Founder of MWM Graphics Matt W. Moore tells his story about joining big lettering world
Carrying on our selection of interviews with amazing creative fonts artists this time we have the founder of MWM Graphics, Matt W. Moore as our guest of honor. Together with Matt, we discussed how childhood preferences affect the future, why it is good for a designer to get to know more about modern technologies and why range stands for growth.
— Matt, it’s such a pleasure to watch you jumping on Handmadefont blog board. And we can’t miss the opportunity to get to know more about you as designer and individual. So, how did it all start? Why did you choose to be an artist?
— Throughout my childhood I was always drawing and painting. I have known all along this was my path. In college my initial focus was painting and illustration. After a couple years there I began exploring computer programs, especially Adobe Illustrator, and this really opened up a whole new world of possibilities. I shifted my studies towards Graphic Design and Typography and kept much of my personal work unplugged, painting on canvas, graffiti, and murals on walls. Since then I have continued to learn, explore, and cross-pollinate between disciplines.
— Is typography your main passion or you have a wider specialization?
— My design studio, MWM Graphics, collaborates with brands and agencies on identity systems, ad campaigns, illustrations, packaging, textiles, product design, and more. The rest of the time I am in my painting studio, or on-site, for big murals and in-situ works. This range and balance is really good for me personally and for my creative output as well.
— Your early projects – how did they look like?
— Many of my early projects as a professional artist were large-scale murals. These are always fun! I very much enjoy working on in-situ public artworks. My evolutions with letter-based graffiti styles and techniques really inform the way I bring these projects to life. Sometimes the murals have words and messages, other times they are more about flow and abstract compositions.
— What are your ‘success secrets’? I mean, there is always some line or, let me say, principle that an artist sticks to.
— I live and work to the mantra ‘Range is conducive to growth.’ Each project is informed by and building on discoveries from the past. Some examples of this that stand out for me with my own evolution are the digital artworks that I have made, the steps that I went through in the process, explorations, mistakes, and new techniques.
— What are the things that make you feel inspired?
— Everything is inspirational when considered from the right angle. I am very interested in how things work. Researching new technologies, time spent in nature, mathematics, geometry, physics, music, travel to new places, learning about different cultures, all of this is a constant source of inspiration. I’m also really interested in the past and how movements of yesteryears evolved and took shape. Of course all of my super friends across disciplines continue to inspire me every day. I feel blessed to know so many super talented folks all around the globe working in different fields of creativity and business.
— Let’s imagine a hypothetical situation: you feel that you’ve lost inspiration and you are doubtful about your current work. What are you going to do? How to defeat melancholy?
— One thing that helps me stay organized and keep momentum is writing lists of ideas for future works. Lots of lists. Organized into different chapters based on discipline, concept, and technique. The better ideas rise to the top and this is where I search if I am ready for something new. By doing this I have plenty of ways to begin a fresh direction full speed. Working in series is also very important for me. When I set out to make a new series of works I have a deeper dedication than if I am working on things one at a time. I like to brainstorm a dozen ideas before beginning work on any. This way a month feels like a novel with many chapters rather than each day feeling like a short story.
— How do you spend your free time? Can your leisure activities affect your works?
— I love being outdoors. Riding my bike, hiking mountains, camping, swimming in the ocean, and relaxing in the sunshine. In wintertime I enjoy getting outside and snowboarding. Sometimes when I am lost in the moment on my way down the slopes I imagine that I am the tip of a paintbrush gliding along the canvas. Or vice-versa, when I am laying foundation lines with spraypaint on a wall I am trying to capture the energy of a corner curve at top speed.
— 2018 has just begun. What are you planning to do this year?
— Currently I am focusing half of my time in my design studio on client and personal work, and half of the time in my painting studio working on canvases and sculptures for future exhibitions. It’s wintertime now so I am organizing and planning for mural projects in the springtime. 2018 is going to be a super year!
