Tag: Fine line tattoo

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“It’s hard to split my style from my personality – I’m very delicate in my personal life and work,” interview with tattoo artist Yoshi

Tattoo artist Yoshi (@yoshi_tattooer) works at Third Eye Studio in Busan, Korea. We sat down with the artist to talk openly and super-honestly about what inspired their journey into the tattoo world, their work and hopes for the future…

How long have you been tattooing? And what first made you fall in love with tattoos?

I’ve been tattooing for 14 years. My first tattoo was a memorial as I wanted to keep a memory forever. I was born in Japan and my parents are Japanese and Korean. But, sadly, my father passed away when I was one year old. After that, my mom changed my citizenship to Korean, and I grew up in Korea.

I am Korean, but I have always wanted to find the roots of my family in Japan. It was when I met my grandma and family in Japan that I decided to get my first tattoo. It was this experience that made me fall in love with tattooing. The tattoo makes me remember who I am, it makes me stronger. I now have a lot of extremely meaningful tattoos, so I don’t forget those special things.

Can you tell us more about your tattoos?

The first one that I’ve mentioned is very precious to me. It’s the dates of both of my parents’ deaths, and they are on both ankles. I have Japanese kanji for my father and Korean hangeul for my mom.

What made you want to become a tattoo artist?

If I’m being honest, the financial aspect of tattooing made me want to become a tattoo artist. We all need money to keep going in our lives. If we don’t have parents to help us start out, we’re forced into the ‘hard mode’ of life.

I dropped out of university and had to find what I liked to do, what I could do very well and how to make good money. My major was fine art, so with that background, I just needed to learn the technique of tattooing. I already knew how to make designs, so I needed to start tattooing. It was perfect for me.

What was the first tattoo you did on someone else? Were you nervous?

For my first tattoo, I was very brave! I did a complicated pattern in a three centimetre clover shape. I did this with a coil machine with a 1203 round liner. I wasn’t too nervous, just a little bit, because I did the tattoo on my best friend. I knew I could always do a cover-up later on, if we needed.

How would you describe your style?

It’s hard to split my style from my personality, as I am very delicate in my personal life and work. My style also comes from way back when I was at middle school, when I would do a lot of drawing with pencils and fine pens. Back in 2010, when I learnt to tattoo, I mainly did traditional tattooing, although my art has always been in a fine-line style.

When I started experimenting with fine-line art in my work, everyone around me told me it wasn’t a real tattoo.

It wasn’t the way to do things. So I did traditional style tattoos until 2022, I do still enjoy this type of tattooing but fine line is more me.

I remember when I first tried to do a fine-line tattoo for a walk-in client – it was so much fun. I realised I was actually very good at delicate styles. I remembered how I used to draw in this way with pencils. So from then on, tattooing and my art just clicked, I began to make delicate line tattoos in my style. I now tattoo what I love.

You tattoo a lot of eyes, what is it about them that makes you want to draw and tattoo them?

I like the Korean proverb: ‘the eyes are the window to the soul’. Our eyes can see a lot of things in others – including emotions like fear, anger, sadness, hate, contempt, disgust.

Eyes don’t lie. I also just really like drawing eyes.

What inspires you? And do you have any artists you admire?

I admire any artist who does their own custom work, especially those who can make their own original designs.

How do you like to work with customers? Is it mostly custom work or flash too?

It’s 95% custom work, which I love! I often post a design idea that I have, and a client can fill in a form to claim this piece.

How can clients book in with you?

These days all clients can get in touch with me by sending me a DM on Instagram @yoshi_tattooer.

Do you have any guest spots planned?

Yes, I will be in London at Princelet Tattoo on June 15th-30th, then I will be in Japan. I’m going to Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto before I will move on to LA.

Where would you most like to travel to?

Space?! Tattoos for aliens! Just kidding, but I would really like to go to America. I really loved my time in Amsterdam. I worked at the Amsterdam Tattoo Convention and there was a lot of talented artists there.

What’s been your proudest moment so far?

For 12 years I worked as a tattooist that not many people knew. But then with Instagram, I started to make a name for myself. I tattooed many people and gained a lot of likes on Instagram. Tattooers even began to copy my designs! 2022 is a year I won’t ever forget, when I really found myself and style. From then on I pushed myself to be the best I can be and do the best work I can.

What’s next?

I plan to move to the States, so see you in there soon hopefully!

