Tag: blackwork

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“Blackout is definitely a different experience than a ‘normal’ tattoo, it’s no breaks and solid tattooing and saturation. Even people who are heavily tattooed are surprised how different it is,” interview with tattoo artist Teej

From his hometown of Leeds to studying in Sheffield then down to London, where he apprenticed under Henry Hate at Prick Tattoo, tattoo artist Teej’s style of heavy black work has been an evolution on this journey. The next stop took him to Sweden and then the USA, where he now works out of Black Vulture Gallery in Philadelphia. Here he shares details about his traditional apprenticeship, what it’s really like to get solid blackwork, his life over in the USA – and what’s next…

When did you first fall in love with tattoos?

I guess it all started at an early age with the music I listened to and the posters on my walls were of musicians and skateboarders who were tattooed. The aesthetic of being heavily tattooed was something I wanted. It was a sign of rebellion and taking control of your own body and image.

Once I got my first tattoo at the age of 17, I fell in love even harder and knew it was something that was going to take over my life. I just never expected it to happen and lead me to where it has.

You’ve been tattooing for ten years now, what was it like learning?

I graduated from university in Sheffield with my bachelors degree in Product Design. By the time I finished, I knew it wasn’t what I wanted to do with my life. I moved down to London and managed to get into an apprenticeship under Henry Hate at Prick Tattoos in Shoreditch. It was a very traditional apprenticeship, I was the first one in and the last one out every day. Henry was my gatekeeper to the life I dreamt of and the way I learnt his knowledge was to prove myself daily. He taught me how to build and assemble machines, needle making, art history from many styles and how they are relevant to tattooing styles, tattoo composition and the body.

I wasn’t allowed to touch a machine for the first six months, and even when I was, it was just line work. That’s the backbone of every tattoo and I had to see how they healed before shading and colouring. All the fundamentals were covered and I’m eternally grateful for the times and knowledge I learned from him and the life it has given me.

Tattoo artist Teej

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

The heavy blackwork I’m known for was never a conscious choice, it just found me organically. Since early on in my career, I’ve always preferred to use just black ink. From traditional to a more fine line sketch/illustrative style, people knew that I used black, so over the years I got asked to do some blackout sleeves. It wasn’t until five years ago that it really took off, I did a blackout sleeve, posted it, got a couple of bookings for more. It just grew from there.

Blackout sleeve by Teej

Can you tell us about blackout tattoos, what’s the process?

The majority of clients that come for blackout tattoos have older tattoos they want to cover. These can range in styles, some with more trauma, some with colour, scarred lines, multiples layers of work where they have tried to cover another tattoo before, some where they have poor blackout work. So every day is a new challenge, to work with the canvas in front of you and try to create a large field of smooth black.

Blackout is definitely a different experience than a ‘normal’ tattoo, it’s no breaks and solid tattooing and saturation. Even people who are heavily tattooed are surprised how different it is. 

How do you usually work with customers?

Most of my customers come for straight blackouts, but I also design concepts. These give customers a view of how I’d like to work on a body part or full body coverage. They are all ideas that can be adjusted and changed accordingly, whether to incorporate coverups or just to change a pattern or texture. Creating them as a realistic concept in photos gives the client the image as a whole and something they can decide if they want on their body.

Roughly how many sessions do they take? Are there any challenges with this technique?

A full arm is two sessions, which is five to eight hours usually, it all depends on how big the arm is and how much to cover area wise. First session, I do wrist to an inch or two above the elbow, always hit the elbow first session as it’s tough skin and usually needs a quick hit the second session. Legs can be four to five sessions for a straight blackout.

Once you start adding in other elements to the design, it can add more time. It’s always hard to give an exact timescale for projects as many different things like pain tolerance or quality of the tattoos being covered can affect the time it takes.

For an arm, I prefer two sessions. It’s much easier to take as a client, but also less of a physical beating on the body to heal. You have to take each session as it comes and adjust and adapt.

What’s the healing like? Any tips for someone wanting a full black tattoo? 

Always listen to the artist who has done the tattoo. Everyone has a slightly different method, mine was developed over time by trying and changing parts of what other blackwork artists did until I found a method that myself and my clients liked and made it as easy as possible.

Have you seen the demand for blackout tattoos growing?

