Author: Rosalie Hurr

I started out as the one and only Things&Ink intern, fast forward a fair few amazing years and I now run the blog and our social media accounts. You'll more than likely find me scrolling through Instagram (@cupofrosalie) looking for new tattoo artists to share, surrounded by my cats and a cinnamon bun or two.
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“When I first started tattooing, the stress was so intense that I couldn’t sleep properly two days before an appointment,” interview with tattoo artist, Kim Hoon

Tattoo artist Kim Hoon (@uncogrim) runs Frame Seoul tattoo studio in South Korea. We chatted to the tattooer about their incredible blackwork tattoos and how they use the body to influence their designs…

When did you first fall in love with tattoos?

From a young age, my biggest hobby has always been drawing. I’ve spent most of my time drawing. I enjoy creating forms and adding detail with pens, pencils and using different colours. Naturally, I started seeing designs meant for tattoos and found them incredibly appealing.

Growing up seeing tattoos on people and learning about the various tattoo genres made me want to get a tattoo of my own. This desire evolved into wanting to learn and create tattoos myself. Drawing something that remains on someone’s body for life is more special and everlasting than drawing on a canvas.

What was the first tattoo you got? How do you feel about it?

My first tattoo was a four-line piece of lettering on my chest. It’s an Indian proverb that means “live without regrets.” I got it in 2012, and at that time, social media wasn’t as developed as it is now, so it was hard to find out about tattoos. I found information about tattoos through personal blogs, and lettering felt like the easiest type of tattoo to get.

I didn’t know how much it would cost, but I remember it was calculated based on the price per centimetre. Sometimes tattoo artists say that you might regret getting lettering tattoos, but I don’t really regret it. It reminds me of what I was thinking back then, and it’s a fun memory. I was so fascinated by having a tattoo on my body that I would look in the mirror every day and read each letter.

How long have you been tattooing for?

I started in 2017. Unlike drawing on paper, there was immense pressure not to make mistakes. When I first began, the stress was so intense that I couldn’t sleep properly two days before a scheduled appointment. After doing a tattoo, I’d often feel guilty about my shortcomings and sometimes, driven by a sense of inadequacy and inferiority, I would stay up all night drawing. These experiences have shaped who I am today.

How did you develop your style to what it is today?

When I first started tattooing, I preferred creating smaller designs compared to what I do now. I used to draw mostly on A4 paper or sketchbooks rather than large canvases, which meant I made similar-sized designs for tattoos.

However, after doing a large tattoo, I found it appealing to consider the body’s lines and muscles. I liked designing something that used the entire body rather than just a part of it. This gradually changed my style.

Your style is so unique, your tattoos are so dark and striking, what inspires you?

I draw inspiration from countless sources. Sometimes it’s movies, sometimes music, sometimes the surrounding scenery, and even the clothes someone is wearing. These days, I mainly focus on the flow of clothes or the body.

Do you have any themes in your work or things you love to tattoo?

Many people like my snake and dragon designs. Snakes and dragons are fluid and can flow with the limbs. They emphasise the body’s lines to look sexier or more intense, and they can also cover up any perceived weaknesses or complexities. I also like using elements like flowers, wind and clouds. Recently, I’ve been trying to incorporate more Korean elements into my designs.

Which artists do you admire and why?

There are so many, but to name a few, @fibs_, @gakkinx and @filouino. They are all artists who understand the body well and design accordingly.

How do you usually work with customers? Do you mostly do custom work or do you create flash too?

I mainly do custom work. Most of my clients are from overseas, so I conduct thorough consultations via email before they travel to Korea. If the design is large, they’ll need to stay longer, so we spend a lot of time coordinating schedules and designs. I also ask for various photos of their bodies in advance to understand their features and vibe before proceeding with the design.

Do you draw your designs straight on to the body?

Sometimes, I draw directly on the body. To minimise errors, I meet with clients beforehand and draw directly on their bodies before preparing a design digitally. I sketch the positions and flow that suit their body features, checking in the mirror and moving to see if anything looks awkward. Based on this, I prepare a design digitally again. When starting the work, I use both the digital preparations and my hand drawings.

