Shin Song Eun (@songe.tattoo) creates colourful floral inspired tattoos at Inktable tattoo studio in Hapjeong, Seoul. We chat to the tattooer about her journey into the tattoo world, her intricate style and favourite things to tattoo…
What inspired you to become a tattoo artist? I happened to see a tattoo on my SNS app. It was so detailed and I thought how can you express that kind of detail on the body? That’s when I started to get interested in tattoos.
How did you become an artist? I was a student at art college and then I found a tattoo academy after much consideration.
I learned to tattoo under my teacher, @soltattoo. I worked on my tattooing every day for two and a half years to get where I am now and grow as an artist.
How would you describe your art? I like natural things so my tattoos feature a lot of flowers. I try to express a composition and arrangement that goes well with the body of the person I’m tattooing.
Your tattoos are really bright, what do you love about colour? I think a lot of people also like my bright pastel colours. I also like to use a lot of colourful tones rather than dark colours.
What’s the inspiration behind your work? I read a lot of fairy tale books. And I usually read botanicical books too. I like to look at the pictures of nature that have been taken by the writers as well.
What do you like to tattoo? I work on a lot of ‘fluttering flowers’ and I like them. I think small flowers flow beautifully on different people’s bodies, I love the feeling I get when I see them.
Even if they’re the same flowers, they all look different and give off a different vibe.
Where can people get tattooed by you? My tattoo studio is near Hapjeong Station in Seoul and I’ll also be in Singapore in June.
What’s your favourite thing about being a tattoo artist? Every day I can draw and express myself through my drawings. When I would draw at work or school I would design inside a fixed frame, or so it felt. But with tattooing it’s different, I can draw in my own way.
I also really like drawing in a way that combines my customer’s style with my own style.
How do you create your small tattoos, are there any challenges with these? Some people work on a small tattoo because they think it’s going to be faster and easier.
But, I think small tattoos need to be even more detailed than bigger tattoos, because they need to express the same details in a smaller areas. It takes more time than you’d think.
Do you have a favourite tattoo? I like plant tattoos I do the most.
What moment in your career are you most proud of? When I was guesting abroad of lot of people really liked my work and wanted to get tattooed by me. There was someone who had waitee several years to get tattooed by me, which made me feel so happy and proud.
Make sure to follow @songe.tattoo for more beautiful tattoos.
Tattooer SOOSOO owns a private studio in Hongdae Korea where she creates incredible tattoos. We chat to SOOSOO about how she became a tattooist and her work, including her amazing fire tattoos…
How long have you been tattooing and how did you become an artist? I’ve been working as a tattooist for four years. Four years ago I went with a friend who was getting a tattoo, that was the first time I came across them.
I’ve been drawing since I was a child, and I wanted to have a job where I could draw. I thought being a tattooist looked so cool. I decided to learn to tattoo and I saw @SolTattoo was recruiting students at the time, so they became my teacher.
Do you have a background in art? Before becoming a tattooist, I majored in visual design. I went to an art high school to major in design, and I have always learnt about and painted different works, including Western paintings and illustrations, as well as my major.
What’s your favourite thing about being a tattooer? I’m really glad that I can enjoy my job. I love it when my clients like my paintings and they’re happy when they see my finished work.
How do you hone your tattooing craft? To me, tattooing isn’t just about engraving beautifully drawn designs into the skin; it’s about skill and dedication. I think tattooists should polish their skills, so the work doesn’t strain or damage the skin. It’s important that we practise by using various machines and needles to find the ones that best fit us.
How would you describe your work? I interpret every design with my own style. The attractive aspects of my tattoos are the vivid colours and textures, like I’m using coloured pencils.
What inspires you? I usually watch a lot of movies and animations. I also think about tattoo designs when I see scenes and props in the movies. I also try to experience a variety of music, paintings and photos to get inspiration.
Can you tell us about the process behind your tattoos? When I’m drawing tattoo designs, I try drawing the same design in different colours. When I do this sometimes I come up with an unexpected design and colour combination which is really good.
