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There’s More than One Way to Skin a Llama
by Migellito
 


Recently, Nullsoft’s computer audio player, Winamp, has been vibrating in and around the nexus of a growing debate about computerized audio. Listening to your compact discs on your computer’s CD-ROM drive? Great. Listening to internet audio streams? Also pretty good. There are still the typical battles about format for streams, with several competing systems out there, but even so there are a multitude of choices in almost any bandwidth. Listening to files you’ve recorded onto your own media? Hmm.. ironic how vinyl looks more like a prehistoric tar pit..

Winamp itself is not without controversy either. There is the buyout by AOL, apparently not very well accepted by Winamp’s coders, if one looks at the ‘about’ information in the latest download. It’s also probably one of the most skin-ripped programs in existence, with an amazing proliferation of skins barely changed, or in many cases blatantly copied in-toto, from original skins created by some of our finest artists. Long discussions have centered on this, and it has reached the point where concerted, organised effort is taking place to stop it. Many skin designers and critics are even
beginning to see lackluster efforts in original skins as well. Add to this the recent hiring of skin designers for the express purpose of skinning one of the competitors - yes, the hobby turns profession - and it may become difficult to see why a new designer would decide to devote time to this venerable player.

Yet, someone has.

In late September, a new skin designer published three very unique, well-planned, obviously time-intensive skins for Winamp. Caesar Amp, Luxor Amp and Edo Amp. All three show a painstaking attention to detail, as well as a unique influence from the art of cultures of the past. His name is Alex Jackson, aka CommodorePerry, and I talked with him about some of these questions, and others.

Michael: Good evening!  We're a little early, but if it's alright with you, we can start anytime.  I can't get my icq to record chat, so I hope this 'im' format is alright.

Alex: That will be quite good- we can start right now if you wish. If I blank out at any time, it's because I just got DSL and it's a little spotty as I'm fine tuning it.  

Michael: No problem.. if I blank out, it's because my dear family is crazy (lol)

Alex: Yeah I know that feeling ;-)

Michael: First, let me ask you a little about your background.  What is your past like in regard to computers and to art?

Alex: Computers... Well I have been in computers for about 5-6 years. I have doing been doin' the Computer graphics thing for about 4. Honestly I'm not a technical genius... the only thing I know real well are a couple Graphics programs.  Furthermore, for the last couple years, I've done community service teaching high-end graphics programs (I.e. photoshop) in middle/high schools.

Michael: Fascinating!  I hear that's a tough crowd.
Have you, yourself had professional training in art?

Alex: Very little... All the high school art classes... 2 college art classes.  Nothing real amazing. All of my skins are pretty much analyzing and interpreting works, styles, and periods of art, so I pretty much get by with what I know.  

Michael: Well, you get by quite well.
Which graphic programs do you use when making skins, and what are your reasons for your choice?

Alex: Photoshop, photoshop, photoshop. The ease of use and the very wide range of manipulatable effects are simply the best. And the way it handles complicated layer assembly is truly remarkable. I think EdoAmp got to about ... 60 or so individual layers.
I once in awhile use an outside program for a certain element in a skin- for instance the columns in CaesarAmp are believe it or not - Bryce.  But for the most part its photoshop all the way.

Michael: The care involved, as shown by using Bryce for pieces and multitudes of layers, is not as common as it once was in winamp skins.  What is your opinion of other winamp skins you've seen, and what drew you to winamp for your first skins?

Alex: I would agree that craftsmanship has on average, dropped. I think this due to many reasons- one I call "Photoshop Proliferation", where lots of people pirate photoshop and figure out all the real easy filters (Lens flare...fire...inner bevel... arrgh) and commands and then post skins which are little more than "Filter demonstrations" .... also, there is a disturbing rise in use of the automated skinner programs which flood the skinning arena with meritless and cheap skins.  
What drew me to winamp skinning is the simplicity- I admit cannot program at all (I don't even know BASIC) and I didn't have the time to learn all kinds of commands and such. What I wanted to do was get right in there and start enjoying myself drawing and creating art- winamp let me do that.

Michael: The 'photoshop proliferation' is a sad trend.  Apparently skinning is undergoing growing pains.  It sounds like you've been following the skinning 'scene.'  I'm assuming your three historical skins are your only public creations so far, but how long have you been following skinning?

Alex: Well... not necessarily following skinning, as I've only been doing skins for 2 years. I have kept my eyes on the whole state of design. First it happened with web pages- all the "machine made" flaming logos, inner bevel buttons, glowing text. It slowly kind of spread into skinning, which was predictable but most unfortunate for people who care about the art.

Michael: Having skinned for two years, you undoubtedly have some more tucked away in your portfolio.  Have you stayed mostly with winamp, or have you forayed into other programs?  Might we ever see Caesar for WindowBlinds?

Alex: As far as other programs, I honestly have not skinned anything other than Winamp. WindowBlinds would be my first choice if I did do another though.  And as far as "Skins tucked away in my portfolio".... well I tuck them away to spare the public ... it's a humanitarian gesture really.

