Things&Ink

December 11, 2020December 11, 2020

Be kind & be wild: Lola Blackheart

East-London based illustrator and artist Lola Blackheart chats tattoos, her journey to self acceptance and the inspiration behind her body positive art…

I grew up with an adoration for very old-school, traditional tattoo work, classic pin-up imagery of the 1940s and 50s, and in my teens I discovered the world of burlesque. The confidence and energy of these professional female performers of all different sizes and shapes, plus the empowerment they bring to their audiences, really resonated with me.

It was the first step in what I guess you would call my ‘journey’ of self-acceptance. I also discovered how using these women as inspiration in my artwork felt like a small way to not only feel part of this movement of strong, confident females, but also could work to bring others in to that world.

I went to the Brit School of Performing Arts, and (not many people know this) actually started out as a dancer. After a severe ankle injury as I was going into my third year there, I realised that my passion for the art department had also began to naturally outgrow that of dance, and I spent my final two years studying art & design. I suddenly felt like I actually belonged somewhere. The dance world can be quite cruel and demanding, especially when it comes to appearance.

I went on to study Visual Communications at Leeds College of Art, where I did my own thing and specialised in casting and sculpture, with some illustration too. I was making installations made up of things, such as big hand-painted skulls for high-end store’s windows by my final year, and had my own studio.

Moving back to London made this a lot more expensive and illustration became more practical (and a lot less physically challenging!) It allowed me to turn my ideas into a reality much quicker. Instagram definitely changed my life, and being able to share my work so easily and to such a broad audience really pushed me to keep going and to keep engaging.

I was first tattooed at 16, and kept going from there! There was nothing quite like the excitement of going for my next tattoo, especially in my late teens and early twenties. I had friends that were starting out as tattoo artists, so I have quite a few that I don’t reveal as much as others, but they all hold funny or interesting memories.

Some of my all-time favourites are my coffin on my arm by Matty Darienzo, my panther on my hand and ‘Lola’ cat girl on my upper arm by Dani Quepo, and my hand-poked bible with upside-down cross and saw on my forearm by Kirk Budden.

The meaning and purpose of my work and brand has definitely continued to evolve over time, and I’m at a point now where I really want to push these messages of self-love and self-acceptance. I wish this had existed at the level it does now when I was growing up and that I had been given access to beautiful imagery of women that didn’t all look a certain way (tall, thin, whit etc.)

I ensure that everything I see on my Instagram is either educational, inspiring or body positive, and I hope that the work I’m putting out there and the content I share falls under these categories in some way or another. I also love that the basic aesthetic of the 50s pinups is still so embedded in my work, as it brings that element of classic glamour, and the celebration of the female body – although we should all support vintage aesthetic over vintage values!

I’ll continue to create work that explores the beauty of bodies and how different we all are. I have some exciting hand-painted projects coming up, as well as expanding on what I offer in terms of products on my Etsy store. My prints will always be central, but releasing small runs of organic, vegan, high quality products is something I’m going to be pushing. It’s amazing to see the interest and reaction from people when I do release something like a limited edition t-shirt. I also continue to work a lot with brands, so as soon as I’m given the go-ahead to share this work I will!

I’m open to all kinds of commissions, both for individuals and brands, but my most popular is the ones where I draw customers as one of my pin up girls! You can read more about this, purchase and get added to my waiting list here .

Be sure to follow Lola on Instagram for more tattoo and pin up inspired art.

November 16, 2020February 11, 2021

Interview with tattoo artist Filip Fabian

A tattooist for 12 years, Filip Fabian creates beautiful watercolour tattoos at Black & Blue Tattoo in San Francisco. We chatted to Filip about the inspiration behind his abstract pieces...

I grew up inspired by artists such as Rothko or Pollock. I studied art and drawing but I also got inspired by all of the great people I’ve met along the way. I also find a lot of inspiration in nature, every walk through the Golden Gate Park brings me a ton of inspiration. I often come home with ideas for new designs of the birds or flowers that grow there.

I love to tattoo nature and animals. My clients inspire me the most. I love to use geometry, brushes and textures in my work. And of course a wild palette of colours.

My cousin had his own tattoo studio in my hometown. I saw him working, and got immediately attracted to the whole process. Tattooing seemed magical to me. Then I ordered my first machine for $20 from eBay, did my first piece on my own knee, and never put the tattoo machine away since (I now have different ones, the eBay one actually fell apart when I was doing that first piece!)

I sometimes freehand my pieces, but I mostly spend a lot of time with each design prior to the tattoo day. After I meet a client for a consultation I take all of the references I have, all the thoughts and memories they express. These inspire me, and I combine that with my own touch.

I always try to include the personality of the person who I am tattooing into the piece, and the mood the piece is supposed to have. That’s why I don’t like realism that much. I find abstract designs more capable of expressing the mood and the fluctuate nature of life.

I hope that I get to see my tattoos and art on all of my clients’ bodies all over the world. That is my favourite gallery. You do not need an entrance, you just see it it while you casually go through your day.

Be sure to follow Filip on Instagram for more nature inspired tattoos.

