Tag: Black & Grey

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Striving for fluidity: Interview with tattoo artist Jade Chanel

We chat to Jade Chanel, tattoo artist and owner of Vaporwave Tattoo, in East London, about her passion for tattooing and journey to authenticity…

What inspired you to become a tattoo artist and how did you become one? I’ve always loved creating. From when I can remember, I was making things, crafting, painting and drawing. Being a visual and kinesthetic learner, I’m very expressive and I love using my hands as a tool.

When I was 18 years old, I started getting tattooed because I loved the way they looked, then it all just snowballed from there. I continued getting more and more tattoos and I then fell in love with the craft. I started apprenticing at Lowrider Tattoo in Bethnal green when they first opened in 2015.

Can you tell us about your experiences in the tattoo industry? It’s been challenging at times, especially being a woman of colour. I started tattooing when I was 24 and I was lucky, growing up in the heart of East London where culture is diverse.

I had this idea that I needed to “fit in” to feel safe and to do well in the industry, but I learnt very quickly that the best thing to do was to just be myself.

How would you describe your work? I’d describe my style as fineline, black and grey. I love precision and detail I can focus in on. I also love that my work has a delicate feminine feel and I’m always striving for fluidity.

Have you always tattooed like you do now? When I started tattooing in 2015, I used bigger needle groupings, so my linework was a lot bolder. I also did a lot of dotwork and mandalas.

After using a single needle, I never really looked back. It just felt right for me and what I was trying to achieve.

Can you tell us about the process behind your tattoos? A client contacts me via my website using a form which has all the details needed to spark an idea for a custom design. If it’s an idea I’m happy to work with, I will send over more details and a booking link.

I make tattoos I feel would look best in the space on the body. Aesthetics are everything. Yeah, so I draft my ideas using key words and references, then I start drawing. It seems quite simple but it’s not!

What inspires you? Most of my work is custom based on ideas given to me by my clients. We bounce of each other. Also, being an artist in this social media era, we’re constantly over exposed to stimuli that influences our “styles” as such.

I’m constantly asking myself what inspires me, it’s so hard to say. Too many things.

You’ve done flash designs inspired by music, are songs a big part of your tattooing? Music is a huge love of mine. I literally have a soundtrack for so many moments in my life. Being that it’s another form of expression, they coincide perfectly! I’m always listening to music when creating so that’s how that idea came about.

What do you like to tattoo and what would you like to do more of? I really enjoy tattooing, and this is a question often asked by clients. One of my favourite things about being a tattoo artist is that no day is the same. New design, new client, new energy. New challenges keep my work exciting! I’d love to do a lot more larger scale projects that cover entire limbs.

Can you tell us about your own tattoos? Are you a tattoo collector? I love collecting tattoos! I never imagined I’d ever have this many, but the saying about it being addictive is true.

It’s a transformational journey. I’ve been tattooed by incredible artists, some of which are my friends. It’s special that I get to wear their work on me forever.

You have your own tattoo studio, what’s this side of the tattoo business like? When I decided to open my studio, Vaporwave Tattoo, it was important for me to not run it like a business as such and create a hub for artists to feel free to flourish.

It’s exactly what I needed and what I felt the industry needed. It’s really challenging because I really love my job as a tattooer and that’s what I wish to give all my time to. I’ve always found admin difficult, and it hit me like a ton of bricks when I started this venture.

I’m always having to find balance between being an artist and being a studio owner.

What’s Vaporwave Tattoo like? It’s full of life and colour. It’s a peaceful but vibrant, safe, welcoming and inspiring space. I’m not even being biased, it really is something special.

The choices of colour and the running theme is basically a portal to my soul, my youth, growing up in the 90s! I’ve crowned myself the DIY Queen after this project. All the décor, fixtures, fittings etc. were chosen and installed with my bare hands. It really is a labour of love!

What moment in your career are you most proud of? All of it. There’s not particular moment I can think of as it’s just been an exciting, challenging journey and each part holds such great significance.

It’s a beautiful feeling, knowing that I’ve been trusted by loads people, to decorate their bodies and create ever lasting memories.

Follow @jadechanelp and @vaporwavetattoo for more tattoos and studio news.

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Interview with tattoo artist Sambee

We chat to North London tattooer Sambee about her journey into the tattoo world and her experiences as a woman of colour in the tattoo industry…

What inspired you to become a tattoo artist? To be honest it was never an ambition of mine, even though I had always drawn, been creative and did art at school. I also used to go home after school and watch LA Ink and NY Ink. I thought they were pretty cool shows but I never saw them as a future career.

Saying that, the idea of making things with my hands was attractive to me. It meant I would always have a way of being able to provide for myself without relying on someone to hire me.

How did you become an artist? A friend took a design of mine to a local tattooist and asked if I would go with him to get the tattoo done. Whilst I was there the tattooist talked to me about my designs, he was opening a studio soon and asked if I’d like to be the apprentice.

At the time I was looking to go to university but my parents were surprisingly supportive of me becoming a tattoo apprentice.