But to show your readers how bad they are I will transfer over one of mine called "Mondrian Amp" Which is based on Piet Mondrian. Since I did it someone else did a Mondrian skin that captures the artist much better.

Michael: I'm honored!  It's not every day an artist is willing to share their 'sketch book,' so to speak.

You can download the "Mondrian Amp" for Winamp by Alex, click here

Alex: I actually once posted this to a board and someone seriously said they really loved it. That was weird ;-)

Michael: got it.  I'll try quickly to take a look at the graphics..  I can't actually apply it here.. I'm on a mac at home.

Alex: That's OK. Here, should I send you a screenshot instead?

Michael: That'd be great to get an overall feel, but I already took a look at a couple of the bitmaps.  Actually, it does look pretty interesting.

Alex: Ok here's a jpg



Michael: It does look pretty good, actually.  You can't beat those music choices either :)   I'm sure our readers will enjoy seeing it - thanks.

Obviously, you have an interest in history as well as an appreciation for fine art.  Did the art of those three periods draw you to them, or was it something else?

Alex: Well I've always been very... infatuated with those 3 cultures for a very long time. I enjoy art history and take classes that kind of fuel that. It's kind of a combination of things really.

As far as other cultures I would like to skin... Inca, Middle Age Muslim, and Native Northwest American (Tlingit, Haida tribe) are all projects for sometime in the future.

Although right now I'm not skinning a culture and I'm trying to skin an art/culture movement - by the time this is published my next public offering should be ready- "Dada Amp"

Michael: I can't wait, that should be very interesting.  Is there a definable element in the art of these ancient cultures which speaks to you, or is it something more subtle than that?

Alex: Oh, each culture is so very intricate and appeals to me for a different reason.

The Egyptian use of style and color has always amazed me- their intricate and detailed work is absolutely wonderful- especially with the hieroglyphs and symbols.

Michael: That brings up a question I had.  In Caesar amp I know that's real Latin..  although I've studied ancient Egyptian, I haven't had time to try to translate that equalizer... is it real Egyptian?

Alex: 95% of the glyphs on there are real and have meaning- but no, they don't spell anything meaningful. One or two I actually invented ;) The Latin on Caesar was all real of course.

OH, and also I don't know what the Japanese characters on Edo mean either- I only know basic Hiragana/Katakana.
The Japanese aesthetic is very subtle, efficient and refined. I enjoy it immensely, and I have a real big Sharaku Ukiyo-e reproduction in my room.

Michael: I thought I recognized a few<hieroglyphs> :)  Ancient Egyptian would be hard pressed to come up with short terms for hertz or equalizer though.

Alex: Yeah I figured to just use an Egyptian-English text and keep that somewhat user friendly. ;-)

Michael: A skin based on the Dada movement should be very interesting as well.  How 'popular' do you think it will be, and do you care about download counts?

Alex: As far as download counts/popularity...

Well I do skinning because I enjoy it.  I made Luxor for the most part- for my use. The same with the other 2.  Partially because I enjoy using the skins- but also because I find skinning to be an "artistic puzzle" of sorts- Combining a cultural aesthetic, making it "fit" onto the skin, and keeping it functional- you have to balance it all out and make compromises. I enjoy it- it forces me to think creatively.
So based on that, as far as downloads go, I realize that everyone does not like history. For lots of people history is sitting in a boring classroom listening to a lecture.

So with that I know they are not going to be the most popular skins on the net- BUT having the people who enjoy history that download the skin and truly enjoy the novelty and culture of it more than does the job for me, because I know I have made them happy. Most of the E-mails that I have got are very passionate about how much the person "enjoys every detail". I delight in that.

Michael: True.  Many don't realize that history is the memory of society - and where (or who) would any individual be without their individual memories?

It sounds like you're getting a lot more personal satisfaction out of your art than many artists ever do.  Congratulations.

Alex: I just can't see myself doing metallic skins- there are way more people that can do it better than me, and I respect all of the great ones (Marek Wojital especially) but I again, enjoy the select audience that I get.

I am again, very satisfied with the little, yet genuine response I have received.

Michael: This is leading into my closing questions.  Everyone has their favorite skins and skinners.  What are yours?  Also, what do you think of the art of skinning and the community around it?

Alex: OK big question =)

My favorites- and I don't always know the authors off hand. (Sorry authors!)

Alien Sex Fiend (Alien Love edition) (I wish they would change that name)
CamAmp - the camel cigarettes skin, which aside from it being about cigarettes is very nicely done and captures the turn of the century feel exactly
Kinwashi-Auriga my fav metal skin
E-india - One of the few other culture skins... very nice.

Michael: E-india was one of the skins I first thought of when seeing your skins for the first time.  It's based on a great internet radio station too, if one likes that genre.

Alex: I have to leave right now because I have to get to an art store before it closes- can we continue tomorrow? Or like 2 hours later?

