We adore tattoo conventions: everyone united by their passion under one roof, that buzz of tattoo needles and endless inked skin. We love stopping people to have a chat to find out more about their style and what they love about tattoos. Here’s who we chatted to at Brighton Tattoo Convention a couple of weeks ago…
Photos by Amber Carnegie
Anna Harvey Williams @wonderlander
Job: MUA
Tattoos by Antony Flemming, Kate Selkie, Vicky Morgan
Star sign: Aquarius
“I am at the convention because my tattoo artist Antony has moved to Canada and he is back in the UK for this!”
Lizzie Guy @lizzytotaltattoomag
Job: Editor Total Tattoo
Tattoos by Jon Longstaff and Enzo Barbareschi at Black Dog Norwich and Alex Binnie
“This bag is made from an old bouncy castle, by Wyatt and Jack“
Grace Reed @_gracereed
Job: Tattooer at No Friends Tattoo Club in Brighton
Tattoos by James Grave and Jane Rose
“I had to use my straighteners on my tee this morning because I didn’t have an iron!”
Lydia Amor @lydiaamor_tattoo
Job: Tattooer, Black Market, Leicester
Scorpion tattoo by Vinny Garcia
“I love lamps”
Louise Henesy
Job: photographer and business owner
Tattoo by Valerie Vargas
“Babe Cave started three years ago. I wanted my own little brand as a side hustle.”
Hopefully see you all at some more conventions this year? Let us know which ones you’ll be going to #thingsandink
Here at Things&Ink magazine, conventions are our favourite… like being in a tattoo bubble… we can spend forever searching for artists, and looking at their back catalogue of work. So we’ve compiled this little round-up of some of our favourite artists who are attending the Brighton Tattoo Convention this year, with reasons why we like them. Hopefully we’ll see some of you at the convention, as we will have a stand there all weekend, and you can let us know if you agree with our picks – and crucially who you think we missed…
Kid Kros from Casa Occulta in Split, Croatia @Kidkros “I love his animals, they range from unbelievably cute to downright frightening, but always intriguing and he perfectly captures their latent personalities. His detailing is mesmerising, especially his jewellery inspired pieces and he’s really finding his feet style wise.” Rosie
Rafaela @rafaela2die4 Tattooing at ‘To die for tattoo’ Leverkusen, Germany “Rafaela continues to create beautiful women but with a sadness in their eyes that captures my soul. Her colour palette is divine, a wash with pinks and blues, whose depths reflect the tone of the piece.” Rosie
Alix Ge, France @alixge “I love the way Alix Ge experiments with style and inspiration, including Japanese influences and a more traditional range of colours. Her women are soft with almost plump faces, as if they have been plucked from period dramas, forever suspended in time on someone’s skin. Definitely on my tattoo wish list!” Rosie
“Alix Ge is someone I am saving the top of my arm for (this is a big deal for me, as I used to not want my arms tattooed at all)! I love the romantic expressions on her lady faces and the rosy coloured cheeks she gives them. Her style is really interesting in the way she mixes traditional Japanese with beautiful soft women’s faces who look like they have stepped straight out of a Jane Austen novel!” Keely
Greggletron @greggletron, Scapegoat Tattoo, Portland USA
“He’s just one of the many incredible talents that work out of Scapegoat in Portland (I would get tattooed by all of them). Greggltron uses such a beautiful palette of colours, reds, warm colours that have a wonderful vintage vibe – kind of traditional with his own twist. The girls he creates are stunning and their eyes are hypnotic.” Alice
Danielle Rose, The Illustration Issue cover star and travelling tattoo artist @DanielleRoseTattoo “Danielle Rose was our cover star for ‘The Illustration Issue’ and has become one of the most sought after artists of the last 18 months. I have a Larry David portrait by her from 2013, which is still one of my favourite tattoos. She is particularly well known for her weeping lady faces who have all been characterised into different scenarios – the beekeeper, the punk rocker, even a Marie Antoinette lookalike!” Keely
Big Sleeps, LA @bigsleeps
“The godfather of lettering all the way from Los Angeles… Big Sleeps is your go-to man if you want some bold yet beautifully crafted words!” Keely
Matthew Gordon, Berlin, Germany, @Matthew_Gordon
“Matt is currently working on my butterfly lady backpiece, I love how he creates huge pieces that really work on the body. I was first drawn to his work when I saw the front piece that he did on my friend Celine.” Alice
Miss Juliet, Don’t Tell Mama
“I love her ornate and beautiful style, her work is instantly recognisable and the way she creates shapes from hundreds of small lines is amazing.” Rosie
Araceli 4ever, London UK @araceli_4ever
“I have loved watching Araceli grow into her own style as a tattoo artist. I knew her before she started her apprenticeship and she has really come into her own, and created a style that is just hers. She is super-lovely and a beautiful person too.” Alice
Andrea Furci, Seven Doors, London, UK @andreafurci
“Andrea did one of my first ever tattoos (a cameo on my wrist), I love his bold traditional style.”
Bugs, USA
“I love Bug’s style, it is so artistic and unusual and looks like a fusion of cubism, art deco and classical art. A true artist” Alice
David Corden, Edinburgh, UK
“David Corden is an incredible portrait tattoo artist, the likeness he manages to create is just out of this world.” Alice
Also look out for Things&Ink cover stars – past and present: Brian Wilson, Delphine Noiztoy, (stripped back) Wendy Pham (The Identity Issue), Grace Neutral (The Modification Issue) and Tiny Miss Becca (The Celebration Issue)…
Time to party with two of the tattoo world’s leading ladies, Amy Savage and Tiny Miss Becca
Space Elf Grace Neutral on the cover of issue 6 – which launched at last year’s Brighton Tattoo Convention
Come and see us at our stand at the convention! And find out if our anatomy issue cover star is also tattooing at The Brighton Tattoo Convention 2015… we cannot wait, see you there?
