Tattoo artist Varvara works out of a private studio in Moscow, Russia where she’s known for her mystical dragon tattoos. We chatted to the ‘mother of dragons’ about her inspirations, proudest moments and life as an artist…
What inspired you to become a tattoo artist? How did you become an artist? I didn’t study art before I started tattooing, but I have always wanted to connect my life to creativity. After getting my first tattoo I knew I wanted to become a tattoo artist. I then trained in the art of tattooing at a studio and I used to practise on my friend. Now I have been tattooing for eight years.
Have you always tattooed like you do now? No of course not! My first tattoos were very funny and different. I started to look for my own style and I have developed this over the years. I’m also constantly trying to improve and take my work to the next level.
What attracted you to this type of tattooing? I like tattooing dragons because they are mythical creatures. This element of fantasy means I have complete freedom when I create their image. I also like the graphic look of black and grey tattoos, I think it looks awesome, especially the contrast between dark dragons and pink gentle flowers.
Can you tell us about the process behind your tattoos? It all starts with a sketch. I create each design during a consultation session which is based on the anatomy and wishes of the person I’m tattooing. Every one of my sketches is individual and nothing is repeated.
What would you say to someone who is worried about what their body looks like, but wants to get tattooed? I think that every body and everybody is beautiful. You just need to find a master who will emphasise your virtues. This is why I only freehand my tattoos. It allows me to create individual projects, which take into account the anatomy of the body and the preferences of the client.
What inspires you? I am inspired by the usual things: nature, my dogs, travel and of course love.
What do you like to tattoo and what would you like to do more? Of course I like to tattoo dragons, but I would also be happy to make other magical animals.
Can you tell us about your own tattoos? Are you a tattoo collector? I have a lot of tattoos on my body, but I can’t call myself a tattoo collector. I have got a lot of tattoos based on what I liked at the time but now I approach my choices a lot more consciously.
What moment in your career are you most proud of? I am proud that I created very recognisable dragons and that I am able to give them to a large number of people.
You describe yourself as the ‘mother of dragons’ can you tell us more about this? Oh it is a joke! My clients would often call me that, so I decided to put it in my Instagram profile because I liked the comparison.
How have you been affected by the pandemic? I didn’t work for a while during the height of the pandemic, but then everything returned to normal. After the pandemic I’ve found that people want to let beautiful things, including tattoos, into their lives even more than before.
TattooistSergei Titukh from St. Petersburg, Russia works in one of the most stylish and atmospheric studios in the city centre – INKME. Born in a small town in the Rostov region (South of Russia), he moved to St. Petersburg in 2005 to study and never left. Read on to find out more about this incredibly talented blackwork artist…
What inspired you to become a tattoo artist and how did you become one? In 2005, when I moved to St. Petersburg I entered the Maritime Academy, but six months later I realised that it didn’t interest me and I changed to the faculty of design. At university there were practical classes in drawing and painting that gave me a good foundation for artistic development. It wasn’t until I started tattooing that I began to develop my drawing.
Then in 2007 I became interested in rock music, which for me was the first step towards tattoo culture. I wanted to buy a guitar and grow my hair long while I started going to rock gigs. The underground atmosphere really pulled me in – I wanted to be a rock star. I did become one; I bought a guitar and gathered the band together. At that time I wasn’t ready for tattooing, but my hobbies gave impetus to it.
How did you become an artist? I have drawn throughout my life and always had friends telling me to become a tattoo artist. But my way into tattooing was a long one. After uni and my rock years, in 2010 I decided to find a tattoo shop where I could learn, but the tattoo training was too expensive. At the time I didn’t have much money, there was a cheaper piercing course and as body modification was generally interesting to me, I decided to become a piercing master.
I joined the community, met many interesting and talented people who, at that time, were at the top of the tattoo culture. I didn’t study tattooing professionally and lost interest as I went deep into piercing for a while. It wasn’t until 2014 that I become excited about tattooing again. This time I bought my own machine and started teaching myself. I tattooed myself at first, I still have these on my legs and they still seem pretty ok!
