Tag: Realism

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Interview with tattoo artist Suro

Suro tattoos out of Gold Leaf Ink, San Francisco where she creates incredible (mostly) black and grey realism mixed with illustrative style tattoos. In this interview Suro tells us about her path into tattooing and what she’s learnt along the way…

I was actually born in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. I spent my entire childhood there all the way up until 12th grade. I wanted to experience college in the states, especially art schools in New York, even though there are a ton of great art colleges in Dubai. I mostly wanted an escape. I come from a traditional Sri Lankan family and they wanted me to pursue a career as a doctor or lawyer. I knew that to be true to myself and find my creative rhythm I had to move.

The idea of tattooing was so far-fetched at that point because of my strict family and tattooing is taboo in the middle east, meaning haram (forbiddened) in the Islamic religion. I would get super intrigued by tattoos as I watched TV and saw tattoos on tourists that would come into town.

I kept saying that I would get a tattoo when I move to The States. Little did I know I would be pursuing a career in it. 

I’ve been creative since I was a baby, drawing on the walls and doors. I knew it was either art or nothing! I Loved to paint and I’ve painted with acrylics since I can remember. The only reason I even passed some subjects was because my diagrams were so realistic! So I knew I had to pursue a career in the arts.

I ended up at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY where I pursued Interior Design. I was super excited as I was going to an actual art school with other creatives, painters, sculptors, photographers, etc. It was during my time at Pratt that I found my way into the tattoo industry and I’ve never looked back. 

Starting out in a diverse city like NYC I was grateful to have come to work with some real cool people in the industry. I worked at about three shops mostly – the first Big Bang Ink in Brooklyn where I apprenticed at, and then Village Tattoo located in St.Marks which was my first shop as a tattooer and finally Red Baron Ink in the Lower East Side. Each studio had tattooers from different ethnicities and had different tattooing skills so it was cool getting to learn something new from them. I never once felt disrespected by any of them, so I know I was super lucky because tattooers, especially females have been treated unfairly.

I had quite a start, pretty rough cause I was super broke right after college. I was in between bartending and trying to keep my apprenticeship at Big Bang. Unfortunately I allowed nightlife to consume me which became my downfall and had to put a pause in my apprenticeship. I try to live with no regrets since I did bounce back a year later, but I do agree that was time wasted.

I have a better understanding of the industry especially to my clients. I’ve learnt to develop a language to communicate my art and tattoo what I like to tattoo.

This industry is forever changing, and has been since I started about nine years ago. From the techniques and styles to even the public being more accepting of them. So this alone has opened up many doors for tattooers. From tattooing celebrities to people in blue collar, tattooers are now finding more and more creative ways to tattoo. Example, wireless tattooing is now a common thing which was a spoken myth back in the day.

When I started, most of the equipment I used was heavy and bulky whereas now I can literally fit my entire set up in a Fanny pack (CRAZY!) So having a wider range of clientele nowadays has evolutionised the art of tattooing. There are more styles too, like minimalism, dotwork, blackwork, micro realism etc. I can’t say the days of the Sailor Jerry flash are dead because hell that will be the day the industry dies, but it’s amazing to see how the newer generation of tattooers are changing the game. 

My style of tattooing is a mix between illustrative and realism. I love playing with light and shadows, so the contrast level will differ from piece to piece. I also love playing with lineweight, so having both bold and fine linework. My inspiration comes from art all over. Abstract to renaissance paintings I love to pull inspiration from fine art mostly. 

Even though I paint with color I enjoy a monochromatic palette more. Using a pen, pencil or even charcoal is my favorite and has always been. I enjoy smooth shading and love when I can bring some realism with just one color. So my preference is mostly black and grey. I love to shade anything, from portraits to inanimate objects, to florals, etc. I really enjoy tattooing details so the more details the more fun the piece gets! 

I see myself opening a private studio sometime in the future. I want to create a space that will pull in artists of different backgrounds and styles so that we can learn from each other. The same experience I had when I started nine years ago. The beautiful thing about this career is that there’s always room to grow and learn. So I can’t speak on it much now but I’m excited to see what the next nine years will bring. 

