Artist insight
DRAW WITH PUNK STYLE
Mat Wakeham breaks down the key elements of Gorillaz artist Jamie Hewlett’s energetic creations
Celebrate 25 years of
PHOO ACTION
with anniversary editions available at
https://phooaction.com
Jamie Hewlett’s art has always thrived on a combo of energetic chaos and meticulous craftsmanship. From his early Tank Girl work to Get the Freebies, Phoo Action and Gorillaz, his art has captured punk irreverence and kinetic storytelling.
Over the decades, his process has shifted dramatically – from ink and markers on artboard to fully digital compositions. As someone who has worked closely alongside Jamie and overseen the 25th-anniversary Phoo Action Silver Jubilee book, I’ve had a front-row seat to this evolution.
My name is Mat Wakeham. I’m the co-creator of Phoo Action and have been close friends with Jamie since his Tank Girl days. We first crossed paths at art school, and over the years have collaborated on comics, design, music and TV, from Fireball and Phoo Action to Gorillaz. I was a lead creative on Gorillaz Phase 1 and a key part of Zombie Flesh Eaters, the design studio Jamie and I founded.
This article explores both the traditional and digital techniques behind Jamie’s Phoo Action artwork, offering practical insights for artists interested in refining their own processes. Whether you’re working with pens and ink, alcohol-based markers, or a tablet and stylus, these tips will help you navigate composition, layering, texture and dynamic visual storytelling.
All of these tips are accompanied by some extraordinary examples of Jamie’s techniques in action.
Artist
PROFILE
Mat Wakeham
LOCATION: England
A writer, producer, and creative director, Mat has worked on design, film, and TV, including as senior art director in Jamie Hewlett’s Zombie Flesh Eaters studio. He curated the Phoo Action: Silver Jubilee coffee table book celebrating 25 years of the cult cartoon, and has also collaborated with top artists and designers to bring iconic comic art to new audiences. https://bit.ly/4bMrVgA