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Skinner Creative first caught my attention at Thought Bubble with a collection of eye catching Batman designs. Under the intriguing name of Project X the designer Chris Skinner told me that these designs were all part of something bigger.
Using sequential art the Sheffield based designer is creating a motion graphic novel which uses traditional sketching techniques and develops them into full 3D models with audio tracks and voice over.
Earlier this year Chris teased Project X and we recently caught up with him to find out how he’s been getting on.
Chris told me “I’m a big fan of Batman like most people. With it being my first project it had to be a character I was interested in.”
But, many artists find it hard to create themselves an identity when working on the Dark Knight. Visionaries like Frank Miller have already cemented the Batman into our collective conscious. But, despite this uphill battle Chris uses his unique style to create a brand new take on Gotham’s hero.
“I’ve been moving away from traditional Batman more recently. I don’t want to tag it as Batman, but there’s only so much you can do. Even without a mention of Batman or any bat symbols in it, people still know who it is.”
Apart from removing mentions of the Bat’s name and logo, Chris has also made some minor changes that help alter the overall feel of his Batman.
“I originally wanted it to be more like a traditional Batman. But, when I started designing the characters more in 3D, it moulded itself.”
“The suit designs are the most prominent changes, although they are more slight tweaks than major changes. It more comes down to the graphical style of it.”
Fans will notice that Chris’ Batman has no ears that make his cowl so iconic. He has also been experimenting with the idea of a red suited Dark Knight.
“Everyone loves the red Batman, but it happened by mistake because the image of a black Batman looked to monotone, so I turned it red.”
Creating a 3D motion graphic novel is no easy task for just one person. Chris has designed all characters and costumes himself, as well as developing the narrative and finding the voices for his characters.
“The thing I’ve found most difficult is time. Because I’m doing all aspects of it I find it very time consuming.”
“Another problem is working on a consistent style for everything. Designing characters and designing outfits, I just have to make sure it all fits. It’s hard to work quickly and consistently, especially with the level of detail I want to put in it.”
From the first drawing to a finished piece, Chris’ work can go through as many as five different time consuming processes before he is happy with it.
With 2013 drawing to a close, Chris feels that we will have to wait until next year to see the release of Project X.
“The artwork that’s out at the moment is really good because it allowed me to develop my style, and everyone has been really positive about it. But, it said coming 2013 and that’s definitely not going happen. It’s going to be at some point next year.”
“I’ve been taking a step back from it to reassess what I want to get out of it. But, I need to get cracking on it really.”
Chris has promised to keep Purple Revolver updated with news on Project X, but make sure you find him on Facebook and Twitter.