After the third tattoo on myself I felt confident that I could tattoo my friends. I worked from home and bought all the necessary equipment. I have always taken the responsibility of tattooing very seriously. So I made myself a mini studio in my apartment with everything needed for sterilisation and so on, as I was very worried that I could harm someone’s health.
But I didn’t work at home for long as I applied to a new studio specialising in graphic black and white works – Blackyard Tattoo. The guys took me on and I was incredibly happy that I would be working in a real tattoo shop. I worked there for two years and developed as tattoo artist before opening my private shop. I then travelled in Europe and the USA and since the end of 2019 I have been working with the INKME team.
How would you describe your style? My style is black graphics and my monsters are my calling card. At first I didn’t know exactly what I would tattoo, my first sketches were in dotwork and linework. But then my eye was caught by the dark and mystical works of Russian tattooers. Now I understand that this kind of black tattooing was just gaining momentum at that time and I was lucky to catch this wave.
I then tried to make a few of my monsters, the designs were simpler as I drew on paper while trying to understand how I’d do it on skin. At that moment a vision of what my tattoos should be formed and over time I honed my technique. I can’t name a specific style for my tattoos; I work with black ink and make creepy monsters. I’m drawn to mythical and fantastic stuff. I often use the same elements in my sketches: poses, hands, claws and paws, thereby trying to preserve my author’s vision.
Can you tell us about the process behind your tattoos? More often designing a new tattoo is quite a lot of work. The time has long passed when people just went into the studio and chose a design from ready-made flash sets. Now individuality is valued, so an original design is developed for each customer. I never repeat my own or other people’s work. Thanks to design programmes and gadgets I can develop the design and make edits if needed. However, I sometimes miss the “live” element of drawing on paper and often, with pleasure, take a pencil in my hand.
There are clients who come just for my style and give me complete freedom when creating a design or choose a ready-made design, I really appreciate it. I find this a comfortable way to work and I create a design based on my own imagination as I have no frames and restrictions.
But there are those who come with their idea based on existing characters, with this I try to implement everything in my own style as much as possible. As a rule people don’t mind this because they came for my style, I thank them for this!
What inspires you? find inspiration in nature, horror movies, stories about witches, mythical creatures, and music like black metal, doom metal and stuff like that.
What drew you to work only in black ink? I just have no passion for colour drawings and working with a large palette of colours. This also applies to my own tattoos; my first tattoo is a sleeve based on my own sketch. At first I was delighted with the result but the sleeve features colour. After a while I become uncomfortable with the colour on my hand as my preferences changed and now it’s covered with blackwork.
What do you like to tattoo and what would you like to do more of? I would like to do more large-scale projects, such as on the back or torso. Spaces where a customer doesn’t have some kind of framework on the body that he is trying to fit a specific design into.
I’d like to create more experimental tattoos with transitions from one part of the body to another, such as from the back to a leg. I’ll be incredibly pleased to work on such ambitions projects.
At the moment, my portfolio is diluted with existing characters from movies, books and games which are usually commissioned by my customers. Although it may upset my clients I’d like to do less of this kind of work and pay more attention to the universe of my monsters.
Can you tell us about your own tattoos? Are you a tattoo collector? As I mentioned, I did a few tattoos myself while I was studying. Most of my tattoos are from my friends and tattoo artists I have worked with. Naturally they are also all dark and black and white. I don’t chase tattooers with big names, if I like a sketch and the quality of the master’s work I will gladly get a tattoo from him. But I also don’t do thoughtless and impulsive tattoos, they must be in harmony with my tattoos and coincide with my inner states.
I have ideas on how I want to close the remaining areas on my body, but all the tattoo artists I want to go to are in different countries. So I don’t know when I can make an appointment with them.
Where can people get tattooed by you? I always announce my plans on my Instagram @t_i_t_u_k_h. You can also email me at titukhtattoo@gmail.com with any questions. Actually I love it when people write to me saying that they would like to get a tattoo from me, even if at that moment I am on the other side of the world.