Yeah it’s definitely grown as a style over the last years, the more people are exposed to it via social media, the more they see it as an option. They usually have older work that they are unhappy with or outgrown but sometimes you get people who are getting the heavy blackwork to start, they love it as a style that they want to wear from the beginning.

Flow tattoo work on Hannes

Do you have a favourite tattoo experience or project you’ve worked on? 

The project that always stands out is my client Hannes who I met during the seven years I was tattooing in Sweden. Hannes came to me with no tattoos and wanted me to transform his body with a flowing blackwork style. We got both arms and his torso completed in Sweden before I moved to Philadelphia. I’m looking forward to continuing when I go back and guest there.

What would you like to do more of? 

I guess it would be to do more large-scale concepts that I’ve designed. I love the straight blackouts, but it’s always more fun to incorporate other elements.

You’ve mentioned guesting, are you planning any guest spots? If so where and how do we book in?

Since moving to Philadelphia last summer, I haven’t had the chance to travel for work yet. I’ve been so busy here that there just hasn’t been a window to organise a guest spot. I do need to get over to the west coast of America, San Francisco has been on my list of places to visit for a long time and I will be guesting at Analogue Tattoo Arts Kollective.

Also next year, I want to get back to Sweden for a guest spot. I still have my clients there and some with ongoing projects that I’d love to get more done on.

What took you to the US? And what are your hopes for the future?

I loved to Philly because Hoode offered me a spot in his studio, we had been friends for a couple years and I told him I was interested to move State side – Sweden will always be ‘home’ for me but I wanted to change my environment and settings and give it a go. So when the best black worker in the world offered me a spot in his studio, I had to jump at the opportunity. You progress by working with others and sharing knowledge and technique and that was something I couldn’t get in Sweden. 

In the coming years, I see myself evolving as a tattoo artist by continually pushing the boundaries of my craft and expanding my knowledge of tattooing techniques and design principles. I’m excited to explore and incorporate new styles, and integrate innovative concepts into my work. 

Make sure to follow Teej (@teejtattoo) on Instagram and check out his website for more tattoos and to book yours.

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

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Cheeky blackwork: Interview with tattoo artist Alice

Tattoo artist Alice (@oneskinnyleg) creates “cool tattoos for cool people” at Sanctuary Body Art in Edinburgh. We caught up with the artist to find out more about her style, inspirations and hopes for the future…

Tattoo artist Alice
Portrait of Alice by @continuous_portrait_project

How long have you been tattooing? 

My first tattoo was October 2021 – so you could say it’s been since then. 

What inspired you to become an artist?

As soon as I started getting tattooed, I knew that’s what I wanted to do. It was a horrible itch I needed to scratch. I knew the remedy was tattooing, but I couldn’t reach the ointment at the back of the bathroom cabinet. You get the idea with this dermal analogy, so I’ll stop there. I got my apprenticeship aged 29 – a bit late to the party, but I normally am anyway. 

What’s your earliest memory of tattoos? Did you want them as a child?

I didn’t think about them much until I was 16, then they were all I thought about. I desperately wanted some Death Cab for Cutie lyrics down my forearm – not just one line, like actual verses.

I also tried to get my fingers tattooed when I was 18. It was in a shop in Yorkshire where I went to school, and it was pretty much just in the living room of a terraced house. I got told to come back when I had more than zero tattoos.  

Can you tell us about your own tattoos and your first tattoo?

My first tattoo was a falcon on the back of my arm. It’s been described as looking like a fish and a cannabis leaf, but never a bird. I wanted it to be as small as possible so this is absolutely my doing. 

Some recent cool stuff by Edinburgh pals Justin Yaroma, Enrique Vega and Sophie Bellingham, all of whom I can’t recommend enough. 

Do you have a favourite tattoo experience?

I had just the most fun with Justin Yaroma. We laughed a lot and I left the studio a better person with a banging tattoo. 

Do you have a background in art or anything creative?

Growing up I worked on my mum’s stables picking up a lot of horse shit. Over the years, I became an expert – my muck-heaps were something of an artform and have been known to make builders cry.

During lockdown I started drawing digitally for the first time, made a bunch of t-shirts which sold alright, and then managed to get an apprenticeship from there. Cheers, furlough! 

