Interview - Maded Shepherd

In this interview we will be talking with Maded Shepherd. We have seen some of his unique art works on Flickr and asked if he was interested in an interview, which he kindly agreed. 

Firstly, I would like to thank you for doing this interview. Could you give our readers a little bit of information about who you are? 

Yes, but let me start by thanking you for the interest in my artwork - much appreciated. 

My name is Maded Shepherd and I am a photographer in Second Life. I have been told to have a very own dark fantasy style that is appealing to many people. You can judge so for yourself by visiting by visiting my Second Life art gallery. 

I started in 2007 and had great fun working for shops and Second Life models making portfolios and glamour shots, which I loved to do. I still do that, but only on a commercial basis. 

For fun and distracting from my busy real life, I have specialized myself in fantasy art work and fire erotica. 

My gallery, which is the Funky Art Gallery, is based on fantasy art work. I am influenced by two great fantasy artists - Valejo and royo - of which Royo fascinates me the most. Since a year I am almost expermimenting heavily with 3D art work, which I would like to do at least for 50% next to my Second Life work for models, couples and private projects. 

I love playing Second Life, both in my work as an artist and privately with my dear Second Life wife Ngel. I am constantly amazed by the sheer beauty of my models, their trust in me and their willingness to be patient and pose for me in my studio. I see new skins every month and beautiful clothing sets, both fantasy and realistic. It brings their characters to life - fantastic. 

Based on your Flickr account, you have a wide variety of different styles, both in photography and post-processing. Is there a style in specific that you like ? 

I do not agree with that. Of course, if one reads my profile then they will read that I will do model portfolios, couples, fine nudes and erotic photography - but it will all be in my style. I think my pictures are very recognizable indeed, as I do skin treatments that are unlike most other Second Life photographers.

You should realize that a simple screenshot in Second Life is not enough. In order to get the result that we all like, we rely on heavy post -processing in Photoshop and other graphical software that allows us to create the virtual beauty we want to see. 

I work especially long times on the skin and less on the scenery. And they eyes, they are very important to me.

There is a group of fantastic Second Life photographers out there, many of which I admire a lot. All of them rely on post-processing to polish up the standard SL avatar. 

I always tend to make darker, dramatic and more emotional pictures. I call that fantasy, but the theme could also be realistic. Many of my regular Second Life customers are active in Second Life roleplay-play sims or erotic game play and they want to see that reflected in their pictures. 

Being Dutch and raised in a free society, it is probably more easy for me than others to respect their wishes and ideas, without judging. 

What is your biggest source of inspiration? 

Most of my Second Life art work is inspired by conversations with my customers and the stories they tell me about their loved ones, their love for Second Life or the games they play. 

But there is a definitive theme in my art works that you will see repeated a lot- I like to portrait strong women; women in control that are feminine and sexy, yet very much so in control of what they do. even when working with fashion models, I will make them look beautiful, strong and independent 

Why? Because it is all inspired by Louis Royo. I love his work and his thematics. 

And lasty, do you have any last words for our readers?
I would like to invite all the people who are reading this interview to visit my art gallery, to see the beauty that lies in the Second Life avatar.

I also wish you all a drama free and great Second Life. Have fun out there

Thanks, Maded.

Click here to visit Maded's Flickr account.

Textures - 40+ Vintage Textures

When you are working on a vintage design, it is important that you use authentic vintage textures. 

These textures will help you with that, and they are definitely a must have for everyone who likes vintage.

Vintage Bum - Med. Texture 01 by Manila Craze

Vintage Pea Green Photoshop Patterns by webtreats.mysitemyway

Grungy Tileable Vintage Patterns Part 4 by webtreats.mysitemyway

Vintage Paper Texture Pack by s3ptic-stock

Turn Back Time Texture Pack by Princess-of-Shadows

Vintage II Texture Pack by cloaks

Vintage Texture Pack by cloaks

Vintage III Texture Pack by cloaks

Vintage IV Texture Pack by cloaks

Victorian Grunge Texture Pack by freaky665

Video Tutorial - How to give your fabric texture depth and folds

In this tutorial I'm showing an easy technique to give your fabric textures some depth and folds by using the displacement filter.

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Video Tutorial - Green Screen Removal

In this tutorial I'm showing how to extract a model from a green screen in a non-destructive way. I'm also covering a few techniques about how to deal with hair.


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Video Tutorial - Spacy Texture

In this video tutorial, I'm showing step-by-step which technique I used to create the Spacy Textures.It's a quick and easy way to create your own textures that you could use as a background for your images.


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Commissioned Work – Know How!

Are you interested in working on commission? Are you a budding artist or designer who always wondered how it works? Are you a seasoned artist who has worked on commission before, but need a few tips to make your future endeavours run more smoothly?

Well never fear! As always, the Creative Circle team is here to bring you the best resources available for all things design.

Working on commission can be a great way to make some money, to expand your portfolio and to really get that buzz when you’ve successfully completed something to a specification. As with everything, commission work is not without its risks and potential downside. To help you to complete your commissions with ease, and to avoid the most common errors of the commission worker, we bring you the article “Making Art on Commission: Tips for Artists” from artbusiness.com. To read the article, click here.

Exclusive Freebie – Spacy Textures

I made these textures for use in some of my creations, and now I offer them to you, the Creative Circle readers. The pack includes a range of colours, and no doubt the creative brain of a designer will find hundreds of uses for them. To get the textures absolutely free, simply click on the download link below.

Have fun with them, and don’t forget to get in touch and let us know if you use any of our freebies in your designs. As always, send us a picture and it might even end up featured here at Creative Circle!

DOWNLOAD

Exclusive Freebie – PSD Clothing Template

I made this template specifically for learning purposes. The template itself is a basic shirt with neck tie detail – perfect for beginners to play with while learning, or for use in a Second Life outfit (after editing).

If you’re interested in offering this template on your website or blog, please contact me first. I’d like to keep track of my creations and see what they’re being used for!

Designers - feel free to use these templates in your own designs. My only restriction is that you do not resell these templates as full perms. Please do NOT sell, give and/or publish the templates without my written permission.

If you use these templates for any of your designs, get in touch and let us know! Send us a picture and it might even end up featured here at Creative Circle!

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Are You Ready?

Hello everyone and welcome to the Creative Circle.

This is a place for you, the Second Life designer, creator or producer, to put out your feelers to the creative community. In this blog you will find anything and everything – from resources to reports – about creation in the Second Life community. This blog serves as your creative playground, and includes articles relating to graphic design, general design, photography and e-commerce - all within the virtual world of Second Life.

In the regular updates to Creative Circle, you will find a collection of tutorials, inspirational posts and interviews. As if that wasn’t enough, we will provide you with exclusive freebies, helpful article links, and much more to support your creative endeavours!

Watch this blog frequently - bookmark it, add it to your favorites and tell your friends and family about it because impossible things will happen here!