This Batman project was definitely one of the most challenging I’ve taken on. Rajendra, the client, is a huge Batman fan and a tech enthusiast, so he wanted to integrate lights into the model. It was a cool idea, but it added a whole new layer of complexity to the project. The cape, as always, was a pain. I split it into multiple pieces for easier printing, but it still took a lot of work to join them together. I’m starting to think that maybe superhero capes should just be like Spider-Man’s. They’re much simpler to print and assemble.
The Dark Knight
To add the lights, I hollowed out the base of the model and installed a small circuit board with LEDs. I also added an adapter so that the model could be plugged in. To make the base heavier, I filled it with small ball bearings. This helped to keep the model stable and prevent it from tipping over.
For the paint job, I used multiple shades of gray, including Vallejo Aggressor Gray. This gave Batman that classic dark and brooding look.
One thing that I was hoping to achieve was to have the base light cast a bat-shaped shadow. Unfortunately, I couldn’t figure out how to do it. I tried a few different things, but nothing seemed to work. It’s a bit of a bummer, but I’m still happy with how the model turned out.
Overall, this Batman project took me about two to three months to complete. I charged Rajendra around 8k for the model. It was a lot of work, but it was also really rewarding. I’m glad I was able to bring Rajendra’s vision to life.