These requests are important because they help me plan my guest spots. I collect these in a database and if I get a sufficient number of applicants in a certain region, I will visit there with pleasure.
How does guesting compare to tattooing in one studio? When working in a particular studio the work process is well-established and you don’t need to worry that there will be no necessary equipment. There’s an already formed team, it’s like a second home.
When working as a guest artist, especially if you are going to the tattoo shop for the first time you need to foresee everything in advance. I’ve been lucky with the studios I’ve stayed in as the people were open and willing to help.
The best part for me is new acquaintances; I can happily say that the guys from all the studios that I have visited have become my friends. Although the pace during these trips is fast and you get very tired, so there must be a balance and time to rest.
What’s the tattoo scene like where you are? St. Petersburg is the cultural capital of Russia. There are a lot of creative and versatile people here. So when it comes to tattoos everything is fine, the older generation is already used to it. There’s practically no condemnation and there are many good studios and artists. I can happily say that tattooing in Russia is at a high level and I often hear people mention different tattooists with different styles abroad. Because of the great competition, tattoo artists must constantly improve and upgrade their technique.
What moment in your career are you most proud of? For me, the most important achievement is that I found my dream job and I’m now I am doing what I love.
Make sure to follow Sergei for more awesome horror-inspired tattoos and find out where he’s tattooing next.
Tattoo artist Sarah Terry is currently on-the-road in the UK, here she tells us about her journey to becoming a nomad tattooer and the tattoos she creates along the way…
What inspired you to become a tattoo artist? I’ve always wanted to be a tattoo artist ever since I was little. I used to look at heavily tattooed people and want to be like them. I always loved art, and it seemed like the perfect career! I remember designing my first tattoo during my year 7 English exam (and getting it tattooed on my 18th birthday!)
How did you become an artist? Despite always wanting to be a tattooer, my art career was actually more textiles focused from school onwards. I studied embroidery at university, started running workshops in schools and eventually earned my teaching certificate. This led me to working in a youth offender institute teaching young prisoners.
It was during this time that Instagram launched and suddenly my eyes were opened to the possibilities of tattooing. I got excited about it again and started talking to prison officers about how I’d always wanted to tattoo. They were really encouraging so I started looking for an apprenticeship. I was teaching during the day, drawing and painting at night. It took me about one and a half years to finally find an apprenticeship and I haven’t looked back since. I sometimes have to pinch myself – I’m literally doing my dream job!
How would you describe your style? I’d say colourful neotraditional florals (but I’m also willing and able to do dotwork too).
Can you tell us about the process behind your tattoos? I usually draw a week before my appointments. I used to do it as and when, but found it helped my anxiety to have a day dedicated to it instead. I’m lucky now that a lot of requests are for my style – I have a huge photo gallery of flowers and my latest obsession, mushrooms – that I use as reference. That way I can ensure that my customers are getting truly original content, not just something from the first few pages of Google. I use an Ipad to draw, I usually draft my drawings several times before rendering the final design.
What inspires you? What inspires your flash designs? Readers will probably not be surprised to learn that nature is my biggest inspiration. I’ve always loved drawing organic things- there’s just so many beautiful and incredible things out there. I’m particularly inspired by juxtapositions – light/dark, natural/man made, etc. I am also inspired by textile design, print, folk art and fashion.
What do you like to tattoo and what would you like to do more of? I love tattooing flowers and mushrooms, and honestly I just want to do more of that! I’d specifically like to explore more larger, freehand projects that work organically with the body. I’m prepared to do some great deals for any customers who’d like to collaborate with me on anything like this. Please do get in touch!
Can you tell us about your own tattoos? Are you a tattoo collector? I am HUGE tattoo geek! I am incredibly proud of my own collection which includes pieces by Claudia de Sabe, Sneaky Mitch, Wendy Pham, Stu Pagdin, Maverick Reeve, Danielle Rose and Gem Carter (who just finished my incredible back piece). I’m almost covered now but I’ve got plans to see Joe Frost soon to fill my last big space. I have a huge amount of bird tattoos, closely followed by tigers and cats. And of course, flowers! I don’t have any barbed wire or mushrooms yet, think I’ll need to remedy that!
