Linux Graphics Users Interview
Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2008 9:34 pm
Ok, I have been contacted by one of the founders of Linux Graphics Users Forum, they do an article every month featuring the art team of a selected Linux distro, and they want to feature LinuxMint's Art-Team for December, We have about 4-5 days to get this info in, and I would like input from all of the art-team, and Mint community in general, as this team is a community project. I have posted some of the questions that I believe need input from as many ppl as possible. So please, help me, and the Art-Team community out and post here with you input on these questions.
I am going to give my personal answers here as an example of what we need for this.
Q -- What drew you to your chosen distro?
Ease of use, size and helpfulness of the community, and of course, the looks, I liked the look and feel of Mint the first time I used it. I also like the fact that when I decided to try it out, it just worded, right out of the gate, codecs, video drivers, wireless, it all worked. Sure there was some tinkering I had to do to get things just the way I wanted, but that's true with anything, not just Linux, or computers in general.
Q -- Give us some history on each of the Linux Mint art team members. Who are they and how long have they been involved?
I personally have been involved in the LinuxMint forums, trying to help people when I could, since Aug. of '07, (Mint 2.2, Bianca), and in the Art-Team from the beginning of it. The whole thing got started during the development of Mint 5, Elyssa. There were alot of us making and posting wallpapers, and other art-work for Mint, and I had seen some art-teams for other distros, Fedora, and Ubuntu, for starters, and asked Clem, (the creator, and head developer of LinuxMint), if there was an official LinuxMint Art-Team, or if there was any interest in creating one. As it turned out, there had been thoughts of an Art-Team, but there didn't seem to be enough interest, or resources for maintaining one, (like most Linux distros, Mint is completely maintained by volunteers). As a result of this forum post/question, alot of other forum members, and members of the development staff, started gaining interest in the idea of having an Art-Team. I think alot of us believed that it would help to get the Mint name out, and to help raise LinuxMint to a higher level, hopefully getting up to that of Ubuntu, or even Fedora. So that gave birth to the LinuxMint Art-Team, and for my interest, and initiative, was made the, (for lack of a better term), director. The team itself is composed of many many members, it's not so much of a closed team, as a part of the community, where anyone, can post art-work, though there are a few key members, that do contribute tons of art-work. The most active members are......................
Q -- Does anyone on your team have formal training in graphic art? If so, what kind of training and where did they study?
I personally do not, I just enjoy creating new art.
Q -- If not, what got them started using graphics software or what influenced them to get involved?
I got started with graphics software when I was a kid, I think I was about 6 or 7 years old, using an Apple IIe, creating those printouts out of a bunch of X's. and have just been going on and on from there.
Q -- What are their favorite Linux graphics software programs?
I personally use Gimp the most, but also use Inkscape a little, as well as Xara Xtreme.
Q -- Any thoughts on ease of use or what you'd like to see added or changed in Linux graphics software?
I would really like to see a native Photoshop for Linux, Gimp is really a great piece of software, but if you're like me, and are used to Photoshop, the learning curve is kind of odd, not really steep, but the menus, and tools, are all different, and the layer structure works a little different.
Q -- As operating systems evolve so does their artwork. What direction or development would you like to see with your work pertaining to the future of your Linux Mint?
I would like to my own personal work improve, like most artists, and just evolve with Mint, bring the quality to a professional level, and hopefully, as I said earlier, reach a level to that of Fedora.
Q -- What other Linux distros have you done work for? Any independent Linux groups you've contributed artwork to?
I have done wallpapers for a couple of other distros, nothing official though.
Q -- There are a lot of new distros popping up, seemingly every day. Any advice you can give them on the graphics art side of it?
Just keep at it, keep playing, experimenting, and working at it. Make what you like, ask others that you respect what they think, and take what they say as help, don't get insulted if someone doesn't like what you made. I remember something that someone said on the forums once about default themes, that art-work is very subjective, you are trying to make something to please everyone, which is impossible. So when you are working on your art, just do what you like, and remember that it isn't going to be to everyone's liking.
Here are the questions without my answers so you copy and paste them, and give your answers.
Q -- What drew you to your chosen distro?
Q -- Give us some history on each of the Linux Mint art team members. Who are they and how long have they been involved?
Q -- Does anyone on your team have formal training in graphic art? If so, what kind of training and where did they study?
Q -- If not, what got them started using graphics software or what influenced them to get involved?
Q -- What are their favorite Linux graphics software programs?
Q -- Any thoughts on ease of use or what you'd like to see added or changed in Linux graphics software?
Q -- As operating systems evolve so does their artwork. What direction or development would you like to see with your work pertaining to the future of your Linux Mint?
