When Essex based Matt Gowler ain’t trolling the Internet, producing minimal electro or time travelling, he is designing and producing his art work. Matt has his style down to a tee, retaining the basic sketch elements in many of his characters and design, emphasising the character. I have turned to Matt in the past, seeking advice on all aspects of design, and i feel its time that he got some coverage.
Check the interview out below.
For a start, who/what are your biggest influences?
Well… It’s a battle royal between video games, old and new, cartoons, anime, movies, television, music, people, pop culture, skateboarding and the Internet. But sometimes things will just pop out of the blue you know?
Your characters seem to retain a sketch-like quality, do you always start from sketch with your vectors? what other methods do you use?
It’s a mixtures of things, sometimes they can come out perfect first go (without having to pencil them before hand) but for that I have to be lucky, other times, I pencil them, scan them in and colour them, other times I do it all with traditional methods. So it’s basically just pens, paper and computers.
I know you are a wee bit of a musician [insert blatent plug] would you say that this influences your work or vice versa?
Oh massivly! they kinda switch around. Right, imagine it like a sitcom, with Artistic skill and Musical skill living in a flat together. And say I’m feeling more into my music one week, Music’s all like “Bro, I need the flat for a week. Go away”… Or something but when I’m more into one the other seems to take a back seat and vice versa.
who are your favourite aritsts?
Okay, well there’s Bryan Lee O’Malley, Jamie Hewlett, Mohammad F. Haque, Jon Burgerman & Yoji Shinkawa (Who did all the artwork for the Metal Gear Solid and Zone Of The Enders games)
There are more, some I can’t remember off the top of my head
Quickfire time…
Favourite Drink: Dr Pepper
Genre of music:Electronica
Medium to use:Paper/Photoshop
Internet meme:Feels good, Man.
What tune is your alarm tone:I think it’s just the regular thing that’s stupidly loud and wakes me up when all I wanna do it lay in a catatonic state under my duvet NEXT QUESTION!
This seems to be turning into a myspace quiz, whats your view on myspace quizzes?
I used to do them quite often. But whilst every fucker on that rancid cess pit of a website would be all “LOLSRS” I’m just fill them out with stupid shit. Tom man, I can’t believe you sold out to Rupert.
Any final words? or sites to plug?
I’d like to thank the academy. My parents, etc etc. Also, visit my blog www.anotherartblog.wordpress.com don’t stay up to late, and remember to get up for work in the morning.
Oh and www.myspace.com/matchstickwarrior2k
Yeah.
Check out Matt’s flickr here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/this_is_2008/
Tags: graphic design, Illustration, interview, kulture online, News