How would you describe your work? What drew you to this type of tattooing?

I would describe my work as cheeky blackwork plus cats.  

I was inspired a lot by the work of tattooers Sad Amish & Matt Bailey during the immaculate conception of One Skinny Leg as an art Instagram page. I love the way the artists can express so much movement with lines and solid black – nice bold ideas and bold tattoos.

I was drawn to this type of tattooing as I love the contrast of solid black against the skin. 

Portrait of Alice by @continuous_portrait_project

What do you like to tattoo and what would you like to do more of?

I like to tattoo lady faces, and I would like to tattoo more lady faces. I’m really digging a big bold line at the moment so anything with this I’m super excited to do. Shoutout to my customers who have an awesome range of weird and brilliant ideas – always down for more of these. 

What inspires your pieces and flash?

Things I think are cool get added to the list. Cars are cool. Fire is pretty cool. Cars on fire? Yeah, that makes it. I’ll probably do some cowboy flash –  everyone who’s anyone has wanted to be a cowboy at some point. Christian imagery is iconic too, so a little pinch of that. 

Where do you see yourself and your art in the future?

Looking forward to my first guest spots next year. I’m super happy to be in a warm and welcoming studio – so looking forward to growing and improving within a supportive environment. 

Make sure you follow Alice (@oneskinnyleg) for more fun blackwork tattoos.

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

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Interview with tattoo artist Nicola Asura

Nicola Asura creates surreal blackwork tattoos at Lightbearer Tattoo in Graz, Austria. We chat to the artist to find out more about the process behind his large scale pieces, what inspires his work and future plans…

How long have you been a tattoo artist and how did you get into the industry? I’ve been tattooing for around five years now. I made my first contact with tattooing culture when I got into the post/hardcore music scene 10 years ago. Seeing all those band members covered in ink sparked my interest in tattooing as an art form.

Do you have a background in art? Coming from a very creative family, both my parents were architects, I grew up with a pen in my hand. I always enjoyed doodling on everything I could find, although I would say that there is a big difference in doodling and really mindfully learning how to actually draw.

A year into tattooing (four years ago) I made the decision to see art and drawing as a full time job. I made the move to become the artist I imagined myself to be.

Instead of just doodling mindlessly I made a plan to get better at drawing which included:

  • Choosing a specific topic (birds at that time)
  • Limiting myself to only draw that topic.
  • Learning everything about the topic through books, videos and studying how they move, their anatomy etc.
  • Drawing and sketching mindfully 6-8 hours every day, at least five days a week

Very quickly I started to see progress. Soon I wasn’t only getting better at drawing birds, but also other things, because I grasped the concept of learning how to get better at drawing. For me, this system worked.

Why did you want to become a tattooist? Before I got into tattoos my dream was to become a concept artist for Blizzard (Video Game Company) and draw orcs and other creatures for a living.

When I got into tattooing I realised that there were artists that came up with their own creature designs to decorate the body and naturally I was more drawn to that, than the video game direction.

How would you describe your style of work? Surreal creature elements cast on skin in a bioorganic way so it complements and works well with individual body shapes. Or just blackwork, for the more broader term.

How has your work evolved since you started tattooing? My style, if I can call it that, currently evolves at a very rapid pace. Back when I started out my tattoos were more stiff, stickeresque and bold.

Nowadays the priority of all my design processes is aligning the concept on skin with the body shape to create a certain flow. My work is definitely more fluid and open than a few years ago.

Can you tell us about the process behind your large scale pieces? Every client of mine, when I am not on a guestspot, has to come in for a consultation before we meet for the first tattoo session.

During that consultation the client will tell me their idea, placement and size. Then I know if I am up for the motif and idea, I can tell them how I envision the idea in my head and how that will or won’t work with their idea of placement and size. It’s a very important dialogue that has to be had in person. That way my client and myself, can speak our minds and figure out a baseline for our future project.

After making sure we are on the same page regarding the concept I’ll take pictures of the body part. Either I print out the picture, or trace it with paper from my iPad. I always start out drawing traditionally with graphite and tracing paper which I can have multiple layers of.

Once I have a concept on paper that I feel completely satisfied with I then take a picture and import it into the procreate app. This allows me to very quickly experiment with changing shapes and sizes of certain parts in the drawing.