So for those looking to start, understand it is a commitment and an investment. Don’t start if your mind is not in the right space whether it be financially or even emotionally. Your relationship with whomever will be affected but know no matter what that it’s so worth it in the end.

An apprenticeship could take anywhere from a year to two, but what determines that is your drive. Find a solid mentor who also is in a good mental space cause you will take on from what you see, and trust me you don’t want one who parties! So have a good support system, surround yourself with those who make you better cause you’re going to need every bit as you start this journey. 

Make sure to follow Suro on Instagram for more amazing tattoos.

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Awakening dreams: Maxime Etienne

Transforming dreams into tattoos and bodies into works of art – tattoo artist Maxime Etienne, owner of Leonart studio in Bondi, Sydney, Australia chats to us about his humble beginnings, the process behind his designs and his charity work…

I have been getting tattoos since I was 18 and always loved art in terms of creation. Painting, sculpting, drawing and tattooing have always been industries I’ve wanted to work in. But, I never thought I could have the skills to do any of them until I tried to draw in late 2016. I started drawing with a lot of geometry pattern and in an abstract version of realism.

I started tattooing in late 2016 at home when I realised I could actually draw a little. I wanted to get more tattoos but couldn’t afford them. So I ordered a $40 tattoo kit on eBay and started to practice on my legs, my arms and even my chest and stomach before tattooing some friends.

I never thought I could be a professional artist of any kind. But after tattooing a decent number of friends for the about eight months loads of people contacted me via Instagram and my follwers increased. I realised that maybe I could become a real tattoo artist one day. One night I met a bunch of tattooists that loved my chest piece that I did myself. They told me “if you can do that on yourself and it heals that way then you can definitely become a tattoo artist.”

So, after roughly 10 months I decided to apply for my licence here in Australia and started in a studio as soon as I received it. After 10 months working in that studio, I opened my own and now it has been two years and I work more than I ever expected.

After some researc I discovered so many artists that inspired me and realised what I like is already there and what I could do would be appreciated by a certain audience. I pushed my creativity further and came up with what I do today. Realism, abstract and detailed pieces that are done to tell a story or express a feeling. I am inspired by everything that comes into my mind and what I love. Nature, animals, astronomy, women’s features, architecture and scientific research illustrations.

Most of my designs are from my clients’ stories. I am trying to turn their feelings, dreams, or their past into images. I design everything one day before the appointment and finalise it on the day after asking further questions. I work that way because I really put myself into their story or project and so I don’t work on several designs at the same time. I only book one client a day to ensure we can get the best out of their future tattoo.

I see myself as a designer more than someone who draws, as I often mix up several elements all together.

I try to give my designs the best contrast and shape for the placement that is given to me. I cannot freehand my designs as they require great details and geometry. Floral and extra small pieces in a piece can sometimes be free-handed, but I prefer having a stencil on to ensure the result will be the best and let my client really visualise what it will look like.

My style is really hard to describe in one word. It is composed of micro realism, abstract and geometry. A dream project would be a full body covered of many designs that would express the wish of freedom and the love for nature and earth. I love the diagram patterns used from engineers and would attach all designs together that way to turn the body into an actual book of human feelings and perception of life on our planet. What we are doing on earth, thanking it for the beauty of it and mixing different feelings most of us are going through to express our strength and fragility.

I see my art lasting through time as I am constantly trying to evolve, learn and create. I am a dreamer and a hard worker at the same time. I always give everything I have to achieve my goals, but if one day my art isn’t appreciated any more and I am forced to only execute clients’ thoughts without having the opportunity to create on my own, then I will do something else.

Tattooing became a passion, it’s more than a job. It has never been a way to make money for me, but a dream that became true – to live by doing what I love and making people happy.

Tattooing is an industry where we are in contact with people for hours and deep conversations occur during the process of tattooing. I’ve met so many incredible people that have told me real stories of what they have been through and their issues. Which are unfortunately not mentioned enough to a general audience, including domestic violence issues. I have been raised by my grandmother and my mother and grew up with one sister. Women are everything, they made me who I am today.