Make sure to follow Yoshi on Instagram for updates on guest spots and travels.

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

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“Working on sugar-paste and soft skin feels sort of the same – and a moving person is similar to a spongey stacked cake!” from cake maker to tattoo artist, interview with Laura Raña

From cake decorator to tattoo artist, Laura Raña (@lifeininklr) runs a private, eco-friendly, vegan and woman-led studio and she holds the honour of “Surrey’s best tattoo studio 2023”.

She was a cake artist for 16 years – and she used to teach and write columns for magazines – so Laura came to tattooing late, but her passion shines through. Here she chats all things cakes, tattoos and creating a welcoming studio for all to enjoy. Make a cuppa and settle in for the ride…

Before you became a tattoo artist, you were a cake artist, what inspired you to make that change?

After spending 16 years juggling life as a mum of two daughters (Bella now 16 and Eva 14 ) and being a cake artist, I felt like I had achieved everything that I wanted in the cake world. I was 35 and I wanted to use my artistic flare and creativity for something that wouldn’t  get stuffed down the throats of my customers week after week.

After spending so much time perfecting colour blending, modelling and painting on tiers of delicious sponges, I began thinking how I could transfer the skills I’d learnt. I wanted to create something that would last forever and not just briefly as brightly coloured crumbs on the side of people’s mouths.

Tattooing had always been something I was fascinated with. My grandad, who was an antiques dealer in the 50s until the 80s, was covered head to toe – back then, it was very taboo and frowned upon in his industry. I used to glare at the naked ladies and dragons strewn across his back, chest, arms and legs. He was six foot five, both tall and wide, his art work made quite an impression on me as a keen young creative artist in the making. He would definitely be one of my inspirations. 

Tell us about your journey to becoming a tattooer…

I started slowly getting covered in tattoos at the very illegal age of 14. I would walk past the only tattoo studio in my town, hoping they wouldn’t notice me in my school uniform. Then when it came to holidays or weekends, I’d try to dress older and strut into the studio beaming with anxious confidence to keep topping up my ink collection. This was when my interest was sparked.

Skip forwards 21 years and after ignoring the narrow-minded warnings from everyone (including my parents) that it was a dangerous industry to get involved in, I began my search for a studio that wouldn’t laugh in my face. 

That was the hardest thing – starting a new career at 35. I’m a strong-headed person, so  I kept knocking on doors, in the hope someone – anyone – would see my passion. Rejection came thick and fast, but I found a studio, eventually.

Apprentices make zero money, well at least I did. I had lots of people offering their skin but trying to throw myself into this amazing new career was not financially viable. So I’d work four days at the studio, then balance part-time work and cake making around that.

What was it like being a cake maker? And how does it compare to tattooing?

I adored my career as a cake artist, what a dream to have a career in the cake industry. I actually entered Kirsty Allsop’s Handmade Christmas TV show by making a fully decorated Christmas cake in under four hours – I ended up winning. It blew up my career and I began making celebration and wedding cakes, and that led me to teaching. Then I opened my own cake studio – I even had my own little cake column in a magazine. I felt just like Carrie Bradshaw. I began entering cake competitions and I’m very proud to have many gold awards. I was even cast for Extreme Cake Makers on TV. I specialised in chocolate modelling, airbrushing and then painting on cakes – all things I brought through to my tattoo career.

Cake and tattoos although very different, there are some elements that feel similar. The use of colour and blending work is the same in tattooing. Working on soft sugar-paste and soft skin feels the same too. Also a moving person is similar to a spongey stacked cake! It could move at any time…

Can you tell us about your studio?

Everyone is welcome in my little private studio. It’s nestled among the bamboo trees in my back garden. It’s a comfortable, cosy, funky little safe space where no one should feel intimidated. I created a studio I would be comfortable being tattooed in, as I think the more at ease you are, the better the whole experience will be.

Tell us about the award your studio won…

Having spent seven years building up my (very) little business, I was stunned to be nominated for England’s Business Awards in 2023. I was even more taken back when I won the title of “Surrey’s best tattoo studio”.

I’ve never claimed to be the most sought after artist – and there are thousands of artists around Surrey that are phenomenal – but these awards are about your art and your business. So that includes reviews and customer service, amongst other things. I was even mystery shopped so they could see the kind of service I offer, how I dealt with my client and the overall experience.

My little framed award sits proudly in the studio where all can see.