Are you planning any guest spots? If so where and how do we book in?

I am preparing for the Gods Of Ink convention in Frankfurt in March 2025. I have already announced it on Instagram and I am taking reservations via email.

What’s the tattoo scene like in Korea these days? We’d love to visit, do you tattoo tourists?

You are always welcome. Just make a reservation via email in advance. Korea has many highly skilled artists that are recognised worldwide. However, ironically, Korea is in a unique situation. It is the only country where tattooing is illegal, and although there is a job code for tattooists issued by the government, they are not legally protected. Many are striving to have tattooing recognised as a legitimate profession in Korea.

What are your hopes for the future?

That’s a great and difficult question. For some, tattoos are a beautiful art form, but for others, they can feel threatening, scary, or even repulsive. Personally, I hope tattoos will be seen more positively as a form of art, and I wish that both artists and clients ensure their tattoos do not evoke negative feelings in others.

My personal goal is to gain experience and network through various tattoo conventions worldwide. I hope to travel to different tattoo studios in different cities too. I want to see and experience how other tattooers’ lives and styles differ from those at my studio in Korea.

Follow Kim Hoon on Instagram for more outstanding blackwork tattoos and travel updates.

We’re always talking to amazing tattoo artists, check out our latest interviews.

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“I was completely blown away by micro realism, it felt entirely new,” interview with tattoo artist Mooji

We absolutely adore micro realism tattoos and tattoo artist Mooji (@mooji_tt) has taken the style to a whole new level, putting teeny works of art inside postage stamps (look how cute this one is!) and peeking through aeroplane windows. They work in Korea and we’d love to take a trip over there to get tattooed. Instead, we sat down for a chat where Mooji tells us about their journey into the tattoo world, their love of travel and future goals…

When did you first fall in love with tattoos?

I worked as a web developer at an IT company, which of course is a completely different industry from tattooing. My job involved writing code to build websites and also included web design. After working in the industry for about three years, I started dreaming of a different life. Until then, I had never really drawn, but on my days off, I stumbled upon drawing tutorials on YouTube and started sketching. That changed everything for me.

At 22, I started pursuing art seriously. I left my job to focus on it. As a result, I became a teacher, instructing art both online and in person. I also began developing an interest in drawing, eventually focusing heavily on portraiture. I even have an art Instagram account (I used to be quite active but I’m taking a break right now).

Initially, I didn’t have any desire to learn to tattoo. But that changed when I discovered the genre of micro realism. I was completely blown away by it, it felt entirely new. I became fascinated and developed a strong interest in learning how to tattoo in this style from that point onwards.

Before I found micro realism, I was only familiar with styles like blackwork, Irezumi, old school, and black and grey, so discovering this genre was quite a refreshing shock for me. I wonder if others fell in love with it for similar reasons?

How long have you been tattooing for? What was it like learning?

It has been five years since I started tattooing. @ziho_gallery taught me to tattoo; he is an exceptionally skilled micro realism tattoo artist. From him, I was able to learn various skills and techniques.

How did you develop your style to what it is today?

I believe my current style has been largely shaped by my clients. When I started tattooing, I didn’t immediately work on landscape tattoos, cover-up tattoos, or watercolor tattoos. It was when my clients began requesting these designs that my own ideas were incorporated, resulting in the creation of new designs. Through these processes, I naturally developed my own style.

Your style is so unique, your tattoos are almost like trinkets or souvenirs from travelling… stamps and aeroplane windows, what inspired that? 

I was primarily doing landscape and photo-realistic tattoos, and I started looking for more unique and appealing designs. That’s when I thought of using postage stamps and airplanes as themes to create tattoo designs. These designs are more attractive to me because they are distinct from typical landscape tattoos. People seem to be really drawn to them.

Do you love to travel? Where have you been and where’s next?

Sure, I enjoy traveling. So far, I have visited Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Ireland, Bangkok, Japan – to name a few of the places. I haven’t decided on my next destination yet, but I’ll probably choose somewhere I haven’t been to before.

Are you planning any guest spots? If so where and how do we book in?