As I, most of the time, work freehand (no stencil, drawing on skin), I don’t need to make a stencil so having this concept visualised is already more than enough for me to work with. On the day of the tattoo I’ll show my client the rough concept which I then draw on skin, layering it with multiple coloured pens.

This allows me to really work with body lines and shapes making sure I can make the most out of every project with my knowledge at that moment in time.

What’s your favourite subject to tattoo and what would you like to do more of? The themes that I always love to dive into are fantasy, creature design, surrealism and flora / fauna.

Usually I just take something from each theme and mush it into one design concept, it always depends on my client’s idea!

What’s the tattoo scene like where you are? Currently I am located in my hometown Graz, in Austria. There are few contemporary tattoo studios, it is definitely more on the quiet side concerning tattoos compared to other cities.

Do you have any guest spots or travel planned? For now I am quite cosy in my resident studio, maybe some trips to Berlin this year!

Can you tell us about your own tattoo collection? Are you a collector and do you have any future tattoo plans? I did collect a lot of tattoos from artists I admire. Anrijs Straume (UK), Stefan Halbwachs (AT) and Gara (KR) for example. Gerhard Wiesbeck (DE) and I started my bodysuit to cover/blastover lots of older tattoos, so that is still ongoing and takes a lot of time.

What’s been your proudest moment in your career so far? The proudest and best moments are always meeting other likeminded passionate (possibly even obsessed) tattoo artists and delving into tattoo techniques, machines and ways we can shape the body together.

These talks are precious to me as I love to get lost in those topics and have long conversations where our eyes light up as we’re sharing knowledge and learning more from and about each other.

What do you do when you’re not tattooing? Drawing and preparing for tattoos. Also being out in nature with my dog Aslan, bouldering (indoors/outdoors) and playing video games.

Where do you see yourself in five years? Hopefully doing bodysuits. I’d love to work on full body concepts, creating surreal creature landscapes on skin that you can see and make out from further away.

Follow @nicolaasura for more fantasty tattoos and large scale pieces.

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Interview with tattoo artist: Dino

Tattooist @dino_oriental creates striking blackwork tattoos with red constrasts at @10kf_Hollywood in Los Angeles, CA. We chatted to the artist about his recognisable style, journey into the industry and plans for the future…

How long have you been a tattoo artist, how did you get into the industry and why did you want to become one? I have been making tattoos for about eight years. I was a professional Korean soccer player before I became a tattoo artist.

Unfortunately, I had to have six surgeries on my left ankle which meant I couldn’t play soccer any more. I should have had a back up career ready but I found my second career a little later.

I have liked getting tattooed since I was young and my favourite soccer player, who played for Liverpool in the English Premier League, became a tattoo artist. Seeing this I became motivated to emulate his life and career, I then chose a job as a tattoo artist for my second life. So, I studied, watched YouTube videos, searched the internet, bought machines and supplies, and started my second life as a tattoo artist.

How would you describe your style of work? All of my designs are based on the traditional Japanese painting ‘Ukiyo-e’. Many of these traditional paintings resemble and feature legends and historical stories, which is why I get a lot of my inspiration from these traditional paintings.

I also like pictures that have a strong contrast. That’s why I usually use red colour ink to create a strong contrast between the black and red. I try to create a beautiful and strong atmosphere by using brush lines accompanied by many other lines. This helps to create a classic yet sophisticated feeling in my work.

Does your Korean heritage influence your art? I mainly do traditional Japanese style tattoos, but I get a lot of inspiration from Korean history and paintings. Japan and Korea have a similar history. Sometimes I get some of my ideas from traditional Korean paintings and study how the paint works.

When I lived in Korea I visited Korean temples; each temple has various traditional murals and I found inspiration in them. As I said above, most of my designs are based on the traditional Japanese painting Ukiyo-e, but I can also get a lot of inspiration and ideas from Korean heritage.

You typically tattoo in black and red ink, can you tell us more about this? I like art to have astrong contrast. A few years ago I went to the London Tattoo Convention to study the work of other artists. Looking at the body suit contest I spotted one model in particular who was tattooed in a style I liked the most and wanted to create. The tattoo had a very strong contrast, and it was very clear and intense even from a distance.

