Tag: micro realism

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“My work is defined by landscapes, anime and frame tattoos,” interview with tattoo artist Opal

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.

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

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“Tattoos aren’t only a fashion accessory, but also a very precious thing that means a lot to someone,” interview with tattoo artist Nando


Tattoo artist Nando (@nandotattooer) owns Nando Studio in Seoul in South Korea. His Instagram is filled with the most beautiful pet and micro tattoos – most of the tiny tattoos he creates are under 10cm! Here he talks about his delicate style, falling in love with tattoos and his proudest tattoo moments so far…

How long have you been tattooing?

About 14 years now. Since 2010 when I graduated from art college. I’m a self-taught artist.

How did you become a tattoo artist and what made you want to become one?

I’ve been interested in art from a young age. I studied painting at university. Once I graduated from college I served in the military. I then lived in Madrid in Spain for about two years, which is where I met a group of friends who were tattooed. I hadn’t really seen tattoos before, especially not in Korea.

When I saw their tattoos, I realised that it was a really meaningful art form for people. I fell in love with it and so I came back to Korea and started my own tattooing journey.

Can you tell us about your own tattoos?

I have about 10 small tattoos. I’ve been to a lot of countries, while there I connect with some amazing artists. I usually get tattooed from artists in the country I’m in at the time. They’ve become souvenirs of my travels.

What was the first tattoo you did on someone else?

I gave one of my friends a plaster statue of Poseidon that I had made. He then wanted this tattooed but really big on his shoulder! It was my first time tattooing and I challenged myself. Especially as it was so big. It took me about 10 hours but I think I did pretty well despite it being my first ever tattoo.

How would you describe your style?

I wanted to tattoo what I painted. I always try to make my tattoos as detailed and meticulous as possible, because it’s something that’s engraved on one person for the rest of their lives.

What made you want to create small realistic tattoos?

I typically do a lot of my work in spaces that are under 10cm. I focus on tattoos that are meaningful to the people who are getting them. Also my work is very detailed. Each tattoo usually takes around three hours.

What do you like to tattoo?

I love tattooing anything that I think is beautiful. I love beautiful tattoos with stories behind them, because tattoos are not only a fashion accessory but also a very precious thing that means a lot to someone.

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

I am inspired by so many artists. Lately, I’ve been inspired by the art of James Jean.
My tattoos are mostly natural objects such as animals or florals. My hometown is very rural, so I’m getting a lot of inspiration there, too.

Do you have any guest spots planned?

I’m getting invitations to tattoo people from many countries. I have a strong friendly relationship with @mommyimsorry studio in Germany.

How can clients book in with you?

Through my Instagram @nandotattooer. You can make a reservation for a detailed consultation using the email and kakaotalk app on my Insta profile.

What are the rules for tattooing in South Korea? Is tattooing underground or becoming more mainstream nowadays?

Tattoos are still treated as a medical practice in Korea! So tattoo artists are united and talking to the government to solve legal problems. I think it will be resolved in the next few years. Also social awareness of tattoos has improved a lot. Many celebrities get tattoos as a way of expressing themselves, so tattoos are becoming recognised in Korean society.

What’s been your proudest moment so far?

There have been so many proud moments while I’ve been doing tattoos. There was the time when I drew my work on to leather in collaboration with the brand Montblanc. It was an honour to work with a famous brand in this way.

Another moment was when I tattooed fingernails realistically over my customer’s fingers whose fingers were cut off. I was so proud of my job when I saw how satisfied and happy he was.

Follow Nando on Instagram for more beautiful pet and micro-realism tattoos.

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

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“I was completely blown away by micro realism, it felt entirely new,” interview with tattoo artist Mooji

We absolutely adore micro realism tattoos and tattoo artist Mooji (@mooji_tt) has taken the style to a whole new level, putting teeny works of art inside postage stamps (look how cute this one is!) and peeking through aeroplane windows. They work in Korea and we’d love to take a trip over there to get tattooed. Instead, we sat down for a chat where Mooji tells us about their journey into the tattoo world, their love of travel and future goals…

When did you first fall in love with tattoos?

I worked as a web developer at an IT company, which of course is a completely different industry from tattooing. My job involved writing code to build websites and also included web design. After working in the industry for about three years, I started dreaming of a different life. Until then, I had never really drawn, but on my days off, I stumbled upon drawing tutorials on YouTube and started sketching. That changed everything for me.