Sure, I’m currently planning for my next guest spot. Once the location is confirmed, I’m going to post about it on Instagram @mooji_tt. Anyone interested can send me reservation enquiries based on the instructions in that post.

Which artists do you admire and why?

I admire several artists. Among them, the ones that stand out to me are Sol (@soltattoo), Oozy (@oozy_tattoo), Saegeem (@saegeemtattoo), PittaKKM (@pittakkm) – plus others but there’s too many to name. They each have their own distinct style and possess a quality of expression that is unique to them. I believe there are many other artists as well from whom I can learn a great deal.

How do you usually work with customers? Do you mostly do custom work or do you create flash too?

I mainly focus on custom work. When customers describe the design they want, I create the design based on their descriptions. I sometimes make flash designs as well, but these days I primarily focus on custom projects.

What do you like to do when you’re not tattooing?

When I’m not tattooing I like to exercise and look after my health. In my personal time I’m also curating photos of my work and organising my socials.

What are your hopes for the future?

I still have so much to learn. My personal goal is to create artwork of even higher quality than I am now and become more proficient in tattooing. Establishing a systematic tattooing process and achieving excellent colour saturation in every piece is my aim. I hope that one day I’ll look at all my work and feel satisfied with what I’ve accomplished.

Follow Mooji on Instagram for more amazing micro realism tattoos.

We’re always talking to amazing tattoo artists, check out our latest interviews.

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“I am still working on perfecting the tattoo style I want to be known for. It’s a journey,” interview with tattoo artist JayHan

Tattoo artist Jay Han (@jayhan_tattoo) works at Goodvibes Gooddays tattoo studio in Ulsan, South Korea, where he creates tattoos mixing realism, brush strokes and oriental motifs. Here we chat to the artist about…

How long have you been tattooing?

I’ve been tattooing for around nine years. I came to tattooing quite late compared to a lot of tattooers. Before that, I ran a hot dog restaurant in Daegu, South Korea, for two years, it was called: Han Sangjo Hot Dog. After that, I moved to Seoul and worked as a carpenter for two and a half years – which overlaps with the tattoo apprenticeship. I started my tattoo artist apprenticeship when I was 30, and I’m now 40.

Do you have a background in art?

I have loved pencil drawing and Oriental art since I was young. I majored in Oriental art and graduated from Oriental Art College in Ulsan. After graduating from college, I worked a few different jobs as I was looking for other things to do besides painting.

But in the end, painting and my experience were always in the bakground so I then decided that I wanted to work in the painting field again. Art chose me.

What made you want to become a tattooer?

When I decided I wanted to paint again, at the same time, my best friend became a tattoo artist. I saw what he was doing, and through him I was recommended to a studio. I found tattooing interesting and thought the profession was really cool. So, I started tattooing.

How did you become a tattoo artist?

I was able to become a tattoo artist with lots of practise. I simply turned my drawings into tattoos and gave them to my clients. To make the best tattoos I can I am training more and continuously studying.

Do you have any tattoos?

Yes, I have a few tattoos. My chest features Chicano-style lettering. I also have realism portraits on my arm. I love music so I have a few musicians on me. When I was 13 years old, my neighbour owned a record store and played American hip-hop and R&B to me rather than Korean hip-hop. I have portrait tattoos of Michael Jackson, Snoop Dogg, and Tupac.

What was the first tattoo you did on someone else?

I gave my friend a rat tattoo. It was a simple line design, but I was sweating a lot and nervous. I can’t forget that feeling because it was also my birthday that day.

How would you describe your style?

I like mixing oriental art with black and grey. I also like doing backgrounds with brush strokes. I am still working on perfecting the tattoo style I want to be known for. It’s a journey.

What do you like to tattoo?

The tattoos I want to do are a collaboration between oriental and black and grey. That’s important to me, but I also want to do tattoos that make my clients feel happy and satisfied.

What inspires you and do you have any artists you admire?

Yes, there are a few people. Artists I respect include Q Tattoos, BackGGang, Robert Hernandez, Chenjie, and many others. There are more black and grey tattoo artists and oriental tattoo artists that I respect. Looking at their work inspires me.

