Interview with SMAR
As always: a few words about yourself...
All right, my nickname is SMAR as you know, realname is Stefan. I'm 18 yrs old (born on June the 2nd 1984), and I live in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Err, I'm 1.90 meters tall (for the people who are interested (:< ). And I'm a skinner :D.
How has it all begun? Have you been working with PS or computer graphics before?
It began because a friend brought me WinAmp to use MP3's and later I discovered the skinning part of WinAmp. The skinning actually got me into the computer graphics. I started skinning with (yes!) MsPaint, followed by Corel Draw and I found Photoshop later when I skinned for some time. The skinning actually got me into the computer graphics. I was more a games addict before all that (still am from time to time).
Is Winamp the only application you work with?
At the moment yes, although I have made a skin once for an app. named Quicknotes. But I am going to try out more applications, so I can offer more of a variety of skins.
What does the word "skinning" mean to you? :)
Nice questions you got there. Err, well I think of course making a new sort of "interface" for an application, but I think my fellow skinners agree that it is more than just that. It's a way to kill time for me, it is a way of expression, and showing what you can do with graphics.
How long has it taken from you to learn skinning?
Where did you find the required information?
Well, when I started with skinning, only the main part for Winamp was available. I learned it then by looking at existing skins and seeing how they've done it. Then along the way new parts like the eq/pl/mb/avs were added. And I learned them step by step in the WinAmp Dev. Network. That's really how I learned what is what on the skin(s).
Without offence: are you trying to imitate someone? For example some of your works look very similar to some skins of Monaux.
No, I never tried and never will try to imitate anyone but myself :). That a skin looks like someone else's can always happen. I always try to make skins as different as possible form any skin I've seen, and made myself before.
Some skinners have already turned their eyes to Winamp 3, which is harder to skin, but does not limit your fantasy. How do you think is it able to replace Winamp 2 in the nearest future?
I think the freeform skinning is why people are turning to WA3. And what you say about harder to skin, that depends if you have an imgination or not :). I think when the skinners are going to make more skins for WA3, it will automaticly replace WA2 slowly. The main thing why there are still a lot of WA2 users/skinners, is simply because they don't like change, or they simply need to get used to it (incl. me).
Do you use your own skins? Whose skins do you use most of all?
I use my own skin only while creating, afterwards I'm kinda tired of looking at the same skin, and put on someone else's or start a new one. The skins I use most of all are Monaux's Petrol Flange, Joc's Nightfly and ViDA's Mecha.
And the last question: what for? Why making Winamp skins instead of spending that time on girls, discos and so on? :)
Q1: What for? err... I grew up with a computers around me.
It kinda came natural and making skins is just something I had fun with. Started as a hobby and became more and more part of my life (didn't had a personal life at that time :~ )
Q2: Who say's I don't have time for that? Well, it's true I spend a lot of time on it... but don't forget I DO have a personal life NOW :P.
Btw, girls, discos and so on cost a lot of money :D. Skinning is
cheaper.
Now you could send a couple words or send some greets.
Greetz go out to: DJ Speed (SpeedDesign, Amorenite95), DJ Designs, the BreedArt artists, all the skin/art sites such as deviantart/deskmod/artuproar etc.
(you're the one's keeping the community alive), and everyone I forgot.
And thanks to you Sacrat for the interview, was nice talking to you for some time 8).
Oh yeah.. Don't do drugs... or something.
Visit Smar's homepage at http://smar.deviantart.com.