Range means graphic design growth
Founder of MWM Graphics Matt W. Moore tells his story about joining big lettering world
Carrying on our selection of interviews with amazing creative fonts artists this time we have the founder of MWM Graphics, Matt W. Moore as our guest of honor. Together with Matt, we discussed how childhood preferences affect the future, why it is good for a designer to get to know more about modern technologies and why range stands for growth.
mwmgraphics.com
— Matt, it’s such a pleasure to watch you jumping on Handmadefont blog board. And we can’t miss the opportunity to get to know more about you as designer and individual. So, how did it all start? Why did you choose to be an artist?
— Throughout my childhood I was always drawing and painting. I have known all along this was my path. In college my initial focus was painting and illustration. After a couple years there I began exploring computer programs, especially Adobe Illustrator, and this really opened up a whole new world of possibilities. I shifted my studies towards Graphic Design and Typography and kept much of my personal work unplugged, painting on canvas, graffiti, and murals on walls. Since then I have continued to learn, explore, and cross-pollinate between disciplines.
— Is typography your main passion or you have a wider specialization?
— My design studio, MWM Graphics, collaborates with brands and agencies on identity systems, ad campaigns, illustrations, packaging, textiles, product design, and more. The rest of the time I am in my painting studio, or on-site, for big murals and in-situ works. This range and balance is really good for me personally and for my creative output as well.
— Your early projects – how did they look like?
— Many of my early projects as a professional artist were large-scale murals. These are always fun! I very much enjoy working on in-situ public artworks. My evolutions with letter-based graffiti styles and techniques really inform the way I bring these projects to life. Sometimes the murals have words and messages, other times they are more about flow and abstract compositions.
— What are your ‘success secrets’? I mean, there is always some line or, let me say, principle that an artist sticks to.
— I live and work to the mantra ‘Range is conducive to growth.’ Each project is informed by and building on discoveries from the past. Some examples of this that stand out for me with my own evolution are the digital artworks that I have made, the steps that I went through in the process, explorations, mistakes, and new techniques.
— What are the things that make you feel inspired?
— Everything is inspirational when considered from the right angle. I am very interested in how things work. Researching new technologies, time spent in nature, mathematics, geometry, physics, music, travel to new places, learning about different cultures, all of this is a constant source of inspiration. I’m also really interested in the past and how movements of yesteryears evolved and took shape. Of course all of my super friends across disciplines continue to inspire me every day. I feel blessed to know so many super talented folks all around the globe working in different fields of creativity and business.
— Let’s imagine a hypothetical situation: you feel that you’ve lost inspiration and you are doubtful about your current work. What are you going to do? How to defeat melancholy?
— One thing that helps me stay organized and keep momentum is writing lists of ideas for future works. Lots of lists. Organized into different chapters based on discipline, concept, and technique. The better ideas rise to the top and this is where I search if I am ready for something new. By doing this I have plenty of ways to begin a fresh direction full speed. Working in series is also very important for me. When I set out to make a new series of works I have a deeper dedication than if I am working on things one at a time. I like to brainstorm a dozen ideas before beginning work on any. This way a month feels like a novel with many chapters rather than each day feeling like a short story.
— How do you spend your free time? Can your leisure activities affect your works?
— I love being outdoors. Riding my bike, hiking mountains, camping, swimming in the ocean, and relaxing in the sunshine. In wintertime I enjoy getting outside and snowboarding. Sometimes when I am lost in the moment on my way down the slopes I imagine that I am the tip of a paintbrush gliding along the canvas. Or vice-versa, when I am laying foundation lines with spraypaint on a wall I am trying to capture the energy of a corner curve at top speed.
— 2018 has just begun. What are you planning to do this year?
— Currently I am focusing half of my time in my design studio on client and personal work, and half of the time in my painting studio working on canvases and sculptures for future exhibitions. It’s wintertime now so I am organizing and planning for mural projects in the springtime. 2018 is going to be a super year!