How do you create your fire tattoos? When I look at the irregularity and intensity of fire, I thought I should draw it. I was impressed to see the colour of the flame fused with the surrounding environment and I thought I could express it in various ways.
I think it’s very attractive to draw fire blooming on the skin in various shapes and colours. The fire isn’t in a clear shape, but I can create a frame to contain it in. I then keep revising the appearance to complete the design.
We love your food tattoos, are these a favourite of yours? I’ve been doing food tattoos a lot recently, they’re quite new to me. I want to draw a variety of painting styles including still life paintings. The shape of food and bottles attract me and lend themselves to this style. Although, I’d definitely like to try more diverse things in the future.
What do you like to tattoo and what would you like to do more of? These days, I enjoy drawing fire and I’ve been working on a lot of small fire tattoos. As mentioned above, I feel the flow of fire on the skin is very attractive and looks good. I want to make a big fire tattoo on someone’s arms or legs, hopefully I can someday.
Can you tell us about your own tattoos? Are you a tattoo collector? When I first started tattooing, I worked at StudioBySol, a shop run by my tattoo teacher SolTattoo. There were loads of tattooists in the studio and they gave me a lot of tattoos.
I don’t have many tattoos on my legs yet, but I want to get a big tattoo on one of my legs at some point.
How does it feel making tattoos in Korea when they’re still illegal? There are so many talented tattooists in Korea and a lot of people want to learn how to tattoo. It’s really unfortunate that it’s not legal. There are a group of Korean tattooists that are trying to legalise tattooing, so I hope it will be soon.
How are tattoo artists seen by society? Older generations still have negative views, but many people are looking at tattooing as art. I hope it will be accepted by more people as an art and legalised.
What moment in your career are you most proud of? I’m very proud and I feel at my best when clients tell me they really wanted to get a tattoo from me. Also when they are satisfied with the tattoo I have done for them.
Tattoo artist Eunyu runs her own private tattoo studio in Seoul, Korea. In this post she tells us all about her journey to becoming the artist she is today, how she lives her life through art and her beautifully delicate tattoos…
What inspired you to become a tattoo artist and how did you become one? I have always had a desire to become an artist. After graduating from college, I decided that realistically it would be difficult to become an artist that only painted as a profession. So, I became an ordinary office worker.
After about a year, I realised that I didn’t want to give up painting. At that time, a friend of mine who was a tattooist, told me I should learn to tattoo. Fortunately, tattooing as a job suited me really well. I became a disciple of Sol Tattoo. A tattooer and shop that are famous in Korea for their delicate tattoos. I learnt tattoo techniques which matched with my delicate and small drawings.
Do you have a background in art? I have been drawing since I was very young. After graduating from a specialised art high school, I entered an art college. I majored in oriental painting, but I also studied various art fields such as photography, design and Western painting.
I usually go to lots of exhibitions, read art magazines and try to live a life very closely related to art.
Can you tell us about your experiences in the tattoo industry? I think the most attractive part of being a tattoo artist is the ability to build a special relationship with your customers. If people like my small drawings they buy them and by doing so they show that they like my style. A lot of my clients ask me to design them something that is unique. I find it really rewarding to communicate with and tattoo people who need my drawing talent and tattoo skills.
By creating a custom design I get to hear the special story of the person I will be tattoing. The client trusts me and I’m very proud of this. That’s why I want to talk to more of my customers and do custom pieces in the future.
How would you describe your work? I explore the little things that can be found in nature and I delicately draw them with love. Bright colours and an array of colours are represented in my work. Although they are small in size, the details are delicate and require a lot more effort than expected.
Do you prefer to do colour or black and grey tattoos? I like both. But I like to deal with a wide range of colours, which makes colour work more fun. In the beginning of my tattoo career I did a lot of black and grey work. But as clients prefer my colour work, I’ve been doing it more. Lately, I’ve been working on just black tattoos though.
