Welcome to Skinmasters! A series of interviews with top graphic designers and skinners on deviantART.

The sixth interview of the series features yet another artist who is top of his field. He creates some of the sleekest skins you will find, both for windows and cell phones. It's a pleasure to interview him and for those rare few who have been asleep for the past couple of years, let me introduce you too Aydin hagh rahi aka ~007TINAR

Aydin hagh rahi aka :dev00tinar: has made some great skins and his distinct style really sets him apart. You should definitely check out his works! I've selected a few of my favourites for your viewing



Hello Aydin, for those that haven't heard about you... could you give us a brief biography?

I'm "Aydin hagh rahi" from Iran, and I was born in 1981. May be my interests in this field does have no close relationship with my university/academic studies in computer engineering ( software branch. I started designing when I was 20 but at the age of 24 I paid more attention to it. I had no encourager or teacher ( Iranian ) in this regard. But I have always taken my mother's kindness.


Cool, Now let's talk about your skins. When did you start to make them?

I created nearly all of them during three years. May be they are a part of my Identity and my soul.





What graphic tools do you use? Any recommendations?

The most important ones: Adobe Photoshop CS3 , Xara3D6 , Fireworks , Flash , PhotoImpact , Terragen , Corel PHOTO-PAINT , SkinStudio ...
Each of them has their own special place but working with "Adobe Photoshop CS3" is very enjoyable for me.


Where does your inspiration come from?

Designing is something like writing poems, surely at some special moment you can inspire something. At least it's true for me. But generally speaking designer's visual memory is very important in this way. About skinning: It's like solving a passive ( un-known ) N x N math equation, and that how and where you should start.





Has deviatART been an influence to you? How big was that influence?

I owe my recent progress to DA and friends here. I believe DA supposes an especial characteristics for its users, pleasant place! I love it very much …


Who are your favourite designers on deviantART. Could you name a few?

All my friend in DA ! but I admire theskinsfactory works , if I can i'll do my best to be one of those or like them.


Where did your nickname come from?

007TINAR bases has been taken/driven from four letters of 't' , 'n' , 'a' , 'r' ,each reminding me a world of memories. All men or things I preferred to be with or to have, but now they are not or I have none. Whenever all these four letters are put together and 'i' is added to them, they make the word "tinar" by the meaning of "alone" in Persian. But I have no mental experience on 007. When I was registering in "Stardock" site, I got it once.


Any advice for those that are starting to create their own skins?

Well to be honest skinning seems very simple and many think that they can cover it just by little background , but in fact that is the most difficult branch in designing and demands more energy. Surely one can not reach to a satisfied position in a short time, but it is important to start it from one point and continue it.


Any final words to add?

I greatly acknowledge my best friend ^mrrste to give me these opportunity , also I'm thankful of all my dear friends whose support during last year led me to give meaning to 007TINAR.






I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed making it. Head on over to his gallery [link]

Thank you,
Stephen aka ^mrrste