How can clients book in with you?

In Korea, there is a messenger called “KakaoTalk” and I receive a lot of enquiries through that. I am also communicating with customers and receiving reservation enquiries through Instagram. But clients can email me too.

Sometimes I’d like to receive booking enquiries through just one platform, but clients want to contacts me in their own convenient way, which I don’t mind so I have opened up multiple methods.

Do you have any guest spots planned?

If a good opportunity is available, I would like to experience various countries. However, I think there may be visa issues, so I am refraining from traveling as much as possible.

Is tattooing underground or becoming more mainstream nowadays in South Korea?

Koreans’ thoughts on tattoos are very open. Because many artists (singers, actors, etc.) have been exposed to tattoos they talk about tattoos on social media and YouTube. This means the younger generation’s negative thoughts about tattoos have decreased significantly. However, celebrities who appear on broadcasting stations still cover their tattoos with flesh-coloured stickers.

It can be said that tattoos in Korea still remain underground. And among tattoo artists, there are some who think it’s a subculture. But there are many people who think of it as just a job and only for money. The interesting thing is that, although tattoos are illegal in our country, there are many talented Korean tattoo artists around the world. When I see this, I am so proud and I want to develop further, and follow the same path as them.

What’s been your proudest moment so far?

I created a tattoo on a client who had a keloid scar. He was so stressed out about his skin that he couldn’t even date people. However, many good things happened to the customer after we covered the scar with a tattoo. Seeing that customer happy and satisfied made me so proud of the work I do.

Follow JayHan on Instagram for more tattoos.

We’re always talking to amazing tattoo artists, check out our latest interviews.

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“It’s hard to split my style from my personality – I’m very delicate in my personal life and work,” interview with tattoo artist Yoshi

Tattoo artist Yoshi (@yoshi_tattooer) works at Third Eye Studio in Busan, Korea. Their career spans 14 years. We sat down with the artist to talk openly and super-honestly about what inspired their journey into the tattoo world, their work, hopes for the future and where it all began…

Yoshi’s first tattoo was a memorial tattoo. “I wanted to keep a memory forever,” Yoshi says. Born in Japan to Japanese and Korean parents, sadly his father passed away when he was just a year old. “After that, my mom changed my citizenship to Korean, and I grew up in Korea,” Yoshi tells us.

Yoshi is Korean, but he always wanted to find the roots of his family in Japan. It was when Yoshi met his grandma and family in Japan that he decided to get his first tattoo.

And it was this experience that made Yoshi fall in love with tattooing. “The tattoo makes me remember who I am, it makes me stronger. I now have a lot of extremely meaningful tattoos, so I don’t forget those special things.” But that first tattoo is the most precious. “It’s the dates of both of my parents’ deaths, and they are on both ankles. I have Japanese kanji for my father and Korean hangeul for my mom.”

When we ask what drew Yoshi to that tattoo world, he’s very honest. “It was the financial aspect,” he says simply. “That’s why I became a tattoo artist. We all need money in our lives. Especially if we don’t have parents to help us start out.” Yoshi says his parents’ deaths forced him into the “hard mode of life.”

Dropping out of university, Yoshi needed to find what he wanted to do, what he could do well and how he could make money from it. “My major was fine art, so with that background, I just needed to learn the technique of tattooing,” he says, “I already knew how to make designs, so I needed to start tattooing. It was perfect for me.”

The first tattoo he ever did on someone else was a complicated pattern in a three centimetre clover shape. Yoshi did this with a coil machine with a 1203 round liner. “I wasn’t too nervous,” Yoshi says of this experience, “but maybe just a little bit, because I did the tattoo on my best friend. I knew I could always do a cover-up later on, if we needed.”

When it comes to describing Yoshi’s style of tattooing, he tells us that it’s hard to split it his style from his personality, as Yoshi is very “delicate” in both his personal life and work life. “My style also comes from way back when I was at middle school,” he explains, “when I would do a lot of drawing with pencils and fine pens.” Back in 2010, when Yoshi learnt to tattoo, he mainly did traditional tattooing, although his art has always retained a fine-line style.

