Originality in Skin Design
Monday, June 24, 2002 by Fuzzy Logic | Discussion: WinCustomize Talk
I was wondering where originality ends in skin design. I've just started work on my latest skin, and, after many hours toil I have a taskbar. It's a 3d metallic effect thingy which took 10 layers in PSP to create. Apart from the colour, its turned out very similar to another skin I have by someone else. So much so I may decide to abandon it. So there's the question: if everyone skinning is using similar programs to acheive effects, and those effects are limited, how can anything be considered original?
Those limits are reducing my creativity, at least at my skill level, to the point where I start to question everything I make. However, I shall continue to strive...
Those limits are reducing my creativity, at least at my skill level, to the point where I start to question everything I make. However, I shall continue to strive...
Einstein
Reply #2 Monday, June 24, 2002 5:15 PM
Reply #2 Monday, June 24, 2002 5:15 PM
Remember there is a difference between Art and Craft. Art is focused on pushing the envelope like Picasso, while Craft is more interested in increasing a user-base or making something ergo-nomic like basic Windows.
There are Picasso-esk skins that while creative are completely unusable. You need to decide the right blend of each.
I have tried my hand at skinning, but I feel that my talents lie elsewhere (where I don't know yet). I hope you don't take my lead and give up just because the road is uphill. Look at some of the most prolific skinners here, their early work suffered from "same-ness". Eventually if you are patient, the skills you are learning now will be able to display the vision you will have someday.
That's the true Art and Craft balance.
There are Picasso-esk skins that while creative are completely unusable. You need to decide the right blend of each.
I have tried my hand at skinning, but I feel that my talents lie elsewhere (where I don't know yet). I hope you don't take my lead and give up just because the road is uphill. Look at some of the most prolific skinners here, their early work suffered from "same-ness". Eventually if you are patient, the skills you are learning now will be able to display the vision you will have someday.
That's the true Art and Craft balance.
UBoB
Reply #3 Monday, June 24, 2002 6:28 PM
Reply #3 Monday, June 24, 2002 6:28 PM
In my case I looked at all the skins here that had a certain "sameness" and deliberately tried to create skins that look absolutely **nothing like** them. 
Sometimes the results are good, sometimes bad, and sometimes I don't even upload the skin, it's just so awfull
But, no matter what, I always know that my skins look nothing like anyone else's. Good, bad or ugly, they are always original and do not suffer from the "sameness" virus.
Sometimes the results are good, sometimes bad, and sometimes I don't even upload the skin, it's just so awfull
But, no matter what, I always know that my skins look nothing like anyone else's. Good, bad or ugly, they are always original and do not suffer from the "sameness" virus.
treetog
Reply #4 Monday, June 24, 2002 6:49 PM
Reply #4 Monday, June 24, 2002 6:49 PM
I can take inspiration for many everyday objetcs, like a hair brush of a car pannel button or even from the streets, like a building, a window, etc...
Even when I go to a mall I allways take a look at the electronics.
In fact, anything can be usefull for you to creat a skin..though I rarely use the net for developing an idea.
Even when I go to a mall I allways take a look at the electronics.
In fact, anything can be usefull for you to creat a skin..though I rarely use the net for developing an idea.
Jafo
Reply #5 Monday, June 24, 2002 9:25 PM
Reply #5 Monday, June 24, 2002 9:25 PM
Fuzzy...the bar 'may' have ended up 'similar' but by the time you add all the other elements ther's a fair chance that the 'similarities' will be divergent.
Many a LiteSTEP theme has stemmed from another's, but by the time you finish poking and prodding, the results can be totally 'unique'. My WinAMP skins [eg, Blame Maxim] all originated from an existing skin...[I still have it somewhere...in stages of 'transformation'] but I defy anyone to even find 2 pixels alike....the resulting work was definitely totally unrelated to the 'original'...I could post both and you'd just think I was mad...
Same goes for my first LiteSTEP theme....that was evolved from another's.
Eventually with enough enough understanding of how a theme or skin 'works', you end up 'evolving' your next one from one of your own, and a 'personal' style emerges....[good or bad]...
Many a LiteSTEP theme has stemmed from another's, but by the time you finish poking and prodding, the results can be totally 'unique'. My WinAMP skins [eg, Blame Maxim] all originated from an existing skin...[I still have it somewhere...in stages of 'transformation'] but I defy anyone to even find 2 pixels alike....the resulting work was definitely totally unrelated to the 'original'...I could post both and you'd just think I was mad...
Same goes for my first LiteSTEP theme....that was evolved from another's.
Eventually with enough enough understanding of how a theme or skin 'works', you end up 'evolving' your next one from one of your own, and a 'personal' style emerges....[good or bad]...
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Reply #1 Monday, June 24, 2002 4:55 PM
Haven't you hit the "originality" wall that all people who undertake creative endevours eventually run smack into? I am a musician and feel the same way about music. Really hasn't been anything "original" in rock-n-roll since Elvis and Chuck Berry ripped and warped the styles of Ray Charles, Little Richard, and the whole 40's-50's R&B sound. Still doesn't stop people from putting out good music, no matter how un-original it is in the bottom line.
Look at the discussion here on "ripping" XP-style Dashboard skins, and how close the skins can be and still be "different". Neither is in any way "original" (no matter what the authors may say, they still come from the XP nest), just variations on a theme. Nothing wrong with that, Bach made his living doing variations on his musical style, his 5,000th work was not nearly as "original" as his first, but proves originality is not the only characteristic of a creative piece of effort.
That is the long version of me telling you to not worry about originality, keep skinnin', the world needs more creative people.