Q -- What other Linux distros have you done work for? Any independent Linux groups you've contributed artwork to?
Q -- There are a lot of new distros popping up, seemingly every day. Any advice you can give them on the graphics art side of it?
I am going to give my personal answers here as an example of what we need for this.
Q -- What drew you to your chosen distro?
Ease of use, size and helpfulness of the community, and of course, the looks, I liked the look and feel of Mint the first time I used it. I also like the fact that when I decided to try it out, it just worded, right out of the gate, codecs, video drivers, wireless, it all worked. Sure there was some tinkering I had to do to get things just the way I wanted, but that's true with anything, not just Linux, or computers in general.
Q -- Give us some history on each of the Linux Mint art team members. Who are they and how long have they been involved?
I personally have been involved in the LinuxMint forums, trying to help people when I could, since Aug. of '07, (Mint 2.2, Bianca), and in the Art-Team from the beginning of it. The whole thing got started during the development of Mint 5, Elyssa. There were alot of us making and posting wallpapers, and other art-work for Mint, and I had seen some art-teams for other distros, Fedora, and Ubuntu, for starters, and asked Clem, (the creator, and head developer of LinuxMint), if there was an official LinuxMint Art-Team, or if there was any interest in creating one. As it turned out, there had been thoughts of an Art-Team, but there didn't seem to be enough interest, or resources for maintaining one, (like most Linux distros, Mint is completely maintained by volunteers). As a result of this forum post/question, alot of other forum members, and members of the development staff, started gaining interest in the idea of having an Art-Team. I think alot of us believed that it would help to get the Mint name out, and to help raise LinuxMint to a higher level, hopefully getting up to that of Ubuntu, or even Fedora. So that gave birth to the LinuxMint Art-Team, and for my interest, and initiative, was made the, (for lack of a better term), director. The team itself is composed of many many members, it's not so much of a closed team, as a part of the community, where anyone, can post art-work, though there are a few key members, that do contribute tons of art-work. The most active members are......................
Q -- Does anyone on your team have formal training in graphic art? If so, what kind of training and where did they study?
I personally do not, I just enjoy creating new art.
Q -- If not, what got them started using graphics software or what influenced them to get involved?
I got started with graphics software when I was a kid, I think I was about 6 or 7 years old, using an Apple IIe, creating those printouts out of a bunch of X's. and have just been going on and on from there.
Q -- What are their favorite Linux graphics software programs?
I personally use Gimp the most, but also use Inkscape a little, as well as Xara Xtreme.
Q -- Any thoughts on ease of use or what you'd like to see added or changed in Linux graphics software?
I would really like to see a native Photoshop for Linux, Gimp is really a great piece of software, but if you're like me, and are used to Photoshop, the learning curve is kind of odd, not really steep, but the menus, and tools, are all different, and the layer structure works a little different.
Q -- As operating systems evolve so does their artwork. What direction or development would you like to see with your work pertaining to the future of your Linux Mint?
I would like to my own personal work improve, like most artists, and just evolve with Mint, bring the quality to a professional level, and hopefully, as I said earlier, reach a level to that of Fedora.
Q -- What other Linux distros have you done work for? Any independent Linux groups you've contributed artwork to?
I have done wallpapers for a couple of other distros, nothing official though.
Q -- There are a lot of new distros popping up, seemingly every day. Any advice you can give them on the graphics art side of it?
Just keep at it, keep playing, experimenting, and working at it. Make what you like, ask others that you respect what they think, and take what they say as help, don't get insulted if someone doesn't like what you made. I remember something that someone said on the forums once about default themes, that art-work is very subjective, you are trying to make something to please everyone, which is impossible. So when you are working on your art, just do what you like, and remember that it isn't going to be to everyone's liking.
Here are the questions without my answers so you copy and paste them, and give your answers.
Q -- What drew you to your chosen distro?
Q -- Give us some history on each of the Linux Mint art team members. Who are they and how long have they been involved?
Q -- Does anyone on your team have formal training in graphic art? If so, what kind of training and where did they study?
Q -- If not, what got them started using graphics software or what influenced them to get involved?
Q -- What are their favorite Linux graphics software programs?
Q -- Any thoughts on ease of use or what you'd like to see added or changed in Linux graphics software?
Q -- As operating systems evolve so does their artwork. What direction or development would you like to see with your work pertaining to the future of your Linux Mint?
Q -- What other Linux distros have you done work for? Any independent Linux groups you've contributed artwork to?
Q -- There are a lot of new distros popping up, seemingly every day. Any advice you can give them on the graphics art side of it?