Can you tell us about the process behind your tattoos? I often use photos that I have taken myself. In these photos of nature I find a lot of colours that inspire me. I try to create natural compositions as much as possible by pursuing the reality of nature’s form rather than deviating from the original.
I tend to choose the final design after I have tried lots of different ways of doing it. I respect my customer’s choice so I prepare several commissioned designs for them to choose from.
What inspires you? I like nature, shiny things and cute little animals. I especially like a smooth flowing shape which is often found in nature. As such, most of my designs are inspired by nature. Soft and saturated colours are my favourites too, so I like flowers and colourful birds.
I also like beautiful stories like fairy tales. I get ideas from song lyrics and use my imagination to make existing objects more beautiful.
You tattoo a lot of fish. Why do you think this is? The fish I draw have a transparent smooth flowing tail. The design sits beautifully on the skin as a tattoo, like a real fish swimming freely.
There is beauty in the curves and the red colour goes well with my customer’s skin tones. It all comes together to give people a soft and fluid feel. That’s why a lot of people seem to like my fish tattoos.
What do you like to tattoo and what would you like to do more of? I like to draw creatures that change shape such as fish, jellyfish, and birds. This is also because I can then present various designs to my customers.
In the future, I want to work on big designs, so that the flowers change according to the shape of the body. For example, I want to create a tattoo in the form of a large wrap around plant that stretches freely over the body, such as morning glory or a sweet pea flower.
Can you tell us about your own tattoos? Are you a tattoo collector? I have about 10 tattoos, most of them are flowers and plants. I also have my lovely cat tattoo. I don’t have any very large tattoos yet, for my next tattoo I want a big beautiful flower on my back.
What’s the tattoo scene like where you are? The tattoo scene in Korea is developing at an incredibly fast pace. Watercolour style tattoos that are very delicate or use a variety of colours are sometimes called Korean style. Because there are so many talented and great tattooists a lot of people come to Korea to get tattooed from around the world.
However, society isn’t keeping up with the popularity of tattooing. Tattoos are still illegal in Korea, so tattooists and citizens are voicing that legalisation should proceed for a larger tattoo market in the future.
What moment in your career are you most proud of? The proudest moment is, of course, when my customers show satisfaction with the tattoo I have done. People who ask me for a custom design often tell me very personal stories that are melancholic and sad. They often say that they are comforted by the tattoo designs I make and that they are happy. When I hear this I feel that I did really well in becoming a tattooist.
There are people who express it in words at the appointment, but there are also people who quietly send me a picture of my tattoos completely healed and a message of sincerity. This makes me really happy.
Follow @eunyu_tattoo (if you don’t already) for more wonderful nature-inspired tattoos.
Sunyoung Kim (Tilda Kim) or as you might know her @tilda_tattoo creates beautiful intricate tattoos at Studio by Sol in Seoul, Korea. We chat to this flower obsessed tattoo artist about her journey into the tattoo world and of course, flowers…
What inspired you to become a tattoo artist and how did you become one? When I was in my third year of college, I saw (my now) tattoo teacher, Sol’s fineline tattoos for the first time. I was so surprised by them as he recreated my favourite paintings by Van Gogh and Monet beautifully with tattoos. I was shocked that a tattoo could be so small and delicate in such a pretty way.
Before that I had only seen black work and bold lines. I was surprised at how many colours could be used in tattoos. I thought tattoo ink was only black, red or blue with a high saturation. I like to use lots of colours when I draw, so this style of tattooing was so attractive to me and I loved that there were so many colourful tattoo inks.
When I was in college, I had a chance to learn how to tattoo, but I hesitated because of the conservative perceptions around me. After graduation, I worked as a fashion MD for about a year, but it didn’t suit my aptitude, the fast pace exhausted me. I wondered what kind of work I could do that was a better way of promoting my own style and drawings to other people. I remembered my college days when I was interested in tattoos. From then on I wanted to learn how to tattoo.
