Did the guy who made the default Ubuntu wallpapers in 2008 die or something?

[Queue29]

Ubuntu's history of default backgrounds:

http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2010/03/look-back-at-ubuntu-and-its-default.html

I don't understand what happened. 8.04 and 8.10 shipped with nice, professional looking desktop backgrounds, while everything after that looks like something made in a photoshop 101 class. Where did great artist who made those backgrounds go? I mean seriously, it's 2010, and we're about to get... lens flares?

[phrostbyte]

There is always someone who complains about the default wallpaper, you are not unique. :p

[Nerd King]

Hardy's the best by far :) Actually I may just put it back on my karmic box for nostalgia :)

[RichardLinx]

A wallpaper complaint thread... So that means the next Ubuntu release is pretty close. Awesome.

[phrostbyte]

A wallpaper complaint thread... So that means the next Ubuntu release is pretty close. Awesome.

In close to two months. There will exactly be two beta releases this time around, a first. :)

[kaldor]

Ubuntu's history of default backgrounds:

http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2010/03/look-back-at-ubuntu-and-its-default.html

I don't understand what happened. 8.04 and 8.10 shipped with nice, professional looking desktop backgrounds, while everything after that looks like something made in a photoshop 101 class. Where did great artist who made those backgrounds go? I mean seriously, it's 2010, and we're about to get... lens flares?

If they continued with the animal scheme and used a Lynx, Apple would probably sue.

http://mikeandcyd.com/mikescorner/media/blogs/a/images/snow_leopard_osx.png

Wow, everything is adding up to an accidental Mac spin. First the cat name, then the monochrome icons and purple wallpaper with only one panel. :)

[MichealH]

No, He retired :P

[tjwoosta]

Wow, everything is adding up to an accidental Mac spin. First the cat name, then the monochrome icons and purple wallpaper with only one panel. :)

Accidental? Im not too sure...

[ctrlmd]

If they continued with the animal scheme and used a Lynx, Apple would probably sue.

http://mikeandcyd.com/mikescorner/media/blogs/a/images/snow_leopard_osx.png

Wow, everything is adding up to an accidental Mac spin. First the cat name, then the monochrome icons and purple wallpaper with only one panel. :)

which is a lose of identity :-#
its should be beautiful but it's shouldn't be a copy

[Madspyman]

which is a lose of identity :-#
its should be beautiful but it's shouldn't be a copy

I hear that.

[bigbrovar]

I am not sure about the dude who made the hardy heron wallpaper (https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Artwork/Incoming/Hardy/Alternate/Fela_Kuti). But the dude who inspired the wallpaper Fela Kuti (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fela_Kuti) The Legendary Nigerian Afro Beat Musician died 1997. Fela is IMHO the greatest Music ever to come out of Africa and the greatest protest Musician that ever lived.

[ssam]

so everyone has forgotten the original set of human wallpapers. i feel so old.

[Kdar]

I think 10.04 wallpaper is ok. Not super great, but still decent and also very neutral, which is important, I think. Plus Ubuntu now provide other wallpapers too (like in 9.10).

And I usually have my own collection of wallpapers, to which I switch almost right away.

[Nevon]

I think the reason they abandoned the idea of using the animals for wallpapers and other types of branding is because not all release names are appropriate for that. For example, Jaunty Jackalope wouldn't really have worked that well.

The only other reason I can think of is simply a lack of creativity. Like the OP (I think...) said, all the wallpapers except for Hardy and Intrepid look like something that was made in a Photoshop 101 course.

If it wasn't anatomically incorrect, this is what I would have liked to have seen as a default wallpaper for the upcoming release.

http://i46.tinypic.com/kdojr8.png

[cguy]

They didn't even use smooth gradients on Lucid's wallpaper. :(


Edit:

Whoa, if only they used the first wallpaper listed on this page...
http://www.ubunturoot.com/2010/03/6-ubuntu-1004-lucid-lynx-wallpapers.html

[forrestcupp]

I still like Intrepid's the best.

And we really shouldn't be judging Lucid until it is released. You never know what might happen between now and then.

[Tristam Green]

I think the reason they abandoned the idea of using the animals for wallpapers and other types of branding is because not all release names are appropriate for that. For example, Jaunty Jackalope wouldn't really have worked that well.


Then why name it after a mythical creature at all o.O

[kwwii]

Contrary to popular belief, I am not dead (yet)! Makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside that you all care so much though ;-)

[chessnerd]

I'm actually using the wallpaper from Hardy at the moment and have been for a couple of months. It's one of my all time favorite wallpapers for any OS (I even have a Windows 7 theme built around it) and my sister, when she first saw Ubuntu when I installed Hardy, thought that it was awesome. It made Ubuntu look cool, unique, and interesting.

It's a shame that they didn't come out with a cool Lynx wallpaper for Lucid. I mean, even with the "Light" theme they could have made a pretty awesome wallpaper that integrated a Lynx standing on a cliff with the sun behind it or something. Instead we get lens glare. Give me 10 minutes in the GIMP and I'll give you a comparable wallpaper.

