Spotlight On: Shawn Murdock
by Jumbles

Tek: - Where do you live?

Shawn: Cleveland, Ohio

Tek: Where does your history in art begin? Were you a "scribbler" as a child?

Shawn: I have always been creative and I liked to draw. I used to draw lots of city scapes, and I doodle all the time.

Tek: What is your system like (hardware, memory, monitor, etc.)?

Shawn: I have a system I built myself. Its a P3-450MHz, 196MB ram, 50GB HD, DVD, CD Burner, Internal Zip, Matrox G400 Dual Monitor, Monster II,
Wacom Graphics tablet, with Viewsonic PS790 monitor.

Tek: Do you have a favorite program(s) you use to create skins?

Shawn: Paintshop Pro 7.02 is my main app of choice. I did get some new toys (Adobe Photoshop 6 and Illustrator 9), so look for some new stuff made by my new toys.

Tek: What methods do you use for inspiration,prior to designing a new skin?

Shawn: Most of my skinz are sort of psuedo/fanstasy OS look-a-likes. This year I wanted to skin the periodic table of elements. I wanted to have more out but
I have been very busy.

I also stopped to make a website which I will be updating with lots of stuff soon!! Other than that I will just notice something at work or a texture and fly with it. Sometimes I will just have a name and see what happens...

Tek: What is your skinning process like (do you create sketches, and develop them, as in suites, etc.)

Shawn: I will kinda doodle, but then I grab a plain screenshot of notepad running and basically draw right over it. Then when I think it ready I crop it out and make a
template.

Then I pull it into SkinStudio and get the basic skin working. From there I create the parts and add them in till I am finished or just dont like how its going.

Tek: Is skinning/digital art your full time career?

Shawn: I wish it was. I am a Systems Analyst / Network Engineer.

Tek: Do you have a family (kids/wife/dogs, cats)?

Shawn: No kids yet. I have 2 dogs, 2 cats, and some fish. I also have the greatest wife that I could ask for as she puts up with me (sitting in front of the computer
for hours).

Tek: Can you tell us what you are working on right now?

Shawn: I have been kinda on off time because my job has kept me so busy, thats why I have not updated my website yet. I have tons of ideas and I am going to
try to experiment with new things and new styles. I will probably always be basically making clean easy to use skins.

Tek: How do view the future of skinning?

Shawn: I think things will keep going strong for a while but I think there will be some kind of limit. Basically there are only so many ways to make a window look.
The most popular skins do not change things around too much.

For example the titlebar controls are on the right side, move them to the left and people complain that 'it would be better on the right'. Unless there are great improvements on how to do something, like round windows or titlebars on the side
with the text scrolling upwards ... I think things will slow way down.

I know I was cranking things out for a while but its getting harder to be original. Its kinda like games, the first real time strategy games were awsome. Now there are still good games but they all play on the basic theme. I hope I am wrong, I love
skinning, keeps me from playing games all weekend. I think more free form things like Desktop X, Nextstart, and Hoverdesk will take off more because they
not as rigid.

Tek: Do you have any any advice for us skinners?

Shawn: The only thing I can think of is kind of a personal prefference. Keep things usable but with flair. Some skinz are really great from an artsy standpoint but from
the usablilty side of things are pretty bad. I dont like having to search for buttons, or no being able to figure out where the controls are. I dont have a problem
with lots of snaz, but when it impacts functionality, I think it detracts from apeal of the skin and the skin does not end up having a long life.

Also dont be put off by stinkers. I made some pretty bad skinz until I found a 'groove'. If anyone needs help just drop me a line, I will be happy to help out.

Please answer Fnads's Five

Tek: What skin do you wish you'd designed/written?

Shawn: I cant think of of specific skinz but in general some things by Treetog, Essorant, and Dangeruss - these guys are great.

Tek: What would you like to have on your laptop if you were stranded on an island,
- e.g., skins, music, proggies, peripherals, games, etc?

Shawn: without listing a zillion things, basically, MP3s from Metallica, Zeppelin, Ramones - Paintshop Pro - Rollercoaster Tycoon - Sudden Strike - A T3 line to the Internet - and streaming video of The Simpsons and Babylon 5

Tek: Have there been any skins that have made you laugh? Cry? orgasm?

Shawn: Not that I can think off

Tek: Boxers or briefs? (or, which do you prefer ?)

Shawn: Nothing - I like and unfurnished basement...no, just joking - Briefs

Tek: List some sites you visit daily, weekly, hourly...

Shawn: Anything having to do with skinz, Yahoo.com, Gamespot.com, Renderosity.com, Digitalblasphemy.com, Smurdock.com

Teknidermy thanks Shawn for taking time out to talk to us. 
Check out his website at http://www.smurdock.com