So, I tried to find a way that I could make this kind of contrast my tattooing style. I wanted to make it beautiful so choose red as I think it’s a beautiful and intense colour. I also like using the red to create a strong contrast, intensity and beauty when it harmonises with black.

What’s your favourite subject to tattoo and what would you like to do more of? I like to tattoo dragons the most. Although sometimes when I tattoo the dragon’s shadow the scales drive me crazy or I feel bored as I have to make hundreds of scales. But the sense of accomplishment and the look of the design is ultimately really cool and beautiful.

Also dragons are interesting to learn about, I like finding different styles of dragons. They’re mythical, legendary animals whose appearance is individual to the East or West or even each artist. I want to make my own style of dragon to feature on murals, bowls, clothes etc.

What’s the tattoo scene like in LA? I’m living a very satisfying life here, making tattoos for now. There are so many artists and special and unique people in LA. As such, there are a lot of tattoo shops, and there are great artists in various tattooing categories. Everyone likes to enjoy the tattooed life, it allows them to express their indivulaity and capture precious moments and things on their bodies.

There are people from different countries here which makes for fun tattoo projects. While talking to them, I learn their country’s culture and I can make tattoos that resemble their meanings for them. A project that starts with new people and people who like my work, always makes me excited and happy.

Do you have any guest spots or travelling planned? My plans start with the Philadelphia Convention in January. I then have plans to tour Asia in March, New York in May and Europe in July and September. I’ll be at conventions and doing guest spots.

I haven’t been able to travel as much as I would have liked, so I’m keen to get travelling again. It’s a good challenge in my career and allows me to create interesting prjects with lots of different people.

Can you tell us about your own tattoo collection? Are you a collector and do you have any future tattoo plans? I have tattoos almost all over my body, but I got most of my tattoos from my tattoo artist friends, my wife and I did some myself. 

My legs have a lot of cover-up tattoos because while I was learning to tattoo I tried various designs on myself. I also have a lot of blackwork on my upper body as I did blackwork style tattoos being I did traditional Japanese tattooing.

I have got a lot of my tattoos from my Korean friends and friends I have met while travelling. They’re all precious to me. In fact, I’ve forgotten the names of some of the tattooers who have tattooed me, but I still like to look at those tattoos and reminisce. I’ll continue to travel round the world and get tattoos from my good friends and artists.

What’s been your proudest moment in your career so far? My happiest and proudest moment was when I won first prize at the Taiwan Tattoo Convention. Amazing artists from all over the world attended and I was very happy that my efforts were rewarded when I won first place in the contest.

Some artists may not like these events, but for me, conventions motivate me and allow me to set goals to move towards. Looking at the works of countless great artists helps me see the differences between our works. I find my shortcomings, get ideas and things to try in my next tattoo. I feel like I can gradually find my own style.

What do you do when you’re not tattooing? When I don’t get tattoos, I enjoy doing things that inspire me or exercising. I play golf, go mountain climbing or exhibitions with my wife. I also like to talk with her and organise my thoughts. Because she’s also a tattoo artist, we understand each other, give advice, and have many conversations and hobbies together.

Also, due to the nature of my job, I have to sit down and work for a long time, so exercise is essential to me and it gives me a lot of energy. I am always organising my thoughts and making plans so that I can move forward with my goals.

Where do you see yourself in five years? I’ll probably have my own shop in LA and keep working on tattoos. I want to collaborate with the artists that I like and respect not just tattooing but other artistic outlets. My small goal is to not stop moving forward, not just in tattooing but in language studios and painting. I want to keep attending conventions and travelling the world. I’m sure in five years time I will be more developed and mature in all my abilities.

Follow @dino_oriental for more incredible tattoos and travel plans.

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Tattoo artist interview: Bazhen Nikitin

Bazhen Nikitin, creates medieval inspired etching tattoos in Ufa city in Russia. We chat to the tattooist about his style, journey into the tattoo world and flash designs…

How long have you been tattooing and how did you get started in the industry? I have been tattooing for eight years. When I was 18, I got my first tattoo and I instantly fell in love with it.

After that I chose to pursue a career in tattooing and I began to study how to tattoo. Around a year later after lots of learning and practice I completed my first tattoo. I haven’t stopped tattooing since then.