What inspired you to be an on-the-road artist? During 2020 I got divorced and sold my house. The first thing I wanted to do was explore my new found freedom. I literally had the chance to start again – but I didn’t know where. This journey is about seeing places in the UK I’ve never seen before, in the hopes that I’ll find my next spot to settle. Part of it is about meeting new people and creating new friendships with other artists and customers all over this country, and part of it is about enjoying my life for myself after living for a long time for someone else.
How does guesting compare to tattooing in one studio? Well I basically tattoo out of a plastic bag these days! (if it’s good enough for Claudia it’s good enough for me!) It can be a bit stressful packing up and moving on so much, but it’s worth it as I get to see so many new places and meet new people. Life is for living and I’m all about the experiences!
Where can people get tattooed by you? I have regular monthly guest spots at Tooth and Talon in Manchester and The Gold Room in Leeds. I’ve got guest spots elsewhere in the UK being confirmed as we speak. I’m planning to visit Brighton, Birmingham, London, Wales, Norwich, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dundee as well as a few others. I’ll be updating these on my social media and my website so if anyone wants to get tattooed by me, please check those out!
How have you been affected by the pandemic? I definitely feel like I’ve seen an affect. Having such a huge global event happen in our lifetime is bound to have an impact on everything! I think the pandemic, paired with my nomadic lifestyle, has made it harder to get bookings. Like anything – it’s all about balance. I understand I’ve traded the opportunity to build a client base by moving around, but I hope in the end it will be worth it when I find my place and can settle there with all the amazing memories I’ve made. And hopefully I will have built a beautiful network of gorgeous clients all over the UK!
Make sure to follow Sarah on Instagram for more tattoos and travel updates. Check out her available flash designs here.
SIGAK or @tattooist_sigak as you might know her, creates magical dream-like tattoos at Sol Tattoo Studio in Seoul, Korea. She also specialises in out of this world cover-ups, read on to find out more…
What inspired you to become a tattoo artist? How did you become an artist? I graduated from art middle school and high school and majored in fine art and art history at university. After graduating from university, I worked as an illustrator. While I was working a friend of mine who was a tattoo artist suggested that I learn to tattoo. So I did just that.
How would you describe your style? The world I create is a dreamy fantasy. I make fairy tale-like images with blue, purple and pink as the main colours.
Have you always tattooed like you do now? At first, I tattooed illustrations that looked like they had been drawn with a pencil. My Instagram profile image is one of them. In the past I would draw galaxies, constellations, the night sky and clouds. Then after using only black ink, I gradually used various colours.
What attracted you to this type of tattooing? I am instinctively attracted to mother nature including her galaxies, night sky and the sea. Mother nature is an unknown world that humans cannot imagine, she is naturally out of reach. But, when you tattoo her on your skin you can have your own world.
Can you tell us about the process behind your tattoos? I discuss with a client the design they want and what we can do based on this. After that, I search for a reference image and create an appropriate design, then show it to the client. It usually takes three or four hours to make a design, but it depends on the details.
After the client confirms the design and I make any necessary modifications, tattooing then takes four to five hours. This is from the stencil to the photo shoot. This can also vary depending on the design or size.
Do you prefer to work in black and grey or colour? Both black and white and colour have their own charms, but I prefer colours. This is because even if the image is the same you can create a different atmosphere depending on the colours you use.
What inspires you? I get inspiration from a variety of things. Sometimes I think of design from novels, plays and music. But the most important thing for me is to always look at various pictures. The type of picture doesn’t matter as I try to encounter an array of arts, because anything from modern art to commercial design can inspire me.
What do you like to tattoo and what would you like to do more of? My childhood dream was to become a writer like Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Not only did he write a beautiful novel, but he also drew his own illustrations. I love how pictures and words can tell a story in different ways. It’s a vague dream, but one day I want to be someone who delivers what they want to say in writing and illustrations.
