Blackwork tattoos Archives

October 13, 2024October 13, 2024

“Tattoos leave an imprint on everyone – whether good or bad. I thought this was so interesting, and I guess I got hooked,” interview with tattoo artist Edvin Tedebring

Tattoo artist Edvin Tedebring (@e.tedebring) has been tattooing for seven years and now works at Dropout in Copenhagen. Back when he first started, he thought about giving up, but his wife encouraged him to keep going – and we’re so glad he did. His work is monochrome with a beautiful ethereal quality to it and his tattoos are a collaboration with each tattoo collector. He takes us back on his journey to discover how his style has become what it is today…

When and why did you first fall in love with tattoos?

I honestly think my love for tattoos was always there. I found tattoos fascinating and intriguing – even as a kid. Tattoos seemed to leave an imprint on everyone, whether good or bad. I thought this was so interesting, and I guess I got hooked.

The interest in making it a career probably started out when Miami Ink was popular on TV. My drawings started becoming influenced by tattoo designs I saw. I pretty much made up my mind that I would make this a career, even though my designs were absolutely terrible at the time.

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

I have been tattooing for seven years now. When I started out, I did an apprenticeship in the north of Sweden, where I am from. I remember the first time I tattooed synthetic skin, and I came home to my girlfriend, now wife, and told her this is not for me. I thought I was so bad that I would never manage to ever learn, so I’d better just quit immediately. Luckily for me, she pushed me to continue and she has kept on pushing me since the first day in this career. If it was not for her, I don’t think I would be where I am today.

With that said, it was tough in the beginning. I kept developing slowly but steadily and I worked really hard to make this a serious career. I am glad I didn’t give up, even though I considered it several times.

How did you develop your style to what it is today? What draws you to using just one colour?

When I started out I was drawn to gothic and horror themed tattoos. At the time, I thought that was what I wanted to keep doing. But as I progressed, I felt like a copy of a copy, and the horror motives felt so generic and repetitive. I needed to do something different.

I started adding abstract elements such as splatters and sketchy lines to my designs, to make them into something different. This led to me going more and more abstract and away from the gothic styles towards more peaceful and calm motives. That is where I essentially found myself, and that is where I am now. I am still developing ,of course, but I do believe I will be within this realm of style for a long time – if not the rest of my career.

I only use black and grey because I never personally liked colours. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate some great colour work out there, but it was never something I wanted to either make or wear myself. How I think in terms of design is simply monochrome.

Your tattoos have an ethereal artistic quality to them. Do you consider yourself an artist, first and foremost?

It is interesting that you should ask that. I actually consider myself a designer rather than an artist. Before I got into tattooing I did a bachelor’s degree in Digital Media Production; where graphic design, UX / UI design, communication and photography were some of my favorite focuses.

With that in mind, I make great use of my eye for design and knowledge from my education in my tattoo work. I combine my graphic design skills and abstract artistic side to create my work. I don’t have any training in fine arts or such, and therefore I just consider myself a designer and a tattoo artist.

How do you usually work with customers? Is the process a collaboration?

All my work is custom, based on the communication with my collectors. Normally we will exchange ideas and thoughts and then I will make my design and present it to them on the day we meet for the session. Sometimes I draw the design freely on the skin, in which case I first sit down with my collector looking at inspiration from my previous work, to get an idea of what they want.

I sometimes make design concepts I want to do and post them as available, but I do that less and less now, as I prefer custom work.

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

I do love to travel, yes. Part of why I like this career is due to the travelling and the opportunities that it creates. My next trip will be to London, where I have been many times before. I enjoy that city a lot.

Which artists do you admire and why?

I like a lot of different artists, both within tattooing and other forms. I have had the pleasure of meeting a lot of fantastic tattoo artists over the years, and they each leave something that I take with me. Whether technical skill, entrepreneurial skill or anything else. I admire any artists who stay true to themselves and their vision.

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

This year I did a lot of guest spots and the last one will be London in November. I will be guesting at EXP Haus / 10a Collective. Then I will go to Berlin in January. It’s all booked up already, but normally I take requests through my website etedebring.com.

What are your hopes for the future?

I always have a lot of big hopes and plans for my own journey, but I keep them quiet until I’ve made progress worth sharing.

As for the tattoo world, I hope we all can embrace the new era of tattooing and stop with the gatekeeping and negative attitudes. Tattooing is part of the creator economy, and everyone has to adapt if they want to remain in the game. That means working as an entrepreneur and an artist. The tattoo industry has never been better, in my opinion. It holds endless opportunities for the ones who are willing and hungry.