November 15, 2020

Apprentice love: Alina Benson

When we first saw Alina Benson‘s tattoos on Instagram we couldn’t believe she was an apprentice! We caught up with Alina to chat all things tattooing…

How long have you been apprenticing and how did you get your apprenticeship? I started my apprenticeship at the end of 2019, but I’ve only been tattooing full-time since June at Tätowieratelier Sieben Raben, a private studio in Schwerte, Germany. I owe the apprenticeship to my friend Benne Clarus, who is training me.

What drew you to the tattoo world? My mother and grandmother have always been very creative, drawing and tinkering. I knew very early that I would like to tattoo one day. Even before I got tattooed myself. I got into the scene through my friend Benne Clarus, who has been in the tattoo business for more than 10 years. Since June 2020 I am now self-employed and for me there is nothing better.

Can you tell us about your own tattoos, and your first tattoo? I mainly have tattoos in the neo-traditional style from Benne Clarus, Mike Ldz, Konstantin Schmidt and also from myself. I had to start practising somewhere so now I have three tattoos on my legs. My favourite tattoo is my left hand of Mike, a moon. On the other hand I have a sun. I got my first tattoo when I was 18 years old and it is a Rammstein quote. It is not the most beautiful one I have to admit, but the only one with a meaning.

Can you tell us about the process behind your tattoos, what inspires you, how would you describe your style? I describe my style as neo-traditional. But I especially like to tattoo animals or things from nature. I like to use muted colours or pastel colours. Of course, sometimes I also do a more gaudy tattoo, but I prefer natural tones.

What do you like to draw/tattoo and what would you like to do more of? I always like to tattoo animals, especially I want to do more dinosaurs, they have always fascinated me!

What’s been the best part of your apprenticeship so far and what have you found the hardest? The best part of my apprenticeship is to see how I’m developing myself and to feel that my tattoos please people. I love that I can live from doing what I enjoy.

November 6, 2020July 1, 2022

We need to talk about tattoos and periods

Our contributor Lucy wonders if you should ever get tattooed while you’re on your period… would you?

Let me set the scene a little. It’s the very early hours of the morning before my first ever tattoo and I suddenly wake up feeling that oh so familiar cramping sensation in my abdomen, and as an individual who experiences severe dysmenorrhea (also known as debilitating period pain), I knew this was potentially very bad news. A wave of complete panic overcomes me, and I go straight to Google, trying to find every piece of advice available on ‘tattoos and periods’ while worrying I would have to cancel my booking at the last minute…

I came across a variety of advice telling me things like I shouldn’t take medication (like ibuprofen) before a tattoo, that periods make tattoo pain worse and that the general rule of thumb is ‘avoid getting tattooed on your period’. After all my stressed-out research, I decided to do the sensible thing and wait until the morning to contact my tattoo artist and ask if I could take painkillers before my tattoo. I felt too embarrassed to be honest and say that I needed the medication for menstrual cramps, so I found myself lying and blaming it on ‘back pain’.

Luckily, my artist was happy for me to take some ibuprofen and while this stopped the period cramps it didn’t stop the fear I now had that my period would cause my first tattoo to be more painful than normal.

Looking back on the experience now, I can say with certainty that, personally, my period did not affect my tattoo pain and that overall, my experience getting a tattoo while on my period was entirely normal.

But this might not be the same for everyone, the ‘taboo’ nature of period discussion makes it so we fear talking about this normal part of life. Instead we retreat to Google which inevitably leads to us finding unsettling period and tattoo related horror stories and myths, causing stress and anxiety. We need to open the narrative on tattoos and periods to help make those who menstruate feel more comfortable and confident when in the tattoo chair on their period.

To help start dispelling myths and opening up discussion, I’ve compiled a short list of some important things to know when getting a tattoo during your period:

Be aware that some individuals who menstruate do experience heightened skin sensitivity. If you feel particularly worried about this, if possible, it may be best to book larger tattoos or tattoos in sensitive areas on days when you are not on your period, but smaller ones should be fine. Sensitive areas are more prone to period related inflammation, so they hold more potential to cause worse pain during your tattoo.

Always check with your artist when taking any kind of medication or herbal supplements before your tattoo. Ibuprofen and paracetamol have blood thinning properties that can cause your tattoo to bleed more and herbal supplements can sometimes affect the clotting process. A small amount of medication is usually fine, but always check with your artist.

Make sure to bring extra sanitary products to your appointment and don’t be afraid to ask to use the toilet during your tattoo. Some people like to double-up on their protection before an appointment (e.g. using period underwear and a sanitary pad or tampon or using a heavier flow sanitary item for extra protection against leaks).

Finally, don’t let your period control your life! If you are experiencing painful cramps, extremely heavy flow, or other symptoms you feel are abnormal for you, it’s always best to seek medical advice, you don’t have to suffer in silence. Menstruating is normal and we shouldn’t have to feel ashamed of it.

Overall, always remember that it’s your body and your rules. While some people might entirely avoid getting tattooed during their period, others might not mind it at all, but by talking about it and being vocal we actively help to break the harmful stigma that surrounds periods.