Do you have a background in art? From the age of 17, I studied painting to enter an art college and I then attended an art college for four years.
Can you tell us about your experiences in the tattoo industry? Tattoos are pictures that remain on the skin for life. Therefore, I have a sense of responsibility to my customers. This is the biggest experience and the most important point of view I’ve had since I started learning about tattooing.
How would you describe your work? I have a so-called “fineline” style of tattooing which consists of using small and delicate lines. My tattoos feature a variety of natural materials such as flowers, birds and butterflies in various colours.
You specialise in flower tattoos, what do you love about them? The reason why I usually tattoo things such as flowers and butterflies is that these natural objects look even more natural when they are on a person’s body. I think the most attractive thing is the bright and vivid colours of the flowers and their harmonious appearance as they flow along the curve of the body.
I also create a lot of bouquets of flowers which are made up of the person’s birth flowers. In Korea, many people want to immortalise their family’s birth flowers as tattoos. I think these tattoos show that the flowers can never die as they’re alive on the body. To me these look like small flower gardens too.
Do you prefer to do colour or black and grey tattoos? I prefer colour work, but I also like black tattoos. I think black tattoos are a more attractive option when an artist is expressing the feeling of a pencil drawing.
Can you tell us about the process behind your tattoos? When I draw tattoo designs I look for images a lot, then I try to synthesise various ingredients. These include encounters I have had with butterflies, famous paintings and flowers. Sometimes I can create a good design from items and places I didn’t expect to.
Are there any challenges you face when doing tiny tattoos? These are a little tricky because I have to hold my breath and concentrate when tattooing animal’s features.
What inspires you? In particular the memories I have of drawing fashion illustrations have helped me a lot in tattooing. When I drew clothes, I liked to draw checked patterns, lace, tweeds, flowers, etc. My past life as a designer is very helpful when I’m drawing tattoo designs, as I am expressing various materials and combining colours.
Also colour and texture are a very important part of flowers, I’m sure there are no boundaries between different types of art. I refer to Pinterest or Google when I draw designs, sometimes I get inspired by vintage botanical art books and classic movies.
What do you like to tattoo and what would you like to do more of? I like drawing roses the best. I like the variety found in a rose’s appearance, from rose buds to full bloom, and roses have various colours. Also I love that roses bloom in their prettiest form in the hottest days of summer.
I like creating small and large tattoos alike. In particular, I think flower tattoos or plant tattoos are wonderful to tattoo as if they are blooming along the curve of the body. Someday I want to try to make a flower tattoo that makes it look like someone’s entire arm or leg is wrapped like a vine.
Can you tell us about your own tattoos? Are you a tattoo collector? I like flowers, natural objects and famous paintings, so I have these tattooed on my body. My favourite tattoo is Monet’s Water Lilies done by my teacher, Tattooist Sol. This was my first tattoo, Monet’s beautiful blue and purple colours have remained clear even after two years.
What’s the tattoo scene like where you are? As tattoos are illegal in Korea, tattoos seem to have more negative views associated with them. In particular, many women in Korea like small-sized tattoos because they are not noticeable and they can use tattoos like fashion accessories. I hope tattoos become legal as soon as possible so that everyone can confidently enjoy tattoos of various genres.
What moment in your career are you most proud of? I feel so happy and proud when my clients constantly visit me and are satisfied with my work.
Follow @tilda_tattoo (if you don’t already) for more incredibly beautiful tattoos.
Dami Nam or as you might know her @daldam__, runs Soda Shop in Itaewon, Seoul, Korea. We chat to the colour tattoo artist about her tattoos, inspiration behind her painting-like designs and the tattoo education programme she hosts…
What inspired you to become a tattoo artist and how did you become one? I’ve always enjoyed drawing ever since I was a child. I wanted to get a job in an art-related field when I became an adult as I was so interested in painting. I had studied painting for a long time, but I worked at a “regular” company for a while for the stability it offered. However, when I realised I couldn’t draw anymore I became depressed, which led me to search for a way to keep drawing as a professional. I started tattooing after a friend of a tattoo artist I ad grown up with advised me to.