You specialise in cover-ups can you tell us more about this? Cover-up tattoos are making new tattoos on existing tattoos, scars, dots, etc. When designing cover-up tattoos it’s best to design them in darker or similar colours than the existing tattoos. In addition, the condition of the existing tattoo or scar determines whether the procedure is possible or not. There needs to be a discussion between the artist and client before anything can happen.
Are there any challenges when covering tattoos? If your tattoo is too dark or you have a lot of damage to your skin from when you got it, you will have difficulty in proceeding with the cover-up tattoo. The damaged skin is slightly convex compared to the other skin. which makes it difficult to paint a new colour onto it.
In the past, tattoo machines and needles were not as delicate as they are these days so, some people’s skin was damaged during the tattoo process. I’m always more careful when I design cover-ups like this.
What would you like our readers to know about their cover-up options? If you want to cover your existing tattoo there are some things to consider. First of all, you’re better off choosing a colour similar to or darker than your existing tattoo when you ask a tattoo artist for a design. You can try covering your tattoo with a brighter colour, but you may see your existing tattoo after everything has healed.
Secondly, you should be aware that the cover-up tattoo should be bigger than your existing tattoo. Thirdly, if you want to get a bright cover-up tattoo you’ll need to remove the existing tattoo with one to two sessions of laser treatment. After that, when your skin is fully regenerated you will be able to choose a brighter colour.
Can you tell us about your own tattoos? Are you a tattoo collector? I’ve only got four tattoos so I wouldn’t call myself a tattoo collector. My first tattoo is a drawing of the earth, it’s my Instagram profile picture. When I learnt to tattoo I had to practice on real skin so I tattooed myself. It’s not great but I’m satisfied with this tattoo because it encompasses memories and my initial intentions.
My other three tattoos are about my family; I have a tattoo for my mother on the back of my neck, one for my father on the inside of my arm and tattoos related to my sister on my thighs.
What is the tattoo scene like where you are? In Asian cultures older generations have negative perceptions of tattoos. Some of them think tattoos are related to gangsters and violence – they think it’s a dark culture. However, this perception is changing in the younger generation. Most people in their 20s and 30s are open to tattoos as a way to express their individuality. They also regard tattoos as fashion, accessories or art.
What moment in your career are you most proud of? I have met a wide variety of clients in this job and they often tell me their tattoo stories. The most memorable moment for me was the day I gave a cover-up tattoo to a client who had a tattoo associated with bad memories that she wanted to forget. The tattoo was very thick and big, so she couldn’t erase or cover it.
She said she was grateful that I covered the bad memories with happy ones. Moments like this are the proudest moments of my career.
How have you been affected by the pandemic? Before the pandemic I met so many foreign clients and I’m thankful that they came to Korea to get tattooed by me. The pandemic made it difficult to travel between countries and I lost the opportunity to meet foreign clients. I hope the pandemic will be over soon so I can meet everyone again.
Make sure to follow @tattooist_sigak for more incredible tattoos and astounding cover-ups.
Ria Kim or @tattooist_kimria as you might know her, tattoos adorable pet tattoos at Sol Tattoo Studio in Seoul, Korea. We chatted to her about her tattoo collection and the tiny tattoos she creates…
What inspired you to become a tattoo artist? How did you become an artist? I actually majored in design, but always dreamed of a career in drawing. However, the reality was tough and I ended up getting a job in a field that’s totally unrelated to drawing. Then I became interested in being a tattoo artist.
The idea that someone will have my drawing on their body for the rest of their life seemed very attractive and I decided to pursue being a tattoo artist. Looking back, it was the right choice. The only thing I regret is not doing it sooner.
Have you always tattooed like you do now? I didn’t start with micro tattooing. When I started my technique was limited. I was doing less detailed and more rough styled work. My subject matter wasn’t pets either.
As I gained more experience, my drawings became smaller and more detailed works were possible. That’s when I started focusing on pets.
What attracted you to this type of tattooing? In the beginning I thought small tattoos had limitations, especially in what you could express in them. Like a lot of people I also had negative views on the colouration of micro tattooing. But it’s not like that all.