Michael: What a coincidence..  it's time for me to read bedtime stories!  If we could reconvene about 9pm pacific, that'd be great.

Alex: PERFECT lets do that. See ya then gotta run.. im tying my shoes... ^_^

:::

Michael: We had been talking about some of your favorite skins.  Where do you think skinning might be headed as an art form?

Alex: Ah yes.
It seems to me that as computers and personal electronics with visual skinnable interfaces become more prevalent, real gifted designers of these interfaces can become pseudo-celebrities-

Michael: Some have suggested that top skinners may achieve a sort of 'name brand' recognition, but some feel that the free nature of the medium precludes this.

Alex: It all depends on how much work the skinner puts out.

More and more, "Skinability" is being seen as a major asset to a program.
When the majority of the public embraces skinning (For instance, like they do say, napster) then I do believe that a few could reach limited celebrity. Either individuals or Design houses. And not just CG design houses- I do believe in the future, that fashionable might have a "DKNY" designed interface on their PDA, for example. Since a skin is in effect, a garment- for a computer program.

Michael: Oddly enough, that's the very analogy I've been toying with of late.  Do you think, then, that a lot of the top skinners would 'go pro?'

Alex: I think the nature of the world is that the top skinners  would in effect "go pro" in the future and join "Skin houses," and that top skins would be released under "labels" - because there will eventually be too many programs for an individual to handle.

At the same time, with the nature of this community, there will always be individuals - almost comparable to the "underground" movements in music.

But all this is at least a couple years in the future. It will stay the nice quaint hobby that it is for quite sometime. :) Its all depends when the money men decide that there's money at stake in the area, I think.

Michael: There have already been a few recruited by Microsoft for their Windows Media Player 7 project, so it might be closer than we think.  There are a lot of mixed feelings about that specific situation, though.  It'll be fascinating to see how it all plays out.

Alex: Most interesting.

Michael: Your trip to the art store earlier brings something to mind.  Do you feel skill in the physical arts translates to skill in cg programs?  Is this part of the 'photoshop proliferation' phenomenon you mentioned earlier?

Alex: Ah- excellent question. I went to the art store to pick up some rapidograph pens that they sell for a good price. And that's because I'm one of those people that's always sketching and doodling and such.

I think a lot of people pirating and downloading expensive graphics apps, without the knowledge of classic design and philosophy, make these "soul-less" creations that demonstrate no knowledge of aesthetics or design.... because they are pretty much combinations of cheap filters.

I do believe people seriously doing skinning should have some physical art skill, and I'm sure most do. It helps to have all that idea experimentation you've done drawing and sketching stuff to know what looks right and what doesn't. There is so much detail involved in lighting and shading, texture, etc. - having a root in real world design and art helps enormously IMHO.

But there are many established old-school artists who dislike computers so, to each his own I guess.

Michael: I think that gives us something to really think about.  These days it's perhaps a bit too easy to skip the foundations, but yes, I think a lot of traditional artists might not see skinning as 'art.'  I think that would be unfortunate.

Alex: Lots of old people are resistant to change- I can understand that. But what if some of the current favorite artists actually did design a skin? What if Thomas Kinkaide designed a WindowBlinds skin, and charged for it? That would change everything. =)

All of those people will be dead in the next half century or so - after that I hope there are still some traditionalists. =)

Michael: I think there will always be traditionalists in the world..  and yes, that certainly would change everything if someone like that started skinning.  One never knows.

Well, it's been very illuminating, and I've thoroughly enjoyed our conversation.  As a closer, I'd like you to take a look at these.  Consider it our homage to the Daily Show... answer at your own risk :)

Alex: It's been my pleasure. Good luck with your journal- and watch out for Dada Amp which is in progress :) Remember- Dada is nature, Dada is against nature =)

What daily show thing? Why? Uh oh =)

Michael: ok, here they are..

FnaDs Five
(we ask these of everybody,
it's like a Rorschach!)

1. What skin do you wish you'd written?
2. What would you like to have on your laptop if you were stranded on a desert island?
  e.g.: skins, music, programs, peripherals, games, etc.
3. Have there been any skins that have made you laugh? cry? orgasm?
4. Boxers or briefs?
5. List some sites you visit daily; weekly; hourly.

Alex: 1. Soliloquy, by Inspirator - a skin I didn't mention earlier, and is actually my favorite of all time. =) Super Opulent Art deco!

2. A dial-up connection;) (is that cheating?)
And Sid Miers alpha Centauri with the expansion- best game ever ever ever.
Maybe some Masters of Orion 2.

3. Soliloquy- and it made me cry because I
knew I could never aspire to such greatness:)

4. Oh... that was unexpected. Briefs because I'm cheap. =)

5. Off the top of my head-

Winamp.com (Where I moderate the message boards a little bit... come and say hi! )

Mp3.com - their classical section is great.

artchive.com - I can spend hours here.

Teknidermy thanks Alex for speaking with us, and for offering his work. We hope you enjoy.

11-1-2000