“When I started experimenting with fine-line art in my work, everyone around me told me it wasn’t a real tattoo.”

But Yoshi kept getting told that fine-line tattoos weren’t the way it was done in the tattoo world. “So I did traditional style tattoos until 2022,” he says, “I do still enjoy this type of tattooing but fine line is more me.”

Yoshi recalls when he first tried to do a fine-line tattoo for a walk-in client – “it was so much fun,” he enthuses. It’s what made him realise that he was really good at these delicate style of tattoos. It reminded him of how he used to draw with pencils. “So from then on, tattooing and my art just clicked, I began to make delicate line tattoos in my style. I now tattoo what I love.”

There’s a theme to Yoshi’s work and the eye is a recurring motif. “I like the Korean proverb: ‘the eyes are the window to the soul’. Our eyes can see a lot of things in others – including emotions like fear, anger, sadness, hate, contempt, disgust,” he explains.

“Eyes don’t lie. I also just really like drawing eyes.”

When it comes to inspiration, Yoshi admires any artist who does their own custom work, especially those who can make their own original designs.

And that’s how Yoshi works, too. His portfolio of tattoos is about 95% custom work. “I often post a design idea that I have, and a client can fill in a form to claim this piece,” Yoshi says.

When it comes to travel, we ask Yoshi where he’d like to go. “Space?!” he laughs, “tattoos for aliens! Just kidding, but I would really like to go to America. I really loved my time in Amsterdam. I worked at the Amsterdam Tattoo Convention and there was a lot of talented artists there.”

For 12 years, Yoshi says he worked as a tattooist that not many people knew. But then with Instagram, he started to make a name for himself. Instagram opened up his portfolio to the world. “I tattooed many people and gained a lot of likes on Instagram,” he says. Yoshi even noticed that other tattooers began to copy his designs! Which he took as a sign that he was starting to make it, carving out a name from himself. “2022 is a year I won’t ever forget, when I really found myself and style,” he says. “From then on, I pushed myself to be the best I can be and do the best work I can.”

And we can’t wait to see where his tattoo journey takes him next.

To book in, clients can get in touch by sending a DM on Instagram @yoshi_tattooer. Keep an eye on his Instagram as he often does guest spots – including London at Princelet Tattoo back in June. Travel plans also include Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto and LA.

We’re always talking to amazing tattoo artists, check out our latest interviews.

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“Working on sugar-paste and soft skin feels sort of the same – and a moving person is similar to a spongey stacked cake!” from cake maker to tattoo artist, interview with Laura Raña

From cake decorator to tattoo artist, Laura Raña (@lifeininklr) runs a private, eco-friendly, vegan and woman-led studio and she holds the honour of “Surrey’s best tattoo studio 2023”.

She was a cake artist for 16 years – and she used to teach and write columns for magazines – so Laura came to tattooing late, but her passion shines through. Here she chats all things cakes, tattoos and creating a welcoming studio for all to enjoy. Make a cuppa and settle in for the ride…

Before you became a tattoo artist, you were a cake artist, what inspired you to make that change?

After spending 16 years juggling life as a mum of two daughters (Bella now 16 and Eva 14 ) and being a cake artist, I felt like I had achieved everything that I wanted in the cake world. I was 35 and I wanted to use my artistic flare and creativity for something that wouldn’t  get stuffed down the throats of my customers week after week.

After spending so much time perfecting colour blending, modelling and painting on tiers of delicious sponges, I began thinking how I could transfer the skills I’d learnt. I wanted to create something that would last forever and not just briefly as brightly coloured crumbs on the side of people’s mouths.

Tattooing had always been something I was fascinated with. My grandad, who was an antiques dealer in the 50s until the 80s, was covered head to toe – back then, it was very taboo and frowned upon in his industry. I used to glare at the naked ladies and dragons strewn across his back, chest, arms and legs. He was six foot five, both tall and wide, his art work made quite an impression on me as a keen young creative artist in the making. He would definitely be one of my inspirations. 

