Lenovo Second Skin is the novelty of the luxury brand in the PC Gaming field with its Legion line: you can customize your laptop or PC with super-heroic themed stickers created by the international designer Salva Espin, former artist at Marvel.
We had the opportunity to interview the author and here’s what he told us about his career and his experience with this Lenovo collaboration.
- How did your dream of becoming an illustrator for Marvel come true? How was the first contact?
When I finished university, I knew I wanted to dedicate myself to the world of illustration, comics, animation or video games. Firstly, because all these worlds have the creation of characters and worlds in common. I started making projects with my creations and for this reason I found comics to be the ideal medium, being solely responsible for the creative process. So by the time I finished my studies, I had a good number of (ink) comic pages finished. These pages were the ones that I was able to show a Marvel editor in a portfolio review during an edition of the Salón del Cómic. This person was able to test my storytelling style and that’s what really interested him and made him propose the first series I worked on,”Damage Control“. – Follow Salva’s works through his social channels Instagram And Twitch – Ed
- The Second Skin campaign with Lenovo is the result of a great collaboration, in which your expertise and your art are made available to a large company. How did the collaboration come about?
The Lenovo team knew both my work and my comic style, but also my passion for technology and video games. When they told me about the project and the main messages they wanted to convey with “Second Skin”, I understood them immediatelybecause I immediately found myself in an experience in which I combine my passion for my work and for videogames. From then on, it was fun to let my imagination run wild in working with the team.
- What inspired you to create the stickers?
I was inspired by a mix of visual icons from video game culture, of which I consider myself a fan, and the possibilities of technology. It was great to combine this passion with my work, drawing comics, which I also do through digital media. I’m using a Lenovo Legion Slim 7 with an AMD processor, which I use for both work and play.
- Are you a gamer? Was it easy for you to identify with a player eager for a “second skin”?
Yup, ever since I discovered Street Fighter II in arcades in the 90s, video games have been a part of my life. I have had many adventures and experiences thanks to them and, with the narrative force that many of their stories tell, they end up becoming experiences that shape the way you see life. With “Second Skin” I wanted to convey this sense of duality in an iconic way and with a fun and fresh touch.
- What is the character that would appear on your Lenovo if you had to choose one?
I find it difficult to choose between “Parent Lurkers” And “Email Slayer” 😄
- How long does the creative process of a sticker take and what do you take into consideration?
Has been a creative process that required many hours of work. It was very important that each image tell several very specific messages, because each of the drawings had to represent a large number of fans from the world of video games. It took a lot of rehearsals, the drawing part is the most complicated for me, because many images with different characters and situations were created in my mind. Once the idea has been implemented correctly, the next steps are more technical, inking and digital colouring. All of this also takes time, but for me it’s one of the phases that I like the most and that relaxes me. It is here that the artist’s craft is most evident, the moment in which the experience of all these years of work is fundamental. The relaxation is similar to what I feel when I’m in the orchard tending the lemon trees.
- Have you ever had to transform your projects into a “second skin” that reflects a person’s identity?
Yes this was the key I worked with on this projectthrough which we have tried to represent a large number of players through the illustrations that make up “Second Skins“. To do this, I used all the information shared by the Lenovo team, which also had additional data thanks to a survey conducted in several European countries. We’ve also partnered with members of the Lenovo Legion Gaming Communitywho will play a key role in the project, to jointly create a sixth design for “Second Skin”.
We thank Lenovo Legion and Salva Espin for the interview.
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