Godmachine (UK)

Godmachine (UK)

As Would you believe it, when I asked Godmachine for which band he would like to work for, he answered "Tom Waits or Chris Isaac" but immediatly said "but they are visually totally not my style", just have a look at his mazing work, and you will probably understand why ;) 

Hello, of course as every Crewk interview, first question: what are we listening to when we come to visit you?

Chris Isaac at the moment- cant get enough of him, so twisted, it reminds me of the time I read an interview with Mike Patton and he suggested listening to the Carpenters on acid. I think I have been into Isaacs music since Lynch propelled him into a number one.  

Can you tell us more about yourself, who are you, where are you from, what do you do?

I like, reading, films, the colours blue and green and red, I like coffee, I miss drugs and meat, I like philosophy and science, art and food, and more- all subject to change. I am from the UK. I draw for a living and love to make things. 

When did you start drawing?

as soon as I could hold a pen. But as a career- about 5 years or maybe more?

Did you follow any course or did you improve by drawing in the margins of your schoolbooks?

I did A-level art but was thrown out of school for not really pulling my weight- its hard to be studious when you are that age. Never really bothered with art then till I was stuck in the workforce. I did a degree in Graphic Communication. If I was to recommend a course of action for anyone interested in art I would say do what you want as long as you have passion. I didn't really have passion until I started doing it as a career, studying didn't seem to work for me, but now studying as a means to an outcome seems more fitting and my passion is greater. You have to find what works for you.

Today are you living from your art, or do you do something else for a living ?

I live from my art. Sounds weird when you say it like that- I still don't believe its true, this was never supposed to happen, where I am from you are supposed to end up in a shit job, the job being a small part of your life, as a means to get by. Doing something you love is unbelievable. I may moan and groan about clients and jobs and work but in all honesty not a day goes by that I am not thankful for how its turned out. I am thankful to all those who enjoy my work and I will never get used to people liking my stuff or people emailing me to tell me so. Humble till the day I die for this opportunity. Thank you.

Are you collaborating with magazines/fanzines, regularly?

I would like to- I do a cartoon for a blog when they ask, thats loads of fun. 

Where does your influence come from? Is there any artists/graphists you particularly like, what are your influences?

The biz. Munch. Beardsley. Rackham. Clarke. I take a piece of inspiration from everywhere, I am not artistically blinkered that way. Most of my inspiration is from years ago that is very popular now, So I am lucky in a way that I am over it but able to look back that way if I want. I cant deny and cant go without saying though that pre '93 2000AD and every thing before then has seeped into my unconscious
. 

What are the principal steps in your work ?

look for inspiration, get inspired, do several doodles, look for references, take some photos or draw from scratch, build up detail and composition and shade layer after layer untill you feel you are ready to go ahead and ink- the whole thing from conception to final piece can take up to 2 days.

Do you do everything by hand or on computer?

the sketches are done in a book or on paper and they really are rough and done with a biro or pencil- just so I can remember the idea. But mostly from start to finish its done on computer.  although been taking regular breaks back into drawing and producing some small pieces.

How long does it take you to do a poster?

from conception to finality can take 2 days maybe 3. If the client is involved in all stages it can take weeks. sad face.

You have a very distinctive style, are you doing only what you feel like or if tomorrow somebody asks you an oil painting with horses running out of water with a sunset backdrop, is it a problem or are you up for it ?

I dont mind trying things if people ask but if it doesnt feel right then I wont want to do it. If its for client work I would rather stick to what I know that way I have a better chance of doing something that they have come to expect and no one will be let down...much ahah. I think my style just develops over time, everyone borrows from here and there as you are learning and you never stop learning, you see someone use light in a different way and it makes you think about it- you try it- you think about your piece, try it again, forget about it and it becomes part of your style, but it has your accent on it. Its like language, you pick up phrases here and there and subconsciously you try them out and what sticks sticks and what doesnt gos, but the stuff that stays is always and can always only be said in your accent. Does that make sense? I see some people try out my way of doing eyes for example and about 3 weeks later or more you see they have incorporated your way of doing eyes into their style but they've added something better, changed it and thought about it more. This is great for inspiration and helps you grow.

For which band have you already worked for?

A lot- a list can be found on my website or my facebook page- come on over and say hi.
 

For which band would you love to work?

I think I would love to work for Tom Waits or Chris Isaac, but they are visually totally not my style...I guess I just like their music :D

Do you choose the artists yourself?

I get to chose in a way that I can say no if they ask. But if I like the brief and they can pay, and I have time I will mostly take the client. I dont get precious about who I work with, there was a rule going around a while back that you should select your clients carefully and make sure you only pick big names and popular names to help further your career. I sometimes don't know if someone is 'big' or 'famous' but I like their brief and I get to draw for a living- that seems enough for me.

What is the most difficult part in designing a poster ?

Nothing really- I guess it can be made difficult- but after cutting my teeth on t-shirts, having boarders, edges to lean on in posters is a great relief.

Do you think you are part of a "Graphic Scene", if so who else ?

I wouldn't like to guess and from the inside I would find it hard to note. There are trends and scenes and they are very obvious but I wouldn't like to try pigeon holing myself like that, or do it to others.  I guess from shows you can see how other people have collected you together, but I cant see it haha.

A bit of self-promotion, take advantage of it, it's free, where can we see your work , on the web or in real life?

you can go to my webpage and facebook and follow me on twitter.
 

The best praise you received lately?

Someone said I was a gentleman the other day. That was nice.

What can we wish you for the future?

 Wish me good health and a strong heart and a mind that can turn off.

Thanks for answering my questions and see you soon on the website !!

thank you for having me. I love your blog and your last post- she is a great artists