Tell us about your journey to becoming a tattooer…

I started slowly getting covered in tattoos at the very illegal age of 14. I would walk past the only tattoo studio in my town, hoping they wouldn’t notice me in my school uniform. Then when it came to holidays or weekends, I’d try to dress older and strut into the studio beaming with anxious confidence to keep topping up my ink collection. This was when my interest was sparked.

Skip forwards 21 years and after ignoring the narrow-minded warnings from everyone (including my parents) that it was a dangerous industry to get involved in, I began my search for a studio that wouldn’t laugh in my face. 

That was the hardest thing – starting a new career at 35. I’m a strong-headed person, so  I kept knocking on doors, in the hope someone – anyone – would see my passion. Rejection came thick and fast, but I found a studio, eventually.

Apprentices make zero money, well at least I did. I had lots of people offering their skin but trying to throw myself into this amazing new career was not financially viable. So I’d work four days at the studio, then balance part-time work and cake making around that.

What was it like being a cake maker? And how does it compare to tattooing?

I adored my career as a cake artist, what a dream to have a career in the cake industry. I actually entered Kirsty Allsop’s Handmade Christmas TV show by making a fully decorated Christmas cake in under four hours – I ended up winning. It blew up my career and I began making celebration and wedding cakes, and that led me to teaching. Then I opened my own cake studio – I even had my own little cake column in a magazine. I felt just like Carrie Bradshaw. I began entering cake competitions and I’m very proud to have many gold awards. I was even cast for Extreme Cake Makers on TV. I specialised in chocolate modelling, airbrushing and then painting on cakes – all things I brought through to my tattoo career.

Cake and tattoos although very different, there are some elements that feel similar. The use of colour and blending work is the same in tattooing. Working on soft sugar-paste and soft skin feels the same too. Also a moving person is similar to a spongey stacked cake! It could move at any time…

Can you tell us about your studio?

Everyone is welcome in my little private studio. It’s nestled among the bamboo trees in my back garden. It’s a comfortable, cosy, funky little safe space where no one should feel intimidated. I created a studio I would be comfortable being tattooed in, as I think the more at ease you are, the better the whole experience will be.

Tell us about the award your studio won…

Having spent seven years building up my (very) little business, I was stunned to be nominated for England’s Business Awards in 2023. I was even more taken back when I won the title of “Surrey’s best tattoo studio”.

I’ve never claimed to be the most sought after artist – and there are thousands of artists around Surrey that are phenomenal – but these awards are about your art and your business. So that includes reviews and customer service, amongst other things. I was even mystery shopped so they could see the kind of service I offer, how I dealt with my client and the overall experience.

My little framed award sits proudly in the studio where all can see.

How would you describe your style, what do you like to tattoo?

My style isn’t just one thing. Tattooing different styles and using different techniques allows me to broaden my work to appeal to a larger client base. I know it’s probably frowned upon in the industry, but I did the same with my cakes.

Learning different things is beneficial for a successful business and it enables me to become a better artist. I don’t want to pigeon-hole myself to just one thing. I don’t want to wake up one morning and be bored of the same old stuff. So, for me personally, variety is most definitely the spice of life.

How do you work with clients, what’s your tattoo process?

I find the industry has changed from years ago when you’d walk into a studio covered wall-to-wall in flash designs and people choose “number 10”. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, but now with Pinterest and social media, people find ideas they like and perhaps want to combine a few ideas together. That’s where I come in, to create a design that fits their brief.

My focus is to ensure my clients are well informed, feel heard and understood and happy with their tattoo.

Is there anything you’d love to tattoo?

My “wannados” are based around pop art – bright, bold, almost comic sketches. It’s timeless art that stands out and looks super cool. But I feel like there isn’t much of a place for that as many clients want super fine line delicate pieces. I’d love to continue to tattoo thick lined patterns that are edgy and look amazing on everyone. 

Any guest spots or travel plans?

I’m going to start guesting at a few studios towards the end of this year to get myself out there and socialise with other artists. I might attend a few conventions too.

Follow Laura on Instagram for more tattoos and updates on guest spots.

We’re always talking to amazing tattoo artists, check out our latest interviews.