[Queue29]

Somebody, please explain to me how you can look at these two potential backgrounds and chose the second over the first. I mean seriously, what does the second image offer that makes it better than the first? I'm not trying to be rude or sarcastic, I really want to know, why the second image is a better choice than the first?


http://imgur.com/SePO2l.jpg

http://imgur.com/LNeMWl.jpg

[OffHand]

I don't know but it's a horrible choice imo.

[swoll1980]

Somebody, please explain to me how you can look at these two potential backgrounds and chose the second over the first. I mean seriously, what does the second image offer that makes it better than the first? I'm not trying to be rude or sarcastic, I really want to know, why the second image is a better choice than the first?



Maybe because of the text, and logo. Ive noticed that these things don't scale very well to different screen resolutions.

[Grenage]

Contrary to popular belief, I am not dead (yet)! Makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside that you all care so much though ;-)

Good to hear. ;)


Somebody, please explain to me how you can look at these two potential backgrounds and chose the second over the first. I mean seriously, what does the second image offer that makes it better than the first? I'm not trying to be rude or sarcastic, I really want to know, why the second image is a better choice than the first?

I prefer the first by a mile, but I suppose the lack of focus in the latter might be attractive to some - icons stand out more easily.

[BrokenKingpin]

I agree the new wallpaper is horrible. I would say Intrepid Ibex has had the best default wallpaper, and Karmic Koala's is by far the worst.

I like the move away from brown, but I think they can do better than this.

[Tibuda]

Somebody, please explain to me how you can look at these two potential backgrounds and chose the second over the first. I mean seriously, what does the second image offer that makes it better than the first? I'm not trying to be rude or sarcastic, I really want to know, why the second image is a better choice than the first?


it is surely less distractive than the first. i think the second is much better.

[Post Monkeh]

the last couple of wallpapers have been a little plain, but then some people like that.

intrepid was my first ubuntu and i thought the wallpaper for it was really good, distinctive.

the last couple and the new one do lack a bit of identity, but i wouldn't say they're ugly.
besides, i usually always change my wallpaper anyway

[BrokenKingpin]

besides, i usually always change my wallpaper anyway

I as well, and my theme for that matter. I just think Ubuntu needs to start looking better out of the box. I just hate when I tell people I use Ubuntu, and they look up some screen shots of it and then get told it is hideous (which it is).

As I stated above, the move away from brown is a great start, I am just not sold on the new colour and wallpaper choices yet.

[Nevon]

Somebody, please explain to me how you can look at these two potential backgrounds and chose the second over the first. I mean seriously, what does the second image offer that makes it better than the first?
Because they don't want to have the logo or any text in the wallpapers. I think they have had that written in their design documents for quite some time, so it would be silly to change it without any obvious benefit.

[Simian Man]

I would be extremely surprised if they actually ship with that second wallpaper. It looks like somebody just learned how to use Gimp and went overboard on effects without putting in any actual thought. BTW 1998 called, they want their lens flare back.

Remove the logo and text from the first one and it would be a good wallpaper.

[LowSky]

This is still one of my favorite wallpapers ever included in a release, even if it wasn't the default

http://static.desktopnexus.com/wallpapers/81029-bigthumbnail.jpg

[rudihawk]

Agreed^

I love that wallpaper!

Have you seen the blue version?

[joey-elijah]

I utterly love this thread title! I should've used it the original headline for the post =P

I'm utterly torn on wallpaper designs - like most i think Hardy and Intrepid were certainly the zenith of default designs.

I know the Ubuntu team are hesitant to brand everything 'UBUNTU UBUNTU UBUNTU' but then seeing some of the recent efforts i'm no surprised they don't want their name etched all over it!

I do love the Karmic wallpaper, although i guess i'm in a minority on that. The Lucid one i've sorta fallen out of love with already...

[VCoolio]

When lucid comes and if I'll use it, this (http://newyork.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1329193) will be my wallpaper.

[koenn]

so everyone has forgotten the original set of human wallpapers. i feel so old.
you mean the nudes ?

[Madspyman]

when lucid comes and if i'll use it, this (http://newyork.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1329193) will be my wallpaper.

+1

[Tristam Green]

you mean the nudes ?

ahh, the ubuntu-calendar package.

[ssam]

you mean the nudes ?

10 points to you sir.

[murderslastcrow]

We go through stages where experimentation might be a bad idea, and a simple, ambient wallpaper could serve well to emphasize the simplicity of the OS. I'm just looking at the back of an eggplant, I don't mind.

Also, there seems to be an awesome selection of wallpapers available in Appearance, I don't think it's a huge issue.

However, I must agree that Intrepid Ibex's wallpaper is probably my favorite, and we could use a lot more of that kind of work for people who don't just go with defaults.

[phrostbyte]

10 points to you sir.

Shame it was removed. I didn't see many people complaining about that wallpaper collection. ;)

[TheLastDodo]

Actually, yes he did die. He was on vacation to see the ruins of Machu Picchu last summer when he was attacked and eaten by a Peruvian land walrus.

[mapltux]

However, I must agree that Intrepid Ibex's wallpaper is probably my favorite, and we could use a lot more of that kind of work for people who don't just go with defaults.