How would you describe your style, what do you like to tattoo?

My style isn’t just one thing. Tattooing different styles and using different techniques allows me to broaden my work to appeal to a larger client base. I know it’s probably frowned upon in the industry, but I did the same with my cakes.

Learning different things is beneficial for a successful business and it enables me to become a better artist. I don’t want to pigeon-hole myself to just one thing. I don’t want to wake up one morning and be bored of the same old stuff. So, for me personally, variety is most definitely the spice of life.

How do you work with clients, what’s your tattoo process?

I find the industry has changed from years ago when you’d walk into a studio covered wall-to-wall in flash designs and people choose “number 10”. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, but now with Pinterest and social media, people find ideas they like and perhaps want to combine a few ideas together. That’s where I come in, to create a design that fits their brief.

My focus is to ensure my clients are well informed, feel heard and understood and happy with their tattoo.

Is there anything you’d love to tattoo?

My “wannados” are based around pop art – bright, bold, almost comic sketches. It’s timeless art that stands out and looks super cool. But I feel like there isn’t much of a place for that as many clients want super fine line delicate pieces. I’d love to continue to tattoo thick lined patterns that are edgy and look amazing on everyone. 

Any guest spots or travel plans?

I’m going to start guesting at a few studios towards the end of this year to get myself out there and socialise with other artists. I might attend a few conventions too.

Follow Laura on Instagram for more tattoos and updates on guest spots.

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

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Interview with tattoo artist Gigi

Tattoo artist Gigi (Heaji Choi) tattoos beautiful fine line tattoos from Monday Island, Seoul, South Korea. We love her one-liner tattoos and chatted to the artist about her style, journey into the tattoo world and inspirations…

How long have you been a tattoo artist? 

I started tattooing in 2020, so three years now.

How did you become a tattoo artist?

I happened to see a video on YouTube where Doy, a Korean tattooist, was being interviewed about his job and life as a tattooer. Afterwards I did loads of research, searching for more information around this career. I thought it looked like an interesting career and so I began learning to tattoo.

What made you want to become one? 

The act of leaving a meaningful and long-lasting piece of art on a person’s body was an attractive concept to me, it still is. That’s why I have always been respectful of tattooing and responsible.

What’s the best thing about your job? 

I think meeting different people is the best thing. It is a wonderful and enjoyable experience when I meet not only Koreans but also guests from other countries

How would you describe your work?

I find the characteristics of a subject be it an object or person and express these using a flow of lines.

How do you do your one-line tattoos? 

Sometimes the lines are quite complicated and the area and size of the tattoo is small, so I can’t exactly see the lines when I place a stencil. If I draw a line wrong even once, the drawing and tattoo might look a bit different. So I am often checking the design and tattoo while I work on it.

What inspires your designs? 

I like to take a walk and listen to music. It seems I am inspired by seeing and feeling nature, observing objects and animals around me. Of course, I try to get inspiration by going to art galleries and exhibitions as well.

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

I like to make tattoos of nature, natural subjects and animals. This is what I usually do now, and I want to work on various topics in the future.

Do you have tattoos? Can you tell us about them? 

I have a few small tattoos. Most of them are flowers and animals. I got some of them because they were made by my favourite artists, and I got some because I happened to see the design and I liked it so much. I love my tattoos so much!

What do you do when you’re not tattooing? 

I like to do yoga. At first, I started doing it just for the physical benefit because I work a lot. But the more I did it, it seemed to help me mentally too, so it suits me really well. 

What’s been your proudest career moment?

There’s one client I remember. She got a very meaningful phrase and image on her wrist. It was her first tattoo. She couldn’t take her eyes off it for a while after getting it tattooe. She was very moved and started crying, saying thank me so much.

That’s when I felt once again that this kind of work really does provide a really meaningful moment for people. Since then, I have become more serious about my work – I’m very proud to have this job.

Follow @gigi_tattooer for more adorable tattoos.

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

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Interview with tattoo artist Swani

Tattooist Swani (@swanissober) tattoos at @mizangwon in Seoul, South Korea. We chatted to the artist about his impresive tattoo collection, one tone tattoos and where he draws his inspiration…

How long have you been a tattoo artist and how did you get into the industry? I’ve been tattooing since 2015. I studied at a french art school until 2014, then I decided to go back to Korea to learn the tattooing techniques there. I asked a studio if they could teach and they did, I started learning the skills I needed to tattoo.

