I've never really paid a lot of
attention to clothes- Yes, I know forgive me for my indiscretion. I blame my
computer graphics most of the time, but I received a pair of shoes for
Christmas and was unable to miss the elaborate textures and design. It was one
of those times I stopped and found myself thinking, 'she made me stop and
actually think- did she make these from scratch?'
It wasn't just anyone either,
it was someone I had talked to a dozen times or more.
Synny
Whelan or Syntella.rhapsody has been making shoes in Second Life for over three
years off and on. With the help of her wife, I was able to barrage
her with questions. I no idea what it takes to make a shoe in Second Life.
Interview with Synny Whelan
Ccoursey:
Do you make the shoe and the texture yourself or do you have templates you go
by?
Synny: I make the textures and the shoes,
everything from scratch, no full perm kits.
Ccoursey:
What's a full perm kit?
Synny: It is a full permission it with the
shoe sculpts and most of the time shadow maps.
So looking at these shoes, she makes every one
from the pixels up... Wow, it makes you stop and look at other details and not
just in shoes.
Ccoursey:
Do you only make shoes?
Synny: I can make almost anything from mesh.
I've made guitars, I just made a violin.
GypsyLynn also was quick to inform me she made
their store: 7Exits and GWC. This girl knows her way around mesh.
Ccoursey:
How did you get into making shoes? It looks hard as hell, did someone have to
teach you?
Synny: It hasn't been three years for mesh,
but I started making stuff before mesh. I started making shoes, before they
brought mesh in SL, but stopped making them because I hated sculpts. Once they
brought mesh into Second Life I started maing them again. Nopes, (no one taught
her), I learned from tutorials online and from youtube. It is not easy, that's
for sure.
Yay for the youtube, but looking at the videos
available and the shoes Synny has made I don't believe anyone could do it. I
think there was a bit of artistic talent there to start with. So you have to
ask the question every creator should be asked at least once.
Ccoursey:
Where do you get your inspiration?
Synny: I use to make shoes that were based on
real life shoes, now I just creat my own designs. It dpends, sometimes it's
from something I see on another shoe, or a style and I think.... Ohh, if I did
this or that it will look cute. Most of the time I think of a style and then
start messing with it.
Looking through market place I'm introduced to
a whole new side of my friend and creator. Seven Exits group gifts are exclusive and not available for sale, only available to members of the group.
Synny prides herself on customer service and contacted by either instant
message or note card she will personally answer and see to any problems one may
have. Her motto: If I won't wear it, I won't sell it! Which is an awesome
thing, if the designer has that much faith in the product then surely I'm going
to give her work a try. As always, she asks that you try a demo before
purchase.
Ccoursey:
Do you have any current projects?
Synny: I know I wanted to make some thigh high
boots, then start messing with it to try to make something new and unique. I
need to do the rigging, they will be able to be worn two ways.
Ccoursey:
It was the first time I'd taken notice in how a product was actually made, I
encourage everyone to at least take a look. Zoomed up on the actual shoes I
found the texture rich in detail and the shoes cute and classy. Thanks Synny
for taking time to talk to me and explain to the perpetual noob how it worked.
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