I ditto that.

Getting back to the thread topic - mebbe the wallpaper guy is playing with new colors

[koenn]

Shame it was removed. I didn't see many people complaining about that wallpaper collection. ;)
there was some controversy, iirc ...

[sertse]

When lucid comes and if I'll use it, this (http://newyork.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1329193) will be my wallpaper.

+2

Indeed, we even had the transparent template so you can use any colour background you want.

[K.Mandla]

Ubuntu's history of default backgrounds:

http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2010/03/look-back-at-ubuntu-and-its-default.html
http://kmandla.wordpress.com/2008/01/29/an-ubuntu-retrospective-in-wallpaper/

Everything has been thought of before, but the problem is to think of it again.

[Queue29]

We go through stages where experimentation might be a bad idea, and a simple, ambient wallpaper could serve well to emphasize the simplicity of the OS. I'm just looking at the back of an eggplant, I don't mind.


Here's a few words I would associate with that wallpaper, and thus with Lucid Lynx:

"outdated"
"rudimentary"
"plain"
"boring"
"uninspiring"

When people first look through screen shots of a new OS, what's the first thing they see and judge about it? The background of course! And this is really the kind of thing we want to associate with a brand new LTS release?

[Tibuda]

I'm the only one that feel sick looking at intrepid wallpaper?

[chris4585]

Dude, I've loved every Ubuntu default wallpaper, personally I liked 7.10, 9.04, and 9.10. It also seems I will like 10.04 too if the purple wallpaper will be default. I will say 8.04 and 8.10 were good also but who says they were better? Its all subjective and we should leave it at that.

[kwwii]

Actually, yes he did die. He was on vacation to see the ruins of Machu Picchu last summer when he was attacked and eaten by a Peruvian land walrus.

But amazingly after a few months I came back to life, vacation will do that to you.

[kwwii]

Dude, I've loved every Ubuntu default wallpaper, personally I liked 7.10, 9.04, and 9.10. It also seems I will like 10.04 too if the purple wallpaper will be default. I will say 8.04 and 8.10 were good also but who says they were better? Its all subjective and we should leave it at that.

I'd like to hire you as my press agent, well done!

[chris4585]

I'd like to hire you as my press agent, well done!

Ha, thanks, when do I start? j/k 8-)

[kwwii]

Ha, thanks, when do I start? j/k 8-)

As soon as you convince *everyone* that the purple bg rocks ;-)

good luck!

[sudoer541]

As soon as you convince *everyone* that the purple bg rocks ;-)

good luck!


I think the purple wallpaper rocks and its cute. Do I get a prize?

[swoll1980]

I think the new theme is more attractive than anything Ubuntu has ever put out. I know you can change stuff if you want to, but if I have to make a first impression on some one, out of the box, I would do it with this new theme.

[MasterNetra]

I think the new theme is more attractive than anything Ubuntu has ever put out. I know you can change stuff if you want to, but if I have to make a first impression on some one, out of the box, I would do it with this new theme.

Agreed only thing is it doesn't go along with the light theme they are re-branding too. Personally they should of defaulted to "Radiance" and used a White and grey version of that first alternative to the default wallpaper without Ubuntu on it. but thats my two cents. I have Lucid running on my old gateway with Radiance theme plus the White Orchid wallpaper.

[phrostbyte]

As soon as you convince *everyone* that the purple bg rocks ;-)

good luck!

I like the new wallpaper. :) It's not too "in your face" like some wallpapers usually are.

Were you also responsible for the past wallpapers?

[earthpigg]

i still like intrepid's the best.



+1

is there a package that includes all wallpapers shipped (default, and just included) with all releases?

[phrostbyte]

+1

is there a package that includes all wallpapers shipped (default, and just included) with all releases?

In the main repos, just for Ubuntu 6.10 for some reason.

edgy-wallpapers (apt://edgy-wallpapers)
edgy-community-wallpapers (apt://edgy-community-wallpapers)

It's worth noting the Edgy release included the popular "Tree of Ubuntu" wallpaper. Probably why it's in the repos specifically. :)

[Aphorism]

Ashton Lafferty created the much lauded Heron bird. I'll leave you guys to figure out what happened after that. His first work is documented on the aforementioned page here: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Artwork/Incoming/Hardy/Alternate/Fela_Kuti

The second most lauded wallpaper, in all of it's utterly Ubuntuartified glory, was created by Rico St. Cruz. His original is _far_ superior to the monotonous and monochromatic nightmare that he was persuaded to crank out. See below for more information.

And yes, I find it utterly amusing to read the classic "Who did What?" threads.

Let me restate this loudly:

Hardy Heron bird pattern: Ashton Lafferty
(http://troy-sobotka.blogspot.com/2008/03/hardy-heron-wallpaper-fela-kuti-botch.html)
Intrepid Ibex (Pre-Ubuntufication): Rico St. Cruz
(http://troy-sobotka.blogspot.com/2008/10/ubuntuification-of-art.html)

Both of those artists had nothing to do with Canonical. If anything, their work was dragged down as a result.