The first four years were a very difficult time, but now there are customers who want my tattoos and I think I’m completely indulged in this industry.

Do you have a background in art? My background is in ceramics and patterns as well as oreintal painting. It’s important to know about my background for my art but it’s more important that I studied the basics to develop my own style and perception.

What inspires you? I’m more inspired by the colour combination of real ceramic patterns than by any painting or photograph. I also like tile art and my favorite artist is Owen Jones. In fact, I get a lot of inspiration from real life objects rather than just getting inspiration from pictures.

I often refer to oriental paintings of the past and try to get more inspiration from traditional art rather than modern art. Saying that I’m trying not to get too swept away by the typical representatives of Asian cultures, like Chinese and Japanese art, because I identity as a Korean national. 

Why did you want to become a tattooist? In my early 20s, I went to art school in France. It was during that time that I started to get interested in tattoo culture.

There are so many methods to express art. Among the many ways to express art, I was very interested in how art could be expressed on our skin. 

But, also I was very attracted to the fact that it can be alive and also perish with the person. If I get to see my own art somewhere on someone again someday then I will feel such an indescribable feeling – it’s why I started tattooing.

How would you describe your style of work? Personally I wouldn’t say that what I’m doing right now is my definite style. I’m just a tattooist who’s inspired by and uses oriental styles as my material to create my own art pieces, because they’re beautiful to me.

Being inspired by this art form got me thinking about putting blue patterns onto skin, just like those asian ceramic pieces. When I was starting to use blue ink, some of my customers were a bit afraid to get them all in blue, because it wasn’t the standard for oriental tattoos. 

Currently, I’m thinking a lot and studying how I can express this art style in my own way and I want to work on bigger pieces with larger scales. 

Has your work evolved since you started tattooing? I’ve tried so many tattoo genres, at one point I thought it was important to only do what I liked and I could design myself. So, I thought long and hard about what I liked, and when I found it, I’m able to express my identity through it. I studied ceramics at college and I want to get deeper into this area at the moment and incorporate it into my tattoos.

In terms of tattoo skills, I have been using the basic skills and techniques I’ve learnt in my career so far. However, I want to create more colour combinations and use skills that can show more of my potential and creativity.

What attracted you to creating tattoos in one colour? Actually, I don’t think tattoos are beautiful if the colour combination feels wrong. So I started using blue tones because my art is based on ceramic arts and sometimes I think one tone gives more of a clean and better look. But I want to continue to create more of my own colour combinations.

Can you tell us about the process behind your pieces? First of all, I usually work with a custom design. In some cases, customers bring me designs, but usually I change the design to fit with my own style while maintaining the original design that they requested. 

If the sessions are too long and there will be too many, I think I get tired and the customers tend to get tired too. Therefore, in the case of large pieces I try to shorten the sessions as much as possible and have them on different days.

Usually, the design is prepared before we begin the tattoo session. But, sometimes it is fun and spontaneous both for me and the customer to suddenly change it or add extra details. 

What’s your favourite subject to tattoo and what would you like to do more of? I like to tattoo things that present balance in an artistic form and I like things that are symmetrical. Sometimes clients come to me with  good ideas that I didn’t even think of before which I love.

In addition to these predetermined materials, I like to draw oriental style women. I also like to paint especially when it’s not for a tattoo design.

What’s the tattoo scene like where you are? This is a very sensitive subject, as there are no laws about tattoos in Korea. So, we are virtually unemployed. In fact, there aren’t many problems these days, but I am always anxious because I work without any legal protection.

I hope that Korea will legalise tattoos and appreciate the art form as soon as possible.

Do you have any guest spots or travel planned? This year I’m going to work in Paris and London for a while. I have good friends who I met while working as there and I plan to visit them regularly.

Can you tell us about your own tattoo collection? Are you a collector and do you have any future tattoo plans? Actually, I really like getting tattoos and I have a lot of tattoos on my body. It’s hard to mention all of them, but some of my favourite works are by @ssamu_tt_, which is a tattoo based on Buddhist tatu. I also have blackwork by my good friends @delphinmusquet, @mattchaos_tt and @jaffawane.

I have a handpoke tattoo by @git__b as well as my right arm sleeve by @brownpeanut. I got my whole back handpoked with the help of @imgonnahurtyoubaby. I’ve also got some work by @pittakkm on my arm and my neck is by @sou.ttt.