Can you tell us about your experiences in the tattoo industry? My apprenticeship started two months before my nineteenth birthday. I’m at the end of my twenties now, so it has been quite an education. It’s been a strange world to navigate through especially when you come into it quite young.

Tattooing is a great expressive art form and there’s always something to learn or a way to challenge yourself. The more you put in the more you’ll get out.

You meet all types of people, some sweet and some more savoury, but that’s like all industries. It’s nice to see more women and women of colour coming up in the industry.

Can you tell us more about the experiences you have had as a woman and a woman of colour in the industry? I’ve had some awkward moments. I think the frustrating thing about being a woman in a male dominated industry is that you can feel obliged to not create what’s sometimes perceived as ‘trouble’, or perhaps what used to be perceived that way. 

Even now, I initially felt like I had to answer this question by downplaying or lightly glossing over experiences.

If I were to mention every little moment where race or gender felt to me like a disadvantage or something I’ve had to speak out to defend against, it would be a long list. 

Toward the end of my apprenticeship, I was being tattooed by someone (who my mentor invited to the studio). I can’t remember how the subject of race was brought up, but somehow we got talking about it and mid tattoo session, with my limb in the tattooists’ hand, he says the words “ya know, I don’t actually believe in ‘mix raced’.”

My ears perked up, my heart rate rose and I had to control my facial expression. I just thought, let me make it to the end of the tattoo session and then I won’t have to listen to any more ignorance. 

I’ve also heard clients say they don’t believe in racism, casually, while I’m tattooing them. I’ve also seen someone point out the window at a person in a wheelchair and say the words “look, that’s a n*gger in a wheeelchair”. I was in that room. 

Are there any female artists and women of colour artists you’d like our readers to know about? Hell yeah there is! There’s lots of women that I know and follow on social media that make me proud to be in this job, at this time, because it has come such a long way since I started. 

My colleagues Trang and Chanelle are so talented, focused, driven and kind hearted. I used to work with Jade and we both had the ambition to get into tattooing. She’s got a beautiful heart and does beautiful tattoos. 

People should also follow:

The list goes on!

What attracted you to black and grey tattooing? I’m not sure why I was more interested in black and grey. I appreciate all styles, but when it came to doing them I found that black and grey made more sense. It feels more straightforward.

Have you always tattooed like you do now? I started out doing anything and everything and then slowly just narrowed it down to black and grey realism.

I’m sure in another 10 years my style will change, but I can’t see it changing too drastically. That’s the thing within any creative industry the only limits are what you put on yourself. It’s sometimes scary to change because it’s new to you and you obviously lack experience. Also you’re beginning the process all over again and that creates more self doubt.

Can you tell us about the process behind your tattoos? Sure! There’s not too much to it, my client would have given me images or a description through an email enquiry. With that information I search and source photos relevant to the idea and begin putting that into a composition to suit whichever area the tattoo is going. I tend to do image sourcing the night before and then put together designs in the morning showing a few options.

What inspires you? Other artists, not just artists who do black and grey. Or seeing people who have older tattoos and wondering how can I do my work to a standard that will hold and look sick as it ages.

It would be cool when my clients are in nursing homes and still feel excited about their tattoos or getting compliments.

What do you like to tattoo and what would you like to do more of? I really enjoy tattooing animals. Anything fluffy! I’d love to do more iconic portraits too. I’ve done a few civil rights projects and I loved those! Also any Marvel/DC characters would be a dream!

Are you a tattoo collector? I’ve got a few cats! I wouldn’t say I’m a collector maybe just an enthusiast, I’m definitely not at that level by any means.

I’ve enjoyed getting pieces so far from my talented colleague Matt Lunn and the awesome Anrijs, Ash Higham and Edgar Ivanov.

What moment in your career are you most proud of? Working my first convention felt quite pivotal. There’s a lot of anticipation for that moment, so much preparation and it can feel like a big hurdle when you build it up in your head. But it was a lot of fun!

I’m currently at a big transitional moment in my career. I’m joining my friends in making our own artist led studio. I cannot wait for it to be finished! This will definitely be the proudest moment in my career once it’s up and running.

Make sure to follow Sambee for more amazing realism tattoos and updates on her new studio.

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Interview with tattoo artist Sergei Titukh

Tattooist Sergei 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.

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Icebergs by Elvira Garcia

Tattoo artist Elvira Garcia works at Hive Tattoo Art Gallery in Milan creating stunning iceberg inspired tattoos, here she tells us the story behind them…

Elvira Garcia4

I have been tattooing for 4 years. I started when I was 20, now I’m 24. I became a tattooist because I love to draw, I’ve been drawing since I was three years old. It’s my passion and my life, everyday I need to draw something.

I remember when I was seven I would love to paint the skin of my friends at school with coloured markers. that’s where it started later when I was studying fine art in university my friends encouraged me to start tattooing and so I did. 

My style is a mix between blackwork and sometimes black and grey. I normally use black because I like how it lasts in different kinds of skin. 