I work with an organisation called Karmagawa created by two really close friends of mine, Mat Abad and Thimoty Sykes. I travel with them and help them on different events around the world and design clothes for charity. They both inspire me not only with their charity work, but with their personalities and open minds. They showed me that we can do more than just work for ourselves and we must all help when we can.

Domestic violence, which isn’t always physical, on children and women is something I would really like to help with. Organisations are here to help those in need and money is often necessary to ensure they can keep running. Doing a tattoo fundraiser isn’t only for the money but to reach people that might be in need or even to help them realise what happens to them isn’t normal.

Social media as a platform is powerful, me doing a tattoo fundraiser with posts and stories might push other artists to do so too. I have done similar with the Australian bush fires and given the money to people that were helping those on the spot not just to the organisation.

That’s what I would like to do here. I would like to raise money of course by giving all the profit to organisations, but I am sure that just posting about it could help to raise awareness and I will do that a couple of times every year. My future project is to open a studio in Amsterdam and work with artists that will be willing to do some flash days every year for different causes.

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Black & Grey tattoos – Denis Torikashvili

Denis Torikashvili (TDAN)  has been tattooing since 1997, he currently tattoos at Vatican Studios in Lake Forest, California. We chat to Denis about what inspires his realism tattoos and how he got started in the industry…

sailor kiss tattoo

The first time I saw artistic looking tattoos was in American movies in the 90s, before that I had only seen military or old prison tattoos. These weren’t interested to me and didn’t really affect me, but I was encouraged by what I have seen in movies, it was like a glimpse into the future. I was so impressed I began sketching.

corpse bride tattoo

Speaking of drawing, from an early age I was interested in art and everything to do with it. Art was something exciting and new for me, of course I would always get carried away by my sketching. My friends found out what I had been doing and talked me into giving them tattoos, those guys were my first customers. In those years I didn’t have a professional tattoo machine, so I made one out of materials and things I found at home. In 1997 I bought my first tattoo machine, a Micky Sharpz and one thing led to another. In 2005 I took part in the St. Petersburg tattoo convention for the first time and in 2006 I won a prize. I worked in some tattoo shops in Rostov on Don and then I opened my own tattoo shop.

black and grey

I work in different tattoo styles. I used to make some Japanese tattoos that weren’t bad, as well as ornamental, American traditional tattoos and realism. This continued until 2014, when I moved to Moscow. After that my tattoo career really started taking off. I had a lot of trips working as a guest artist, attended loads of tattoo conventions, got some trophies, met wonderful artists, who also became my friends and whose advice has helped me many a time. In 2017 I got asked to work in London at NR studio, where I lived and worked for two years and I formed a serious client base. I didn’t want to leave but in July 2019 my temporary visa expired, after that I’ve decided to try my luck in America. I’m very fortunate to be here, at Vatican Tattoo Studio headed by great man and amazing artist Franco Vescovi.

realism sleeve

I work in black&grey realism style. I’m always trying to think outside the box and ask customers to believe in me and leave the tattoos and design in my hands.

Those who haven’t been afraid to trust me have never regretted it because I’m always about elegance and beautiful harmony when it comes to design.

I get my inspiration from movies, music and art photography. Everyone says I would have made a good photographer.

face tattoo

For anyone who wants to become a tattooist artist, I would advise them in the beginning to visit a major tattoo convention and see how highly skilled artists work, choose your favorite and get a tattoo from them and take advantage of this by asking them questions. The ideal outcome would be to find an artist who would then agree to take them as an apprentice

I came to the USA seven months ago and it is still too early to judge which country’s tattoo scene is better. The tattoo scenes in Russia and in the USA are generally very similar, but there are some key differences. The profession of the tattoo artist is not listed on state registries in Russia, our existence is denied, which doesn’t prevent us from working, while in America tattoo studios operate under the State supervision. Russia is filled with tattoo artists, who will do whatever is necessary to get to the top of this business. Tattooing is a very competitive sector.