Make sure to follow Edvin (@e.tedebring) 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.

October 8, 2024October 8, 2024

“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.

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.

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.

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.

July 31, 2024September 7, 2024

“When I first started tattooing, the stress was so intense that I couldn’t sleep properly two days before an appointment,” interview with tattoo artist, Kim Hoon

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

When did you first fall in love with tattoos?

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

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

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

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

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

How long have you been tattooing for?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Which artists do you admire and why?

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

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

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

Do you draw your designs straight on to the body?

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

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

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

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

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

What are your hopes for the future?

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

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

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

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

December 30, 2023January 11, 2024

“I like to be quite free and experimental with my artwork” – interview with tattoo artist Meg Roberts

Tattoo artist Meg Roberts (@meg.the.cyclopz_) creates blackwork and dotwork tattoos at The Drawing Room in Coventry. We chatted to Meg about her style, her love of cats and the reason she fell in love with tattooing…

How long have you been tattooing?

I’ve been tattooing for four years now. Two of which were my tattoo apprenticeship.

What made you want to become a tattoo artist?

I’ve wanted to become a tattoo artist since I was five years old. I always had a strong passion for art and was fascinated by people who were heavily tattooed – I thought they looked so much cooler than the average person… Also I only had one family member who had any tattoos and that was my grandad who was a massive influence in my younger life.

He sadly passed away when I was seven and since then I’ve wanted to make him proud doing something that I love.

Can you remember the first tattoo you ever did?

I’ll never forget the first tattoo because it’s on me! It’s a little trad-style flower on my ankle.

It’s definitely not the best but I’ll always keep it to remember where I came from – no matter where I go in my career.

How would you define your style? How has this changed since you started?

My style is very much a mixture of blackwork and dotwork. I like making things quite detailed and illustrative but I’m heavily influenced by traditional art work, too. My style doesn’t fall into the traditional category at all though – it’s cute but also has gothic hints, which is very fitting with my personality.

I originally thought I would be a traditional artist, but the traditional style has too many rules to follow and I like to be quite free and experimental.

What do you love to draw and tattoo?

My favourite thing to draw has got to be animals – epecially cats. I’m a massive cat lover but I love drawing literally any animal because they have such amazing features. I also enjoy drawing eyes and faces because every one is so unique – which creates great artwork.

What would you like to do more of?

One thing I definitely want to do more of is cathedral buildings. I did some recently and thoroughly enjoyed them. I think they’re very fitting with my gothic style, too – I can really bring out my creative side in those sorts of designs.

Have you seen any trends in the themes you’re tattooing?

I always get asked for completely different things all the time, which I love because it always keeps it interesting for me. But there are definitely popular trends in tattooing at the moment: angel numbers, cherubs, dragons and even tribal has made a massive comeback.

What was your first tattoo?

My first tattoo was a classic rose on my forearm. I had it done on my 18th birthday because I just couldn’t wait any longer. It’s probably not something I would get done now but I still love the tattoo because of the memories attached to it.

Do you have a favourite tattoo experience?

My favourite tattoo experience was probably getting my first one because of how long I’d waited and the build-up to it. I was so excited yet so nervous, but once it started and I realised it was nowhere near as painful as I thought I was completely fine and just wanted more. I ended up booking back in two weeks later.

Where can people find you and how can clients get in touch with you?

I’m based at The Drawing Room in Fargo Village in Coventry in the UK. It’s an absolute delight working there with some lovely talented artists who have helped me grow both as an artist and as a person. The best way to get in contact with me is through Instagram.

Any future plans you’d like to tell us about?

My future plans include doing some more guest spots around the country and maybe other countries when I’m brave enough. I’d also love to do a convention next year because I’ve never done one before and would love to see what it’s all about.

Make sure you follow @meg.the.cyclopz_ for more blackwork tattoos.

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

April 11, 2023April 11, 2023

Interview with tattoo artist Bongjin Jeon

Bongjin Jeon (he/him) creates bold black work tattoos at Tenderfoot Studio at 199 Cook St #103, Brooklyn, New York 11206. We chat to the tattooer about his journey into the tattoo world, art style and proudest moments…

Black flower tattoo — Tattoo artist Bongjin Jeon

How long have you been tattooing and how did you get started in the industry? I’ve been tattooing for around one and a half years. I’ve always been into tattooing since I was young.