At 22, I started pursuing art seriously. I left my job to focus on it. As a result, I became a teacher, instructing art both online and in person. I also began developing an interest in drawing, eventually focusing heavily on portraiture. I even have an art Instagram account (I used to be quite active but I’m taking a break right now).

Initially, I didn’t have any desire to learn to tattoo. But that changed when I discovered the genre of micro realism. I was completely blown away by it, it felt entirely new. I became fascinated and developed a strong interest in learning how to tattoo in this style from that point onwards.

Before I found micro realism, I was only familiar with styles like blackwork, Irezumi, old school, and black and grey, so discovering this genre was quite a refreshing shock for me. I wonder if others fell in love with it for similar reasons?

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

It has been five years since I started tattooing. @ziho_gallery taught me to tattoo; he is an exceptionally skilled micro realism tattoo artist. From him, I was able to learn various skills and techniques.

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

I believe my current style has been largely shaped by my clients. When I started tattooing, I didn’t immediately work on landscape tattoos, cover-up tattoos, or watercolor tattoos. It was when my clients began requesting these designs that my own ideas were incorporated, resulting in the creation of new designs. Through these processes, I naturally developed my own style.

Your style is so unique, your tattoos are almost like trinkets or souvenirs from travelling… stamps and aeroplane windows, what inspired that? 

I was primarily doing landscape and photo-realistic tattoos, and I started looking for more unique and appealing designs. That’s when I thought of using postage stamps and airplanes as themes to create tattoo designs. These designs are more attractive to me because they are distinct from typical landscape tattoos. People seem to be really drawn to them.

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

Sure, I enjoy traveling. So far, I have visited Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Ireland, Bangkok, Japan – to name a few of the places. I haven’t decided on my next destination yet, but I’ll probably choose somewhere I haven’t been to before.

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

Sure, I’m currently planning for my next guest spot. Once the location is confirmed, I’m going to post about it on Instagram @mooji_tt. Anyone interested can send me reservation enquiries based on the instructions in that post.

Which artists do you admire and why?

I admire several artists. Among them, the ones that stand out to me are Sol (@soltattoo), Oozy (@oozy_tattoo), Saegeem (@saegeemtattoo), PittaKKM (@pittakkm) – plus others but there’s too many to name. They each have their own distinct style and possess a quality of expression that is unique to them. I believe there are many other artists as well from whom I can learn a great deal.

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

I mainly focus on custom work. When customers describe the design they want, I create the design based on their descriptions. I sometimes make flash designs as well, but these days I primarily focus on custom projects.

What do you like to do when you’re not tattooing?

When I’m not tattooing I like to exercise and look after my health. In my personal time I’m also curating photos of my work and organising my socials.

What are your hopes for the future?

I still have so much to learn. My personal goal is to create artwork of even higher quality than I am now and become more proficient in tattooing. Establishing a systematic tattooing process and achieving excellent colour saturation in every piece is my aim. I hope that one day I’ll look at all my work and feel satisfied with what I’ve accomplished.

Follow Mooji on Instagram for more amazing micro realism tattoos.

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

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“The main inspiration is always the emotions that lie underneath the surface, in their raw form,” interview with surreal tattooist, Poesis

We’re obsessed with the work of tattoo artist Poesis. She’s based in Hamburg, and is a resident artist at HOOD7. The tattoos she creates are magical, with an otherworldliness about them, sometimes you’re not quite sure exactly what you’re looking at – doors that open to other doors, bookcases with birds poking their head out… each of the tattoos Poesis creates is born from an emotion – and you can feel that in each one-of-a-kind tattoo. We caught up with the tattoo artist to find out more about her weird and beautiful work…

Poesis / @poesis_tattoo Poesis / from her video art project ’The  Simultaneousness of Blooming & Withering’

Do you have a first memory of tattoos? What made you fall in love with them? 

This is actually quite funny, my first memory of tattoos  is having a crush on this fully tattooed musician. He was covered head to toe and I thought it was the coolest thing. That’s the first time I fell in love with the aesthetic.  

During my teenage years, I used to hang around alternative kids. A friend asked me to draw a tattoo  design for him, that’s when I first encountered the connection between tattoos and the art world I was so interested in. 

The real moment though – the one that got me completely hooked – was when colourful micro realism tattoos started developing a few years ago. The incredible precision of details, the colours, the strong references to the art I grew up with. It captivated my heart. 

