Batman 2.0 Design Process pt. 2

Continuing from the last post.

So I've got my Design locked I think. I initially wanted the cape to be short for agility and connect to the underside of the arm. I then started to think that was too derivative of my Vampirella Redesign. So I went back to an idea I've had kicking around in my head of the riding cape/parka, which when flared would kinda make the bat symbol shape.

This is the costume design as it was going into the final drawing, minus the cape. It's your common bat costume with only a few minor tweaks that are Nightwing-ish. All the pieces that were black were going to be reinforced leather or amor. The face mask is meant to echo the old Dick Sprang/Adam West cowl look. It also recalls Robin's domino mask and the sculpted armor of the Batman movies. I figured the movies really inform on the way the general audience perceive Batman, so any new comicbook design shouldn't reject that style entirely. So the emblem has relief dimension to it as well. The gauntlets on his forearms become a short glove with (wrist spike) over arm-guards.

The Belt. The belt was originally going to be the old Robin, mixed with a police utility belt. all black leather with brass fittings. In the final drawing that looked under designed and way out of place. Or bad. It looked bad. So back to the literal drawing board. I redesigned it to have a more climbing-harness-lifting-belt look to it. This was too busy and still clashed with the rest of the design. So I started to strip things out. Irregularity of shape and extra elements were thrown out. What's left with is an all black belt made up of uniform compartments with a single button in the center. No buckle! The flares up the side is the same ribbed elastic armor from the arm guards. They serve to hold up the weight of the belt, and look Nightwing-ish.

This is the final drawing before rendering and background were added, paired with the color flats. The blacks aren't really black but a very dark and desaturated navy. The cape is a felted wool, lined with blue silk and reinforced with fabricised Kevlar. The suit is lined with that as well.

And finally a preview of the finished piece:

Comments

[Jenn]

I enjoyed reading how much thought went into your design process. You are on top of your game, Mr. Heard.

[plumbing]

This design gets me totally psyched for Batman 2! The color choice is perfect given the red-and-black fixation of Batman R.I.P., as well as a nod to Dick's background as Robin.