During the pandemic, I approached my favourite tattoo artist and asked if he could be my tutor – he accepted and that was when everything started.

How has your experience of the tattoo industry been so far? Are there any moments or stories that stand out? It’s been great so far honestly. It’s been better than I expected and I’ve not regretted it.

A moment that shocked me the most was when the boss of this huge tattoo shop in our shop’s neighborhood wanted to get a tattoo from me even though I was in an early phase of tattooing. It was a big compliment for me – it convinced me that I’m doing the right thing in the right way!

What inspired you to become an artist? Do you have a background in art? Frankly, I wasn’t into ‘art’ when I was child. I was more of an athletic student. But at the same time, I was interested in something distinctly different in many areas like comics, music, doodles and of course tattoos.

Then I realised I liked fun, goofy and creative tattoos the most. After realising that, I went to art school and learnt how to draw, craftmanship and how to market myself – all of these have been the root of my career.

What’s your first memory of tattoos? My first memory, always cracks me up. I did the tattoo on an old friend after learning to tattoo from my tutor. It was lettering on the clavicle so I had to stand up leaning forward all the way during the whole session. Of course I had practiced on fake skin before that day but still, it was somewhat overwhelming and a lot. Fortunately my tutor was with us so everything was under control. It was a pretty chill and fun time; my friend and I still laugh about that day.

How would you describe your style? My tattooing style is called black work with bold outlines. It’s from solid black to zero for strong contrast. This strong contrast makes tattoos alive and also surreal at the same time. It feels like these tattoos are about to jump or move around and I love that.

What inspires your designs? I always find fun in the paradox and unusual, especially when two different things or styles are put together, like serious and dark drawing styles with silly subjects like a Pikachu.

What are your biggest artistic influences? One of the biggest is from the movies. I draw movie scenes and characters sometimes but also just get influenced by the mood of a movie whether that’s the emotions or sense of humour of it. I mainly take inspiration from comedy movies, like Step Brothers, 21 Jump Streets, The Office, The Hangover…

Another influence is nature. I’m obsessed with going to parks and I get ideas for flash tattoos by watching animals and plants there.

What do you like to tattoo and what would you like to do more of? My tattoo style itself with bold lines is fit for something strong, solid and that stands out. And I believe there’s a charm to these strong subjects being funny and silly with a small twist. So far, my works have been 50/50 serious themes and funny themes. I’d love to work on these silly goofy tattoos with bold lines more by collaborating with clients who have similar tastes with me.

How do you see your tattoos evolving in the future? I’m thinking about adding other line thicknesses, especially thinner lines for more abundant details depending on designs and sizes. I also may start putting some colours in depending on themes.

What was your first tattoo? To be honest, I don’t have any tattoos myself so far. I know some people in this industry will disagree and hate this, but I can take it. In my opinion, having zero tattoos and a bare body is also one kind of body design in the tattoo sense. Not having any can stand for having a cool one.

Where’s been your favourite place to travel and tattoo? I would say New York is a pretty decent city for a tattoo trip. New York is one of the cities that has the most old and also new tattoo artists and shops in the world in smaller areas compared to other big cities. This means each tattoo artist has gotta be competitive. In terms of the city itself, I think New York gets underestimated like people saying New York is overrated.

Another city I’d love to travel to is Madrid. I want to experience working in another atmosphere with New York like weather, people and buildings.

What’s the tattoo scene like where you are? I’m working in Bushwick, Brooklyn. I’d say Bushwick is pretty vibey and has a good atmosphere with fancy bars and restaurants but also calm to walk around at the same time. That’s my favourite part.

Most shops in Brooklyn are new and young so you can find new styles of tattoos easily in this town. Tattoo artists are also young and usually chill. Come through, we won’t bite!

What do you do when you’re not tattooing/drawing? Besides tattooing, I play soccer and tennis for my back and wrist pain from tattooing. Or I love to go to big and small parks in my neighbourhood and lie down. I always say the best part of New York is parks.

What moment in your career are you most proud of? When clients come back and get a tattoo from me again. It always feels like a big credit and I’m so happy about it. And also lots of my tattoo flash designs are designed as patch works. So if a client gets another tattoo or even more from me, it would look better together. This makes me proud and increases my happiness.

Make sure to follow Bongjin Jeon (@telephonepole2) on Insta for more bold tattoos.

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