@blocknoob/pebbles-unearthed)*