We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Chris Battle a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Chris, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?
By diving back into the same things that inspired me as a child: Cartoons, comics, children’s books, movies, & video games are an endless inspiration well. You never know where your next major creative breakthrough will come from, but chances are if you go back to the same sources that drew you into the creative world, you’ll find something to spark the design fires anew.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I’m an Animation Character Design Artist, and work primarily in television, but sometimes branch out into features, consumer products, book illustration, and even video games. Along the way I’ve worked at almost every animation studio there is (Disney, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, Warner Bros, etc), most notably on classic shows like DEXTER’S LABORATORY, POWERPUFF GIRLS, SAMURAI JACK, as well as current series like TEEN TITANS GO. Most recently, I’ve been working on several new shows for Nickelodeon Animation.
Basically, I managed to achieve one of those childhood dream jobs (Professional cartoon artist!) where I’m drawing the very same characters I loved as a kid for the studios that made so many of my childhood favorites!
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Versatility — While I definitely have an overall style that’s my wheelhouse (funny cartoony shows), I’m able to produce art in a variety of styles, which means I can hop from studio to studio. from show to show.
Mimicry — Every kid starts out trying their best to freehand copy a picture of their favorite cartoon/comic character, and that same skill is what we all use as professionals: Being able to draw a perfectly “on-model” Mickey Mouse or Batman (or even a brand new show no one has ever seen before!) is essential to working in animation character design.
An eye for details — Alongside mimicry, possessing a keen eye for every small detail of a character (clothing, hair, expressions, etc) is another essential tool in the character designer’s kit.
For those getting started, the one thing that never changes regardless of technology or delivery platform is that you have to PUT IN THE HOURS. Much like the journey of a pro athlete or concert musician, it takes constant training & rigorous work to achieve and maintain a career on a professional level, so ya better get started NOW.
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
From the very moment I displayed an aptitude for drawing as a small child, my parents made sure I had TONS of paper & pencils to keep me drawing. They also took me to lots of movies & special exhibits/events where I could see the art or meet the artists behind all of my favorite media, and always made sure I could have lots of art/animation/comic books to inspire me.
Contact Info:
- Website: artstation.com/chrisbattleart
- Instagram: instagram.com/chrisbattleart
- Facebook: facebook.com/ChrisBattleArt
- Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/cbattle
- Twitter: twitter.com/chrisbattleart
- Other: IMDb: imdb.com/name/nm0061497/ Etsy Shop: etsy.com/shop/ChrisBattle
