My mum was into pottery and embroidery, very artistic, and she knew some people from the college, which I think was how I got into it. My dad, who was a head-hunter, was also an incredible artist, and when he was very young, he was a really good cartoonist.

Jamie Hewlett

Categorized in : Think Good People Dad

It’s about reaching that moment of pure ecstasy when a drawing just happens. Where every move you make with your hand and every thought you have in your head grows in front of you without any mistakes; no rubbing out, starting again and getting frustrated. It’s like being in a trance - it’s a fluid - and you almost don’t remember doing the picture. Drawing is an escape from all the unnecessary things in life that get in the way of being free.

Jamie Hewlett

mistake hands moving

Drawing Is An Escape From All The Unecessary Things In Life That Get In The Way Of Being Free

Jamie Hewlett

being-free things-in-life drawing

The total freedom means that you're enjoying what you're doing and you're involved in what you're doing, and that gives you the opportunity to experiment and have fun.

Jamie Hewlett

opportunity fun mean

If you're having fun, if you're working with people you love working with, then the results are always going to be exciting.

Jamie Hewlett

results fun people

It's wonderful to find cultures that are historically still intact, as opposed to a lot of Western cultures which seem to me to be slowly dying, stuck in celebrity illness or stupidity.

Jamie Hewlett

stupidity dying culture

A lot of people put out albums with sort of crappy songs and a couple of singles because they know no one's going to listen to it anyway. We very much wanted it to be something that you do listen to from beginning to end and had a narrative that was important.

Jamie Hewlett

couple song people

Everybody thinks that 2-D is Damon, but none of the characters are based on any of us. 2-D is the classic stupid pretty boy singer. He's the fall guy, the stooge. Everyone takes the piss out of him. He had a car accident where he went through the windscreen and ended up with two bumps on his head. It knocked some cool into him

Jamie Hewlett

stupid character fall

I'm always having ideas. I'd like to continue being able to realise the ideas I have.

Jamie Hewlett

realising able ideas

I want to do stuff that excites me and is enjoyable.

Jamie Hewlett

enjoyable want stuff

Murdoc is sort of the, um, it’s his band. He sort of put Gorillaz together. It’s his idea. But he’s sort of an ugly, sort of, snaggle-toothed Satanist who didn’t actually get the job of being the lead singer ‘cause he isn’t very handsome. So, 2D got the job, which is always going to piss him off.

Jamie Hewlett

together jobs ideas

I used to love comic books, and I love American comedy, and neither are afraid to tackle big themes.

Jamie Hewlett

comic comedy book

China is incredibly important to the future of mankind. For me, this is something that we all need to have intelligent discussions about in America, in Britain, in Europe. We need to really understand that their destiny and our destiny, Africa's destiny, etc., are all completely tied in. The argument for getting to know your neighbors is very compelling.

Jamie Hewlett

destiny intelligent europe

I start with an idea in my head. I sketch it out quickly as a line drawing, using pencil. It never comes out quite right - usually a bit better than my mental picture.

Jamie Hewlett

sketch picture better drawing

I have a problem with making eye contact with people, or with holding eye contact.

Jamie Hewlett

eye-contact eye problem people

When I'm working on something, if I went to an exhibition of an artist I respect, then I usually come home quite depressed and look at what I'm doing and throw it all away and start again.

Jamie Hewlett

start look respect home

The art world's quite elitist. I tend to skirt around that world.

Jamie Hewlett

skirt quite world art

I don't go to enough exhibitions, purely because it intimidates me.

Jamie Hewlett

because go me enough

Look at someone like Kanye West - ego is the death of a lot of art. To believe in yourself that much is to stop being an artist.

Jamie Hewlett

believe-in-yourself ego death art

To be an artist is to doubt yourself and try harder.

Jamie Hewlett

yourself try artist doubt

My parents weren't very good at keeping things, which is why I treasure my own sons' work so much now - I don't want to lose anything.

Jamie Hewlett

lose parents good work