~Ellohym~

This interview was, for me, one of the best! During my major RP phase, I couldn't get enough of Ellohym's products. Even though I'm currently not roleplaying as my character Nlaea Elenaril , I still find my self constantly going through her products just to oogle (yesh you like my new word?) at the brilliance!

-Your products are amazing! What inspires all the detail?

*Blush* Thank you. Actually, I blame my need for detail partly on my obsessive compulsive disorder. :) I've often wondered why I drive myself utterly insane, fussing over seams and shading that most would probably not even notice...but in the end, I can't click that darn submit button until I've got all the bits into their proper places.

-How long have you been developing?

Well, I started out like many people do...with stickers, but I didn't put out my first piece of clothing until about 2009. (I think that's right...I'm horrible with dates. lol)

-Out of furniture, rooms, and clothing, which is your favorite to develop?

Oh, hands down...clothing! I know, I started completely backward...as clothing is one of the most difficult things to create, but it's also the thing which I had the most difficulty shopping for.

-Do you create your own meshes?

Sadly, no...not ~yet~ anyhow. I've toyed with the idea for quite some time, but time constraints have prevented me from taking the mesher's plunge. (And the outrageous price of the necessary software. Ouch!) Fortunately, I've found a couple very talented individuals who have created some mesh bits for me. Perhaps someday I'll find a great deal on a Max program and try my hand at it...though I'll also need to purchase days with more hours in them. :)

-What is your favorite product you've made? Why?

Oh man...you asked a tough question. I enjoy trying my hand at just about anything...sometimes just to see whether I can pull it off...but I don't think there's any one thing that I could label as my favorite. And I don't mean that like it sounds, I take a lot of enjoyment from the 'creation' process, usually more so than the end result...and it happens more time than not that my own favorites are not my best sellers...but quite the opposite. I must have horrible taste. lol

-What is your least favorite product you've made? Why?

Hmmmm.....well, I'm not that good at skins...so I tend to shy away from them unless I want something specific to go with an outfit collection. I'll leave the skins to those who rock at them.

-Do you enjoy creating male or female products more? Why is that?

FEMALE! The mesh options are sooooooo much better for female, though I try to keep a fair assortment of male items in my catalog, as I know how badly they're needed.

-Was your developing style always Role-play/Medieval? Why does this style (Role-play/Medieval) interest you so much?

Well, I started developing out of necessity. I've been a role player for many, many years, and found it so incredibly irritating to spend hour upon hour shopping for certain items which I needed to outfit my various rp characters...thus, I started creating things myself. I've always had my head stuck in the Medieval/Fantasy clouds, and developing in this genre has been so very, very satisfying for me. On occasion I'll deviate from my usual path, but it doesn't happen very often.

-Do you look up to any developers? What are some of your favorite?

Oh, I've many favorites! I don't often shop for clothing these days, as my inventory is bulging at the seams, but I'm positively addicted to skins, and enjoo in my eyes is a skin Goddess! For hair, PennyDreadfull keeps my avatar looking smexy (her Brimstone color is the best black you'll find!). Then there is the slew of meshers who contribute to my addiction to texturing...Whimsee for clothing, oMVo (MissVix's more Medieval side) and Darkideas for furniture/rooms/accessories.

-You seem a bit strict (in a good way :D) about "No Requests", why is that?

I used to take requests, I really did! My decision to not take them anymore stems from the fact that I became overwhelmed by them, and it got to the point that I was focusing so much on requests for other people, and I was so stressed out over getting requests finished in a timely manner...and getting them done to exact specifications...that all enjoyment was sucked out of my time in previewer. I'm the type of person who gets inspiration from just about anywhere, and I even find myself piecing together outfits while grocery shopping. I need to create to keep rein on my sanity. Making pieces from my own imagination is a form of therapy for me, and if I'm constantly doing requests, it leaves no time for my own designs. I can honestly say, that if I still did requests, I would be a very anxiety riddled and grumpy person, so my decision not to do them is in my family's best interest. *chuckle*

-How do you feel IMVU and all IMVU users can help stop all the art theft with the catalog pictures/products/etc. being stolen?

I recently went through this myself. An outfit which I had nearly crippled my mouse hand to create, with all it's seams and lacings, was snagged from what I can guess a poorly captured screen shot, cut apart and slapped into a clothing mesh by a thief trying to label themselves as a 'developer'. (My apologies, but this is something I feel very strongly about.) In the end, after filing my claim against this person, the offensive item was removed from their catalog, but as IMVU did not feel the need to stop this thief completely, they proceeded to do the same thing to a friend of mine also. Thus...I've come to the conclusion that it's up to us as artists and developers OURSELVES, to take extra steps to safeguard our work via html codes which prevent image swiping and watermarks on custom avatar art. Sad, I know...but not only is IMVU doing next to nothing about stopping existing art theft, they are now promoting it by introducing games where members are encouraged to swipe avatar images. *Woeful head shake here*

-Do you think IMVU could improve the Creator Program? How?

Honestly? The only tutorial I ever watched was a youtube video on clothing opacity maps. Though the Creator page has much information, for me it was frightening and intimidating to read...and actually postponed my developing.

-How do you come up with product names, do you have a method?

I try to keep my item names as straight forward and descriptive as possible. If I do a collection, I try to keep a key word for all related pieces. Simple as that.

-Do you have any advice for budding developers?

I would recommend to anyone wanting to start out on the developer's path, to seek out a few video tutorials on whatever subject pertains to them, then just leap into previewer with both feet like I did. You learn far more from your own experimentation and mistakes than anywhere else. Also, really get to know your software, and what it can do for you. I've learned most of what I know of Photoshop by fiddling around, but there are numerous places online where a person can find tips and tricks to make use of all it's nifty applications. And don't be afraid to just play around with whatever mesh appeals to you. Just because you tinker with something in previewer, does not mean you actually have to submit it, should the end result not be what you were going for. A fair portion of my products are completely opposite from my original vision. Things have a way of evolving during their creation. And when really stumped on something, check the forum. Chances are, someone else has had the exact same question...and it's already been answered by another who's been there themselves. We all have to start somewhere.