Words: Lucy Edwards, a 20-year-old tattooed university student, cat mum and trying-new-things enthusiast. You’ll most likely find Lucy posting about mental health awareness and self-acceptance on her Instagram.

November 3, 2020October 31, 2020

Get involved in the movement with Sarah Louise

Nottingham tattooist Sarah Louise is encouraging the tattooing world to speak up and stand up. We chatted to Sarah about her tattooing and what everyone can do to fight racism…

How long have you been tattooing?

I’ve been tattooing for officially four years and I’m currently at Black Antlers Tattoo, but I have been in the industry for a total of six years. Through all my childhood years I have always been drawing, it quickly transcended into a passion that never left me. I did a creative art and graphics design degree at Nottingham college then a illustration degree at Lincoln University. Once I graduated I did freelance illustration, but it never really paid the bills.

How did you become a tattoo artist?

One of my childhood friends asked me to design a tattoo for him. Which he then fell in love with the design and decided to take it to a studio to get tattooed. The artist asked me about my work and offered me an apprenticeship. I began working there at weekends as well as taking on full time job allowing time for me to slowly progress and transition into picking up a machine.

How would you describe your work?

I try to keep all my work evolving. I don’t think I have a direction I’d like my work to go in or a set style as such. I take a lot of inspiration from music, films, plants, scenery, and wildlife. At the moment I really enjoy doing colour realism mixed with elements of watercolour, as I’ve always been fond of using colour within my tattoos and painting. I will always try my best to complete each tattoo with high contrast if I’m using colour in particular. I used to focus on doing neotraditional, which will creep back into my work from time to time, but I always want to try something new.

What advice would you have for anyone wanting to become a tattooist?

I love this question! As all I want to do is to champion passionate people! I think the only solid and best thing to do is to work on a portfolio. The only advice I can really stress is spending as much time drawing and showing how enthusiastic you are willing to learn through your art.

Finding a place that will apprentice you is so hard now, I think because the social media algorithm manages what is most aesthetically pleasing to its viewers. If you spend a large amount of time drawing and promoting your artwork it’ll be easier to find a place that will take anyone seriously.

You often speak out about social justice issues, can you tell us about your experiences in the tattoo industry.

Expressing and sharing information about social justice; means so much to me. I was first inspired by female tattooist Heleena who spoke so openly about culture appropriation within the tattoo industry. She posted her video on a IGTV and it inspired me to do the same – to talk about problems and my experience on the movement. It inspired me so much, because I think one of the main problems is a lot of us are guilty for not talking openly about how we feel about the inequalities within the tattooing industry.

I have thankfully not been affected by the problems within the industry regarding gender and racial inequities that would inhibit my work with clients recently. Saying that, I still regularly experience micoraggressions from clients assuming I wasn’t born in the UK. Or receiving the classic comment of “I am trendy for a black girl” with the assumptions that this wouldn’t be my scene, as it’s still a predominantly marginalised white industry. But I am very grateful that this hasn’t deferred me from speaking up about my experiences. And won’t continue stay silent on these issues, because re-affirmed education is key.

I have seen the somewhat egotistical sides of the industry taking a lot ‘ownership’ of what women and POC have brought to the table. There still is a long way for black people and POC to experience recognition for their talents amongst their white peers.

I do think that sadly my skin colour has become more of a highlight to the inequalities within the industry, but it has made me more determined to inspire others to stand up against racism.

Do you think we can make a change to the industry?

I believe how we make the change is to continue to come together and expose a lot of the issues regarding race by educating each other. Whether that be by sharing knowledge and achievements, by reading books and openly asking questions about tattooing. We can make change with every piece we do. One of the biggest ways I found is by actively asking questions but being consistent with what knowledge we gain and what we want. I think the more knowledge we share then the more exposure we can get. I feel we need to be very consistent on how we share this information on social media with other black people and POC.

I recently followed Shades Tattoo Initiative created by tattoo artist Rizza Boo. The page often does shout outs to promote small pages and boost them, but I think the consistency of other people is where the buck stops. I also think the major problem also lies within the industry’s structure in relation to sponsorship. I feel as black people we get less recognition for our achievements, which adds to the unfortunate white-washed view of the industry. But with education and by consistently pushing each other and our tattooing we will force the industry sponsors to finally take note.

Protests are a way to start a conversation. Given the history and importance of protests and the content they generate, it’s imperative that we actively continue to push for change.

I think that we are at a place in time that we have a platform to actively keep sharing knowledge with one another. And although I am aware that there are some struggles we face with not having confidence and knowledge, I do not think it’s entirely justifiable for not taking action at all.

If you do not decide to take action in a form of a protest, I would suggest you look at other ways to support an essential causes. Such as signing petitions, listening to podcasts, donating to charities and local communities – supporting black or other ethnic minorities. These are the things that can bring dramatic change, it can easily happen within the art community and eventually tattooing.

Sarah is continuing to speak out and challenge the tattoo industry, make sure to follow her Instagram and why not join in the conversation yourself?