Tattoo artist Opal (@opal.tattoo) is currently in Vancouver, Canada, where she creates breathtaking landscape tattoos. In this interview, she shares her most memorable tattoo experiences and how they helped shape the artist she has become today…
Opal first fell in love with tattooing at university; “when I was a sophomore in university, I realised that the Visual Design major was not a good fit for me and I started to question what I wanted to do.” She recalls that at that time she “became interested in drawing on the body rather than on paper. ” After that it only took Opal a year before they started to learn how to tattoo under @soltattoo and @tattooist_eq at Studio By Sol.
Now having tattooed for four years, Opal looks back at her humble beginnings, “I started with rubber pads” she says. But her talent shone through, “it was about a month and a half after I started that I began working on clients.”
She reveals how at first she felt apprehensive. “It was really nerve-wracking, and I found it difficult because I didn’t know which needles to use or how to angle the machine.” For Opal, “replicating the design exactly on the body was particularly challenging.” Although she was anxious and learning as she went, Opal took it in her stride and kept going.
We asked Opal about the first tattoo she did on someone else. “It was poetry related. The task was to create a design based on the feelings of a poem.” She admits that, “though it was abstract and challenging, I really enjoyed working on it.”
On discovering her most challenging tattoo, we had to ask about her most memorable tattoo experience. Opals shares how she created a tattoo for her dad. “It was especially memorable because my dad, who hates pain so much that he’s afraid of even getting an injection, got his first tattoo from me.” Smiling, Opal shares how grateful she is to her dad for that moment. It was really special.
Since then, Opal has done hundreds of tattoos, honing her craft to what it is today. With anime, nature and frame styles taking centrestage. She describes how her style has become what it is today. “At first, it was really difficult. If you scroll through my Instagram, you’ll see that I worked with very different designs compared to now. Back then, I was really stressed because of the designs. I didn’t know which designs suited me well.”
It was one of her mentors that helped her find her place in tattooing. “After a year of starting, the manager at Studio By Sol told me that I needed to find out what I really liked.” With this in mind Opal “started writing down everything I liked on a piece of paper. I found out that I love anime and landscape photography. Now, I mainly work with anime and landscape designs.”
When it comes to the inspiration behind her work, it’s her photography that inspires her the most. “I usually take pictures of natural landscapes and my friends.” It’s no surprise then that landscapes feature so heavily in her tattoos. Travel is also a big influence for the tattoo artist. “I often travel with my friends, and whenever I see a beautiful landscape or sunset, it becomes part of my design.”
Those tattooers who have paved the way are also an influence on her work. Although she can’t pinpoint one artist that she admires the most, Opal does “respect people who have dedicated themselves to a field for a long time. Especially in Korea, where tattooing isn’t fully recognised artistically or legally.”
Opal and these other artists are connected by their tenacity to keep going. She explains how she “admires those who continue in this profession without giving up.” Like them, she wants to pursue tattooing for as long as possible.
Currently tattooing in Vacouver, Opal is surrounded by artistic talent. “You can meet artists from many different countries, which allows you to see a wide variety of genres,” she shares.
When it comes to her clients, Opal’s work is evenly split between flash and custom design projects. The artist considers it important to “consistently upload flash designs” giving her clients the chance to wear a unique piece of her work that’s pre-drawn. She explains that “whenever I have time, I try to create and upload as many as possible.”
As Opal loves to tattoo different landscapes, we asked the artist if she has any guest spots planned. “I don’t have any guest spots planned at the moment.” But don’t worry, if you’re not in Vancouver you can keep an eye out for any guest spot announcements on her Instagram @opal.tattoo and inquire by email following the form provided.
Looking to the future and touching upon her Korean heritage, Opal shares how she “hopes tattoos can be perceived more positively by Korean people in the future.” Especially as there are now so many skilled tattooists in Korea. She believes that “Korean tattooing is renowned worldwide.” And yes, she’s proof of that.
Make sure to follow Opal on Instagram for more inspiring tattoos and to grab one of her flash designs for yourself.
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