Little Artist Series / Dan Mumford

Welcome to our Little Artist Series, a little blog where we take a deeper dive into the art and artists we love dearly. 

Next up: UK based artist, Dan Mumford!

We met Dan a few years ago at his 2 person art show with our other friend Jeff Boyes at Gallery 1988 and also through our friends at Hero Complex Gallery here in Los Angeles, CA. We’ve been a fan of Dan’s work for a long time and we’re excited to find a project for which we can collaborate. Dan has a very unique artistic style which lends itself to create gorgeous linework and beautiful colors. His composition, color choices and details make looking at his artwork both mesmerizing and hypnotic. Join us as we pick his brain and talk shop!

Instagram: @danmumforddraws  Website: www.dan-mumford.com/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRzh0-fkXDZa1viKLTpj68Q

LSoP: Dan, thank you for taking the time to chat with us! We’re absolutely thrilled that you were able to collaborate with us on these amazing pins for The Dark Crystal! We’ve followed your work for years and you even run in some of the same art circles as us but the stars have aligned for this moment and we’re proud to have you and your work part of our pin family. Let’s get to it!  For those who are being introduced to you for the first time, can you give a little background on you?

Dan: I am a freelance artist based in London, UK! I’ve been working freelance for the past 13 years now, predominantly within the alternative music scene and the pop culture scene. Basically I've created a lot of metal record covers, and a lot of movie posters.

LSoP: We watched your “Legends of Runeterra” timelapse video on your YouTube channel. The details are ridiculous! We can really see the amount of care you put into each project. As primarily a print artist, how did you feel about creating your very first pin?  

Dan: That’s actually the first time i have really shared a full timelapse of my work, and it’s pretty much the full package in terms of how intense a piece can get. So when working on a pin it’s quite a different prospect. A lot of the tricks and colourful things I normally do have to be simplified for a pin, so it really became all about the linework and making sure it stays readable at a small scale. That’s the other thing, nearly everything I do is quite large in scale! So this really was quite an interesting project to work on, but it’s always great to tackle projects like this and see what i can do to put my own spin on it.

LSoP: You traveled a lot for art shows and events before COVID-19. Do you find yourself busier now that you’re spending more time in the studio? What motivates you to keep creating? Do you ever get artist block?

Dan: Yes, the travel is something I am missing quite intensely at the moment. My year for the past 5 years or so has normally played out in quite a similar way. The first half I would be working on a lot of projects up into the summer, and then the second half of the year I would be doing some talks at festivals and events and normally heading over to the USA quite a few times for various things. So right now, I do really miss the travel part, and it was actually something that would break up the year and the work nicely. So the lockdown has probably had the opposite effect, I am working less, and my motivation is lacking a bit right now. I think I need those breaks and weeks away to really change up the year a bit. I imagine that’s something a lot of people are going through though, we are all in very similar positions right now regardless of the work you do. A self imposed break is needed soon, I think me and my partner will take a few weeks off somewhere in the countryside if we can!

LSoP: Who/what are some of your inspirations when it comes to tackling a new project?

Dan: I always look at the source material if there is any, and generally I am working with existing properties in some capacity. So I look to see what has or hasn't been created and what is it that I can bring to the table that is brand new. A good example would be if I am asked to do a star wars poster. It's been done A LOT, so you have to do your research and see what you can add that hasn't been done before. I also love movies and video games, and I get a lot of visual inspiration from there too.

LSoP: You’ve created work inspired by video games, films, music and other forms of entertainment. Is there a world you enjoy working in more than the other?

Dan: Right now i really want to do more stuff around video games, toys and boards games. I've done a lot of music artwork, and a lot of movie based art. So it's the other pop culture areas that I really want to dig into. I just had some artwork revealed that I did for Hasbro and the new G.I.Joe Cobra Commander figure, and that was a real dream come true. If I could work more in that world I would be very happy!

LSoP: What’s going on around you while you create? Do you listen to music? Put on a movie or tv show? What are you viewing/listening to these days? Got any recommendations?

Dan: Generally I put on tv shows. A good lengthy comedy show like Seinfeld or Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia always helps me get into a big project. Something you can put on in the background and not pay too much attention to. I also listen to a lot of podcasts, if the work gets super intense and I need to keep my eyes on the screen then that's when i get deep into various comedy or documentary podcasts. Again, the lengthier the better! 

LSoP: What’s next? Anything new and exciting coming down the pipeline you can talk about?

Dan: Actually...not much i can talk about! I do have some pretty exciting projects on, a couple of real dream gigs. I think these projects came along at the right time as they are getting me excited about work again after lockdown mania set in! Sometimes that's all you need though, something to change your direction slightly, or make you look at things a little differently.

LSoP: Thanks for taking the time to talk shop and give us a look in that noggin of yours! We always enjoy seeing you and your work. This collab has been a long time coming and we’re stoked to be able to work with you. Stay safe out there and we look forward to see what’s next!