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THE FOLIO SOCIETY PRESENTS: DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP?

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Last week I interviewed Andrew Archer about his illustrative work on one half of a new collection published by The Folio Society, centered on two books written by Philip K Dick, the esteemed science fiction novelist. Andrew drew the portion dedicated to, ‘A Scanner Darkly’, where as Chris Skinner drew the portion dedicated to, ‘Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?’. What now follows is my interview with Chris. Go on, check it out, and once you've done that, click here to read my previous interview with Andrew.





1) Please tell us a little bit about yourself, Chris Skinner?   I’m an illustrator based in Derbyshire, England, and I create illustrations for various formats that include limited edition prints, posters, books, films, and comics.

By and large I use a mixture of techniques in my illustrative work, including traditional media, 2D digital, 3D modelling, and digital sculpting. I’m also really into Art Deco and Film Noir and try to incorporate some of this into my work, especially those with science fiction and fantasy themes. Some of my favorite artists are Hugh Ferris, Anton Furst, and Ralph McQuarrie, to name but a few.

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
Illustration by Chris Skinner from The Folio Society
edition of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
by Philip K Dick ©Chris Skinner 2017
Throughout my career I’ve created art for Marvel, DC Comics, 20th Century Fox, Studio Canal, Mondo, Infinity Ward, Microsoft, and of course The Folio Society.

2) How did you become involved with this project: ‘Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?’   The project was brought to me by my agent, Laura Lee at Debut Art, after Raquel Leis Allion, Folio’s Art Director, had discussed the project with her. The FS then submitted some of the work from my portfolio to the Estate of Philip K. Dick and they liked what they saw.

3) Were your illustrations inspired by the filmic adaptation?   'Blade Runner' is such a massive movie that it's pretty hard not to think about the world Ridley Scott created for that film. That said, as an artist this project was a good opportunity to try something different, so I didn’t reference anything directly from the film. There’s always room for new interpretations, which hopefully shows through in my illustrations.

4) What’s your favorite Philip K. Dick book and why?   Funnily enough, it’s 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?'. I actually prefer Rick Deckard’s character in the book compared to what we saw on screen. In the book he is much more proficient at his job, where as in the film Blade Runner I kind of feel he’s out of his depth.




Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
Illustration by Chris Skinner from The Folio Society
edition of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
by Philip K Dick ©Chris Skinner 2017
5) If you could get a celebrity – either living or dead – to promote your illustrations, who would you choose, and why would you want to choose this particular person?   I think it would have to be Stan Lee. The guy is a legend and really knows his stuff, so if he even looked at some of my work I would be happy.

6) During your time in this field, what is the one thing that has kept you in good stead?   I always try to improve and learn new techniques, as it can lead to happy accidents and new ways of working. It just keeps things fresh and being versatile can attract work from new clients that you might not have expected.

7) If you had a personal motto, what would it be?   No Retreat, No Surrender! I would say this whilst being taught art skills from the old masters.

So there you have it, folks. My interview with Chris Skinner about his work on the Philip K Dick novel, ‘Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?’. Priced at £75, this 488 page book might sound like it's on the expensive side. But trust me, it's not, especially when you take into consideration what you're getting for your money. For more information please feel free to check out The Folio Society's official website or twitter pages. Or alternately, click here to check out the interview I did with Andrew Archer, the second illustrator who drew the other story included in this book: 'A Scanner Darkly'. 

THE FOLIO SOCIETY PRESENTS: DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP? THE FOLIO SOCIETY PRESENTS: DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP? Reviewed by David Andrews on October 17, 2017 Rating: 5

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