A Word with Dan Withey

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We dunno about Dan Withey. That’s why we sat down with him and had a chat. Wasn’t it wonderful, so candid, hilarious… and revealing. But we didn’t record any of that. That was just the chat before the big red button gets pushed down. So with the tape rolling and the penetrating questions flying, we found a rather different and humble Dan Withey. Whatever you make from our conversation, we hope that you fall in love with this Britsh ex-pat who’s steadily carving out one of Adelaide’s most recognisable illustration styles.
 
Well I wish we could have put that all in the interview. We’re recording now…
Dan Withey: It’s alright, but I’ve got a personality.
 
A personality?
Dan Withey: Well maybe a bit funny, I dunno. It’s kind of self-proclaimed but I think that I’m someone who gets a reaction out of people.
 
OK, well I noticed you’ve got an accent. I’m guessing British but where’s it from? Birmingham, a small town called Rubery.
 
How do you spell it?
Dan Withey: Once again, you’re asking the dyslexic kid. I spell everything phonetically. I’m not really sure about all these silent “E”s and things, which is pretty bad for an Englishmen, considering we invented the language.
 
Just as well this isn’t a spelling test. We’re here to talk about your fantastic art. When did you start drawing?
Dan Withey: Well it started when I was a kid. I used to get in a lot of trouble because I wasn’t allowed to watch violent movies when I was a kid, so would choose to draw battle scenes when I was at school. They were doing their best me mum ‘n dad. I used to get in trouble and my parents got called in once or twice as well because I was drawing all this violent stuff.
 
 
What grade were you in at school?
Dan Withey: I was only five at the time. I was a difficult kid man. They used to literally throw me out the door at my mum saying, “get that little bastard out of here”. I’m pretty weird now I guess, but I’ve definitely calmed down a bit since I was a kid… Sorry what was the question? I’ve gone off on one haven’t I, off on a tangent?
 
I guess we could talk about these violent battle scenes you were drawing.
Dan Withey: Oh well I guess they’re just like the normal kind of battle scenes a kid would draw… people being decapitated and getting shot and things. It’s like, when you’re a kid, I noticed this in my little cousin, you kind of draw stuff like a story and as you go along you’d draw a picture of a dog. And then the dog moves over here. And then you build the house and the car…
 
Wait did you say “duck” or “dog”?
Dan Withey: Dog. I’m not Irish.
 
Sorry. You must get a bit of shit about your accent. What was it like moving from Birmingham to Adelaide? Ooh I better watch out here, I might get a lynch mob after me. Dan Withey: No, it’s good over here. It’s a lot more spacious, people are more friendly. Because there’s less people here, I s’pose there’s less people to get mad at…well… mad at me at least. I just needed that break from England, where I didn’t know what I wanted to do and then I came over here and basically fell into graphic design and whatnot, then decided to be an illustrator. It’s been going well ever since really.
 
When did you come over here?
Dan Withey: When I was 19 I think. Yeah, five years ago. I went to UniSA and studied a bachelor of visual communications and specialised in illustration, which was good man because I actually really enjoyed it.
 
 
Where did your style really start to develop?
Dan Withey: I’ve always drawn, right, but it was in the last two years of Uni that I really started to take influences from different kinds of places, different artists, Mexican art, tribal-type-stuff and really putting it together into my own kinda thing.
 
When did you first start to notice the tribal influence in your work?
Dan Withey: I’ve always been interested in that kind of stuff. I’ve got a big interest in history from when I was a little kid at school, I s’pose seeing it in different kinds of text books and things like that. Maybe it was there subconsciously and then, suddenly, I transcribed it into my art.
 
After “falling” into graphic design and things, by your own admission, are going well – where are the jobs coming from? Who are you working for?
Dan Withey: Myself really. I’m just basically a Paperhorse member now and I’m just making a way for myself as an illustrator and graphic designer… well I’m not so much a graphic designer… an illustrator and art-type-bloke. It’s hard work to get your mind into the fact that you’re actually working for yourself. It’s not so much being motivated but getting your head around it. It’s all on you. But at the same time it’s good to not have a boss.
 
If you look at your art, you have a lot of red and black, themes of mortality tend to creep in here and there, flying skulls and whatnot. Does this stem from your violent drawings as a child?
Dan Withey: Oh no no. I’m not an angry person. I’m OK. You make it sound like I’m a nutter but that’s all left in childhood. They’re just kind of my favourite colours really, red, black, white and grey.
 
We’ve seen your UniLife poster. Tell us about working for your former school, how’d you get your foot in the door?
Dan Withey: I did a few things for Entropy (UniSA’s student magazine) and they liked my stuff so they phoned me up and said, “would you like to do some work?” and I said “YES”. I knew Gjoko, who is the creative director… I think is the official term, and he’s just got in contact with me and it all just went from there.
 
 
How long have you been a studio kid, working up here at Paperhorse?
Dan Withey: It’s going on about six months now. It’s all kind of took off since then. It’s very confusing when you’ve just finished Uni and you’re really struggling to, kind of, find your way. And through people here I’ve made lots of contacts and stuff and it’s just gone from strength to strength really, constantly network.
 
Mixing with the right people?
Dan Withey: Yeah, well that’s it. I think you’ve got to really get your face out there and rant at people.
 
And the future?
Dan Withey: I’d like to be the king of illustration throughout the whole universe but that’s kind of like hard work isn’t it? I’d have to put some really hard work in. I dunno I could see myself five years down the track maybe, being able to support myself and get my name out there. Getting in a few magazines… that’d be nice wouldn’t it? In an ideal world.
 
But you’d settle for a pint?
Dan Withey: Yeah. I’d settle for a pint.
 
Contact:
danielwithey@hotmail.com