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When I was a kid my father told me that inside our mind we have two things: conscious and subconscious. What we know about us, the conscious part is very small, and on the surface, instead our subconscious is deep inside us, under water, like a deep sea of things, emotions, forgotten experiences that never disappear completely.

The iceberg represents: our love, our fears, our happiness, our depressions, what we have lived, our influences.

 Elvira Garcia

I’ve always drawn iceberg flash to show some of my ideas. To show how the design can look with the iceberg with a subject inside, but they can be also custom. I love to tattoo icebergs and anything related with nature including; animals, flowers, plants, woman and space.

Elvira Garcia2

I normally like to do guest spots because they are easy to organise, you have everything you need in the studio and I tend to work better My next guest spots will be in Munich, Reykjavik, Amsterdam, Zürich and London in 2020. I’ll be posting details on my Instagram so follow me on there for updates.

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Interview With Tattoo Artist Owen Paulls

28-year-old tattoo artist Owen Paulls is currently on the road, creating incredible black and grey realism. We chat to him about his love for Disney, the process behind his tattoos and his travel plans…

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How long have you been tattooing? I have been tattooing since around April 2014, so a little over three years now!

What drew you to the tattoo world? I was always into drawing and painting growing up. I was designing shirts and artwork for a band I was with before I got into tattooing. Coming from the music world, where everyone’s heavily tattooed, this probably sparked the idea of putting something permanently on the skin.

Has your style of tattooing changed? How has it developed? I think like most tattoo artists, I was drawn to classic designs and bold colours at first. I spent about a year putting together more traditional pieces, trying to make my work as clean as I could before really getting into realism at the end of that first year.

I did a few portraits on friends, to build my portfolio, and loved it! It felt a lot more natural to build pieces from the bottom up rather than lining everything first so I started switching my designs to have a realistic element. Recently I’ve developed more of a surrealism style I guess.

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What do you love to tattoo? You do a lot of Disney portraits, are you a Disney fan? Absolutely anything Disney or animated, I love tattooing it! I don’t know if that’s still the traditional artist in me trying make an appearance with a little throw to the old school – who knows! I’m a huge Disney fan, so getting to tattoo it all day is a lot of fun for me.

I love the whole process modern animation goes through while it’s being made, there’s so much behind the scenes that you don’t get to see when watching the movies. I’m just trying to pay homage to all the animation greats by replicating their creations on skin in my own way.

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You mainly work in black and grey, what do you love about this? How long does a  typical piece take, can you explain your process?  My art work outside of tattooing is mostly charcoal and pencil so I think that draws me to the black and grey side. Colour is a lot more challenging for me. I love getting to do it occasionally, as it keeps me on my toes, but black and grey is where I feel the most creative. Pieces usually take anywhere from eight to 10 hours.

I’m very meticulous with my work so I’ll spend at least a couple of hours adding details and highlights at the end with a small liner, apologising to my customers the whole time and periodically promising that we’re nearly done!

I usually start with an email or FaceTime consultation to get the over all idea of the tattoo before designing to save as much time as I can. I like to make my stencils on the day so I’m familiar with the shapes and concept before applying it to the skin. Due to the amount of time I spend in the skin, I always try to make sure I leave my stencil to dry for about 15-20 minutes before I start. I’m a detail lover, so having all my stencil hold for the whole day helps me to relax. I don’t line much so it’s nice to have that information there to use when I need it.

Would you like to do more colour pieces? Eventually, I’ll probably make the move to full colour work. I feel as an artist, I’m still growing and creating an identity within my tattoos. For the moment, black and grey is the perfect medium for me. People who can break stencil with their photo reference and use brave colour choices make a big impression on me, I’d like to have that affect on other artists.

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What inspires you? Are there any artists that influence your work? Animation plays a big part in how I design tattoos and my artwork. Also sculptures and modelers like Philippe Faraut or Lutsenko really push me to add more depth and dynamic. Tattoo wise there are too many to name. I’m a big fan of Ralf Nonnweiler and Megan Jean Morris for the way they put their own identity into their pieces. Any artist who is bringing something new and unique to the table is up there for me!

Can you tell us a little about your own tattoos, do they have to have a meaning?  I’d love to say I’m a collector, but it’s not strictly true! I have a collection, but it’s not the same! My tattoos have been mostly spur of the moment ideas when I’ve been working alongside someone that I admire or in a shop where a couple of us have a spare few hours to fill. I’ve got some crazy ones and some more meaningful ones from back in the music days. I have a Studio Ghibli half sleeve and I suppose that’s the most meaningful so far. Apart from one done by a friend when she was first starting out.

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Do you have any conventions or guest spots planned?  This year and the beginning of next has got a little crazy so far! Ive just done the Brighton and Manchester/Scarborough shows and have Bristol, York, Halloween Bash and Kustom Kulture coming up this year, alongside guest spots all over! It’ll be my first time in Switzerland in October and I’ll also be working with Sandry Riffard in December at his shop in France! I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has got or travelled to get a piece from me and to my little tattoo family including ‘Team Penny Black’ who have really looked out for me!