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Interview With Tattoo Artist Owen Paulls

28-year-old tattoo artist Owen Paulls is currently on the road, creating incredible black and grey realism. We chat to him about his love for Disney, the process behind his tattoos and his travel plans…

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How long have you been tattooing? I have been tattooing since around April 2014, so a little over three years now!

What drew you to the tattoo world? I was always into drawing and painting growing up. I was designing shirts and artwork for a band I was with before I got into tattooing. Coming from the music world, where everyone’s heavily tattooed, this probably sparked the idea of putting something permanently on the skin.

Has your style of tattooing changed? How has it developed? I think like most tattoo artists, I was drawn to classic designs and bold colours at first. I spent about a year putting together more traditional pieces, trying to make my work as clean as I could before really getting into realism at the end of that first year.

I did a few portraits on friends, to build my portfolio, and loved it! It felt a lot more natural to build pieces from the bottom up rather than lining everything first so I started switching my designs to have a realistic element. Recently I’ve developed more of a surrealism style I guess.

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What do you love to tattoo? You do a lot of Disney portraits, are you a Disney fan? Absolutely anything Disney or animated, I love tattooing it! I don’t know if that’s still the traditional artist in me trying make an appearance with a little throw to the old school – who knows! I’m a huge Disney fan, so getting to tattoo it all day is a lot of fun for me.

I love the whole process modern animation goes through while it’s being made, there’s so much behind the scenes that you don’t get to see when watching the movies. I’m just trying to pay homage to all the animation greats by replicating their creations on skin in my own way.

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You mainly work in black and grey, what do you love about this? How long does a  typical piece take, can you explain your process?  My art work outside of tattooing is mostly charcoal and pencil so I think that draws me to the black and grey side. Colour is a lot more challenging for me. I love getting to do it occasionally, as it keeps me on my toes, but black and grey is where I feel the most creative. Pieces usually take anywhere from eight to 10 hours.

I’m very meticulous with my work so I’ll spend at least a couple of hours adding details and highlights at the end with a small liner, apologising to my customers the whole time and periodically promising that we’re nearly done!

I usually start with an email or FaceTime consultation to get the over all idea of the tattoo before designing to save as much time as I can. I like to make my stencils on the day so I’m familiar with the shapes and concept before applying it to the skin. Due to the amount of time I spend in the skin, I always try to make sure I leave my stencil to dry for about 15-20 minutes before I start. I’m a detail lover, so having all my stencil hold for the whole day helps me to relax. I don’t line much so it’s nice to have that information there to use when I need it.

Would you like to do more colour pieces? Eventually, I’ll probably make the move to full colour work. I feel as an artist, I’m still growing and creating an identity within my tattoos. For the moment, black and grey is the perfect medium for me. People who can break stencil with their photo reference and use brave colour choices make a big impression on me, I’d like to have that affect on other artists.

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What inspires you? Are there any artists that influence your work? Animation plays a big part in how I design tattoos and my artwork. Also sculptures and modelers like Philippe Faraut or Lutsenko really push me to add more depth and dynamic. Tattoo wise there are too many to name. I’m a big fan of Ralf Nonnweiler and Megan Jean Morris for the way they put their own identity into their pieces. Any artist who is bringing something new and unique to the table is up there for me!

Can you tell us a little about your own tattoos, do they have to have a meaning?  I’d love to say I’m a collector, but it’s not strictly true! I have a collection, but it’s not the same! My tattoos have been mostly spur of the moment ideas when I’ve been working alongside someone that I admire or in a shop where a couple of us have a spare few hours to fill. I’ve got some crazy ones and some more meaningful ones from back in the music days. I have a Studio Ghibli half sleeve and I suppose that’s the most meaningful so far. Apart from one done by a friend when she was first starting out.

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Do you have any conventions or guest spots planned?  This year and the beginning of next has got a little crazy so far! Ive just done the Brighton and Manchester/Scarborough shows and have Bristol, York, Halloween Bash and Kustom Kulture coming up this year, alongside guest spots all over! It’ll be my first time in Switzerland in October and I’ll also be working with Sandry Riffard in December at his shop in France! I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has got or travelled to get a piece from me and to my little tattoo family including ‘Team Penny Black’ who have really looked out for me!