The list is too long for me to mention all the amazing artists that I have had the pleasure to get their art, but I am extremely grateful for them. I plan to get my next tattoos from @ogitattooer, @rodrigosalcedo.v, @lifo_art and@n.o.u.v.e.a.u.

It hurts a lot to get a tattoo, but I’m going to get more as a historical record.

What’s been your proudest moment in your career so far? I got to meet so many good people at the end of last year, as I had the chance to participate in a seminar hosted by @q_tattoos. It was an opportunity to talk about tattoos and get deeper in the art form itself in front of 80 people who were also tattoo artists. I personally think it was the best way to end the year.

I was under a lot of stress and I was able to finish it with a lot of hard work. I was extremely proud of myself and our team at that moment and I hope to get more chances to share my experience with new tattoo artists in the future . 

What do you do when you’re not tattooing? Usually, when I’m not tattooing I draw and finish things I don’t always get time to do, like answering emails. Sometimes I meet my friends or girlfriend but usually I prefer to stay at home on my days off. I want to fully rest on my days off because I spend a lot of my energy working and tattooing.

Where do you see yourself in five years? I think I’ll become an artist who does art with more depth. And in five years, I think I can combine other areas of my art with tattoos. Whether I achieve my goals or not I will always be satisfied with my career and the fact that my art is loved and wanted by people all around the world. That is the ultimate goal which I have already accomplished. 

Follow Swani for more amazing tattoos and travel plans.

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Interview with tattoo artist Pokhy

Tattooist Pokhy owns a private studio in Seoul, South Korea. We chatted to the tattooer about what tattooing means to her, the beautiful blue tattoos she makes and her favourite tattoo experience…

How long have you been a tattoo artist, how did you get into the industry? I’ve been a tattooist for five years now. Before I was a tattooer, I worked as a graphic designer for seven years.

I took a break from my work as continuously working overtime meant that both my work and my health were deteriorating.

During my career break, I had the chance to learn tattooing and experience tattoos for the first time. 

Why did you want to become a tattooist? I have always been deeply inspired by the art that lasts on the body forever, rathert than computer graphics or design and so, I decided to become a tattoo artist.

In an era where all media is consumed quickly, art that remains forever is very attractive.

How would you describe your style of work? I usually use thin needles to create my tattoos. The style of tattoos that I make have fine details and vibrant colours.

Most of my tattoos are of natural objects, and these days I’m working on a lot of nature inspires pieces that mainly use blue ink.

Does your heritage or where you live influence your art? My mom likes to do small amounts of gardening at home. So, my house is always full of many plants and flowers. I have a natural affinity for plants and I love to draw them.

What attracted you to colour tattoos, in particular blue in? I simply love blue.

What’s your favourite subject to tattoo and what would you like to do more of? I like tattoos that flow along the shape of the body. For example, I like free-form natural objects such as the tentacles of jellyfish and the stems of long petals.

I want to try a large tattoo that covers the entire back or wraps around the entire leg.

What’s the tattoo scene like where you are? Korea has not yet recognised tattooing as a profession. It is illegal for tattoo artists to do tattoos. That’s why so many talented tattooists are working abroad.

The number of people getting tattoos is increasing, but the legal system is still in the past. I’m hoping for a gradual change. Although tattooists are not protected by law, the consciousness of the country’s citizens is gradually improving due to the popularisation of tattoos.

There are so many talented tattoo artists in Korea. The day will come when they are recognised.

Do you have any guest spots or travelling planned? I plan work in Australia next year and then work in the US.

Can you tell us about your own tattoo collection? Are you a collector and do you have any future tattoo plans? It’s a collection of my favourite things. I have tattoos of my pet, life’s motto, so many colours, favourite flowers, my religion and so on. It’s like my personal diary.

What’s been your proudest moment in your career so far? I received a letter from one of my clients, I had covered up some old scars with my artwork. She told me that her heart warms whenever she sees my tattoo and that she gains strength to continue to live in this world by looking at her beautiful tattoo rather than painful memories.

That letter was more valuable than winning any contest or any amount of money.

What do you do when you’re not tattooing? I do indoor rock climbing as a hobby. And I spend some time resting with my lovely cats.

Where do you see yourself in five years? The most famous tattooist in Korea.

We love Pokhy’s ambition, be sure to follow @pokhy_tattoo for more beautiful blue tattoos.