You use a very thin needle for micro tattoos, so you can still get those details and they’re very realistic. Also, thin needles allow the colour to penetrate deep and accurately into the skin, so as long as the artist has the right skills, the colouration is not a problem. The more I do micro tattoos, the more I seem to overcome prejudices and limitations. It’s such an attractive genre.
Can you tell us about the process behind your tattoos? Most of my clients come to have their dog or cat tattooed, so communication is very important. From choosing the photo they like to sharing stories of their pet, having their precious family member tattooed means a lot to me as well, so we talk a lot.
You do really cute small tattoos, why do you think small tattoos are so popular? Smaller tattoos tend to be more popular among the younger clients. The younger generation see tattoo as an accessory, so I think they just want a piece they like and have it placed on their body without it being too serious.
Are there any challenges when doing tiny tattoos? Of course. Tattoos are different from drawing on paper, so I must be very thorough and I do feel the pressure. Tattoos change over time with your body, so I need to keep that in mind. The size of the piece matters as well. The appropriate size varies from person to person because everyone’s skin is different.
I always communicate with clients to figure those out. That means, sometimes having to persuade clients to change their design when they ask for tattoos that are too small for their preferred spot or skin type.
What inspires you? I get inspired by my client’s stories. I work on the pieces as I recall what they told me about their cats and dogs during the consultation. I feel so many emotions especially when I’m drawing their eyes.
What do you like to tattoo and what would you like to do more of? I’ve been specialising in pets so far and I love this theme, so I want to continue to grow within it. My clients come to me from all over the world and if I had the chance I’d love to meet them and their pets in their homes. I also want to write a book by weaving their stories with my drawings.
Do you prefer to work in black and grey or colour? I prefer black and grey. It’s always interesting how a black ink alone can be used to express so much depth and various tones.
Can you tell us about your own tattoos? Are you a tattoo collector? I have lots of tattoos, I’d say about 15 to 20. My first tattoo was done by me. When I first started learning how to tattoo, I was curious about what it would feel like to get tattooed, so I did one on my arm. It wasn’t all that pleasant!
My second tattoo was for my birthday. I had one done by one of my favourite tattoo artists, @Oozy_tattoo. My very recent tattoo is of my precious dog, done by my teacher, @Soltattoo. I love all the tattoos on my body, but the one from Soltattoo is my favourite one.
What is the tattoo scene like where you are? The tattoo scene in Korea has progressed so much. Korean tattoo artists are so talented that they are said to be the best in the world. Before COVID-19, 80% of my clients were from overseas. That means all those people decided to come to Korea so that they can get tattooed by a Korean artist.
Moreover, Korean tattoo artists develop and produce needles and tatoo machines on their own. They are amazing quality and I also mainly use needles and machines made by Korean tattoo artists.
What moment in your career are you most proud of? I usually tattoo pets and my clients visit me to remember them. As I’m tattooing, the client and I talk a lot of about their relationship with their pets. We share a lot of feelings and emotions and it seems to go beyond the simple relationship between clients and artists.
When I hear that my work has consoled them, it makes me think that I’ve made the right choice by choosing this job. In these moments I feel the great power of the cute little tattoos I draw and I become very proud of myself. I want to continue to comfort and give precious memories to my clients.
How have you been affected by the pandemic? As I mentioned before COVID-19 80% of my clients were from overseas. They would contact me months before visiting Korea to get a tattoo from me. It’s amazing and I always feel so thankful.
They tell me how incredible my work is and how much they love my work, and when it’s done, they leave with faces full of happiness. Some of them send me photos of my work with their pets once they return home. They’re such valuable experiences for me, don’t you think? I’ve also received a lot of invitations from overseas studios, but it saddens me that that I can’t move freely because of COVID-19. I pray that this situation will end soon.
Finally are you a cat or dog person? I’m a dog person. I have a tattoo of my old friend on my arm. My friend’s name is Go Bok-su and he’s 13 years old.