It’s really interesting how moments in our life, that maybe seemed insignificant, become turning points on our journey. We’re always subconsciously moving towards where we’ll eventually end up. 

When did you know you wanted to become a tattoo artist? How did you learn? 

I’d just got my second tattoo from Kozo, it was ‘The Old Guitarist’ by Pablo Picasso. While admiring my new  tattoo and searching for the right artistic medium to dive into, I realised that tattooing is the perfect way to  express all my strengths, do the things I love and live a comfortable life. It’s like all the puzzle pieces came  together.  

Later on, I had the opportunity to learn from Kozo himself. After spending a month by his side, we parted ways and I kept learning on my own, developing the technique, process and designs you see today. 

We love your style so much, how did that evolve? Where do your ideas come from and what  inspires you? 

Thank you! The main inspiration is always the emotions that lie underneath the surface, in their raw form. I focus a lot on the feelings I want to convey in the design. It’s all a matter of embracing who we are and  allowing ourselves to be. In these moments, creativity gets the room it deserves, whatever spills out, I roll  with it. My art is me and I’m my art. As I evolve as a person so does my art. As long as I let my creativity roam free my art will keep evolving.  

Techniques always arrive with time, they stay in your muscle memory, slowly developing as you practice. Creativity, on the other hand, can come in a swing. We just need to learn to open that door in the way that suits each of us. Creativity is one of the most important assets and valuable tools to reflect our minds as artists. Nurture it, learn it, develop it, cherish it, keep it safe, love it.  

Poesis / @poesis_tattoo / from ’The  Simultaneousness of Blooming & Withering’

There’s some incredible photos of you on your Instagram, are they inspired by your work? 

These photos are extensions of a bigger multi-medium project I produced and preformed in, called ’The  Simultaneousness of Blooming & Withering’ [you can watch the video on Instagram]. It’s video art inspired by a flash design I made. Apart from the video art, the project holds the stills photos, flower art and the tattoo itself. 

The idea for this project was born after being eager to extend my art to other mediums and to find another way to share what stands behind my tattoo designs. There was a search for self expression, for a way to show a side of Poesis that’s always strongly integrated into my art. 

I collaborated with my friends, a photography duo (Ofek Avshalom and Rona Bar) and with a flower artist (Danielle Barkat), together we executed the concept based on the design and what stood behind it.  ‘The Simultaneousness of Blooming & Withering’ was featured in Vogue, printed in Iconic Artist Magazine and TattooLife Magazine. This project makes me very proud.

Where do you come up with the motifs that you include in your work? From art, life, customer’s  ideas? How do you know what you’d like to mix together in that unique surreal way? 

The inspiration for the motifs I choose is all around, if we open our eyes and mind we can see it in the  smallest to the biggest of things, but mainly, it’s within ourselves. 

Naturally being attracted to surrealism, dark aesthetics, the unconventional, the dreamy and bizarre, I  subconsciously find myself creating symbolism around these worlds. 

Before each tattoo I meet with my clients and I listen to them. Whatever they feel like bringing up, I welcome with open arms. Through that process, a brainstorm will start to appear, motifs that connect directly and  indirectly will float to the consciousness. When creating a design I usually start with this intuitive approach – scrambling around, channeling into a sketch whatever comes to mind.

Sometimes I don’t know exactly what  I’m going for, I just continue focusing on the emotion and experiences we choose to convey, until the sketch forms into a solid image I’m satisfied with. 

How do you like to work with customers and their ideas? 

I’m always open to hear my client’s ideas, explore and work with whatever comes up. If my clients are being  creative, I like to encourage it. Keeping our mind open to new ideas and concepts is crucial for our  connection with our surroundings and ourselves. 

With that being said, I rarely receive a request for a structured idea. My clients trust my artistic abilities and process to embody the emotions that were brought to the surface. Every piece I make is custom, my art holds two worlds that are coming together for a unique, one of a  kind collaboration. In order to create such tattoos, to hold such a mix of precision and creativity, I require artistic freedom and  flexibility. If the artist doesn’t have the freedom to create, the freedom of expression, what’s left of their artistry? 

What’s next? 

Keep focusing on evolving as a person and as an artist. I hope to expand my artistic universe by diving deeper into inner worlds and minds, finding new ways to embody the soul, develop my creativity and explore other mediums to share my art. 

Follow Poesis on Instagram @poesis_tattoo. Her video art project is called ’The  Simultaneousness of Blooming & Withering’

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