What inspired you to become an artist? Do you have a background in art? I have always enjoyed drawing, and I began consistently drawing when I was 13 years old. I used to like drawing anything and everything, and could spend hours doing it. After completing high school, I enrolled at a design university, where I studied for about two years.

At the same time I was really enjoying my job as a tattoo artist, it exceeded my expectations. Tattooing was already providing me with a substantial income, so I dropped out of college to focus on my profession.

What inspires your designs? I am very obsessed with old medieval engravings and etchings. Many of them look a bit odd, even so I find them to be rather beautiful.

What do you like to tattoo and what would you like to do more of? I enjoy creating unique-looking creatures of my own design. I have developed my own style of tattooing. There is nothing else I would like to do more of, as I am already exclusively working on my own projects.

I want to feel unrestrained when I am developing new designs, so I don’t do custom designs because they consume my creativity. All of my customers just choose from designs inspired by my own creativity.

Can you tell us about the process behind your tattoos? Everything is based primarily on the design. Discussing details with the client is, in my opinion, the most critical step in designing and applying body art. Then, it is essential to set up the station so that both I and my client are comfortable during the potentially lengthy session. I have my own way of arranging my station so that everything is easily accessible. After the tattoo is completed, I clean it, take pictures and apply aftercare.

How do you see your tattoos evolving in the future? Artists with distinctive styles will be in high demand and personal branding will undoubtedly be a major trend in the world of tattooing. People will seek out tattoo artists whose style is distinguishable and recognisable.

I have already accomplished a great deal in this industry due to my unique style and my large customer base, so, I feel confident in my future as a tattoo artist.

What was your first tattoo and do you still like it? How has your tattoo collection grown since then? My very first tattoo was a flash design created by a local artist. I can’t say I enjoy looking at it, but I have no regrets regarding the tattoos I have.

Now that I know many outstanding tattoo artists from all over the world, I get tattooed by them. The majority of my body is already covered in tattoos, but I don’t think I’ll stop until I’m completely covered.

Where has been your favourite place to travel and tattoo? I frequently visit Saint Petersburg. It is a truly special city populated by a large number of open-minded individuals who make it a joy to collaborate with on a daily basis.

Do you have any travels or guest spots planned? In the past five years, I have spent a significant amount of time traveling to various locations and tattooing. I appreciate working with individuals from other countries, but at this stage in my life, I want to settle down for a while and have greater stability.

Therefore, I currently have no guest spots planned. In the future, I may continue traveling and working as a guesting tattoo artist because I do enjoy it.

What’s the tattoo scene like where you are? When I first began tattooing eight years ago, it was significantly worse than it is now. In my hometown at the time, there were only three well-known tattoo artists, so the options were limited. Starting out as a tattoo artist was filled with many challenges. Nevertheless, I did not give up.

I’ve traveled to various places and countries, and I communicate and exchange tattooing techniques with numerous renowned tattoo artists. I became more powerful and excellent as a result of mastering a variety of tattoo techniques and incorporating great tattoo elements into my design.

Now that I have extensive tattooing experience, I am a well-known and recognised tattoo artist in my country. I’ve also seen that each year, a growing number of new tattoo artists choose this profession. I am delighted by the expansion of the tattoo industry and I am willing to impart my expertise of tattoos to future generations. I’ve taught numerous apprentices in the tattoo industry, it’s a fantastic opportunity to grow and improve the tattoo industry.

What do you do when you’re not tattooing/drawing? I spend most of my time drawing and tattooing, but in my free time I enjoy walking through nearby parks. This refreshes and inspires me.

What moment in your career are you most proud of? I am proud of how I’ve developed my own distinct style. I believe that an exceptional tattoo artist is able to maintain his or her unique style. I’m delighted that so many people appreciate my style and seek me out for tattoos. I am also very pleased to be tattooing only the patterns and designs that I am willing to create.

I was invited to take part in ArtStation II International 2021 as one of the tattoo masters in 2021. It was and is a worldwide interactive exhibition in which many renowned tattoo artists and professionals from countries such as Russia, the United States, and Europe, among others, participated. To reach this stage in my career has required great dedication and effort.

Follow Bazhen Nikitin for more etched creatures and tattoos.