Edinburgh, UK, 22, Edinburgh College of Art, BA (Hons) Drawing and Painting, graduated July of this year., www.matthewdanielswan.com

That’s a tough one; I’d say I make images, mainly through painting and drawings. My work is all character driven and I draw inspiration from a massive range of sources. For my Degree Show, I wrote this about my work... Recent works play on the frenetic visuals of heavily costumed live-action Japanese serials, pulp cartoons and the detritus of consumption as a manifestation of database culture and non-narrative. My work exists through an unapologetic embrace of the above and equally through the spontaneity of the mark making process as an embodiment of a fictitious and absurd arena.... I wrote that right after doing my dissertation (on designer toys and consumerism), It does the job but it’s quite heavy on the rhetoric.

Trenton Doyle Hancock is a massive influence. He had a show in Edinburgh a few years back (‘The Wayward Thinker’ at the Fruitmarket Gallery) and it was incredible. I’m really into the work of Todd Schorr, and Nigel Cooke too, and I’ve been watching a lot of power rangers recently, the really old stuff from the 70’s. I want to reference that in my work, it’s so good!

Cheese Burgers all the way, with bacon on top, and chocolate/raspberry milkshake on the side.

I work best at night, sometimes from the afternoon till 2 or 3 in the morning. At the moment, I’m working in my bedroom, which is okay as the room is huge but I’m on the search for a studio. I listen to a lot of different music. Recently, I’ve been listening to Wild Beasts, The Hood Internet and The Knife when I work (and the ‘Glee’ soundtrack).

editor's note: just bought Wild Beasts album Two Dancers on ITunes for $5.99. it's worth checking out. Like it thus far.

Since leaving college, I’ve had a string of one off jobs that have kept me going and given me time to draw and paint, but I need something more long-term.

I daydream quite a lot and play out little narratives in my head. Then sometimes I try to replicate these on paper or canvas. Having said that, a lot of what I do is very spontaneous and comes from whatever is in front of me at the time.

A mixture of really good acrylic paints and really shit acrylic paints, a big pot of felt tip pens and loads of pencils. What I’d really like to add to my tools is a rainbow pencil but I haven’t seen one for ages.

There are a few films I really want to see. Into the Void has just been released over here and it looks amazing. Then there’s the new Coen Brothers remake of True Grit, which is going to be awesome but it’s not out for ages. I’m also excited about some big paintings I’m doing right now.

I imagine, you would give me the money in the morning so first off; I’d have a cup of tea and a full English breakfast from this super tasty deli near my flat. Then, feeling pleasantly full (but not too full), I’d buy an extra special suit, and then I’d go and buy the full range of LEGO sets (maybe get five of each set, maybe ten of the really good ones), and spend a week or two building them up. Then I’d definitely buy a proper studio and kit it out with some screen-printing equipment and a risograph printer. I’d buy some work from the Clayton Brothers and a Matt Furie drawing and a Holiday would be good too. I’d have a second cup of tea as I decide what else to do with the monies. I’d rather have £1,000,000 than dollars though. That would be more useful over here.

I think reading is a good way to spend a day off, reading and eating biscuits.

Everything is within walking distance; Edinburgh’s such a compact city. And it has one of the best shops ever, Analogue Books.

I really dislike beetroot. Also, I get irritated when I see the word kitten spelt kitteh, it’s just not right.

I have a show coming up in October with my friend Edward McGowan in the Owl and Lion Gallery. I’m also looking into acquiring a studio space with Mr Ross Christie. We’re going to call it ‘Super Club’ and it will be amazing. We want to have a zine library and zine making station within the space. We like zines very much.

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