Can you tell us about your experiences in the tattoo industry? I’ve been tattooing for six years and I run a soda shop in Itaewon, Seoul. I also work as a mentor, educating trainees who want to learn my tattoo techniques.
Can you tell us more about your tattoo education? I had a lot of people asking about tattoo related classes so I started my tattoo education by chance. I’ve now established a stable apprenticeship system.
Using each apprentice’s unique personality, I teach them the skills required for tattoo work and educate them on how to turn their ideas into wonderful tattoo designs. In addition, my apprentices are thoroughly educated in the hygienic aspects of tattooing, such as infection prevention. Also if they develop their skills to a good level they can work at my shop.
How would you describe your work? I mainly express oriental paintings through tattoos. Most of all I like to match flowers and animals to traditional accessories using bright colours. I also tattoo detailed landscapes with a thin line background. I believe the charm of my work is the glorious feeling felt when I express various landscapes in small tattoos.
Are there any challenges you face when doing tiny tattoos? There are moments when I design small parts, such as an eye where I experience a slight hand tremor. This makes me nervous, but I take a deep breath and work with a calm mind to draw the pupil in the right place.
Have you always tattooed like you do now? No. I learnt to tattoo by myself without a teacher, so there was a lot of trial and error at first due to my lack of tattoo skills.
Since then I have researched and developed various tattoo techniques. When I did run into problems while working I sought advice from seniors with more experience than me.
Can you tell us about the process behind your tattoos? In my daily life an idea will suddenly come to my mind. There are moments when I think, “Oh, this design would be lovely.” I write it down on my smartphone’s notepad so I don’t forget it.
My tattoo work is similar to that of other tattoo artists, as I design with care and work using transfer paper. If there’s one thing I’m particularly concerned about, I try to make sure that every detail is moved to the skin when I’m tracing the design.
What inspires you? Traditional Korean elements have had the most significant influence on my tattoo work. I like the beauty of the old things, from the beautiful colours to paintings with traditional beauty as well as traditional decorations that are not used in modern times. Aside from that, the scenery I see and a beautiful scene from a movie can be sources for my tattoo work.
What do you like to tattoo and what would you like to do more of? It’s a lot of fun for me to work on tattoo pieces with different colours. I love to recreate the beautiful scenes of oriental paintings and movies through tattoos. I’m also interested in traditional accessories these days, so I’m trying to develop my work by making those accessories into tattoo designs. Also, I want to be a good mentor to my students.
Do you prefer to do colour or black and grey tattoos? It’s difficult for me to choose between the two techniques as they’re attractive in different ways. Colour tattoos, in my opinion, are excellent because they allow me to create artworks by combining different colours, while black tattoos are appealing because they make it possible to express objects by using calm contrasts.
Can you tell us about your own tattoos? Are you a tattoo collector? There isn’t a tattoo artist out there who doesn’t collect tattoos. I’m a big fan of getting tattoos and I have a lot. I particularly enjoy getting flowers in gentle colours. Ornament style tattoos are very fashionable these days. So I’m thinking about getting another pretty tattoo.
What’s the tattoo scene like where you are? I work in Itaewon, Seoul which is Korea’s capital, it’s an area with a high concentration of foreigners. There are a lot of tattoo artists here who do fantastic work.
To remain active and not fall behind in the tattoo world, I believe it is critical to accurately understand your customers’ needs. To maintain my unique style I also strive to create tattoo works that meet all these requirements.
How have you been affected by the pandemic? In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic my tattoo shop was significantly affected as foreign customers accounted for about half of the total number of customers in my shop. Also, as the COVID-19-related quarantine policy was implemented in Korea, there were various restrictions on the shop’s operation, so I also had business difficulties. However, my shop’s business situation has dramatically improved since the “With Corona” policy was implemented.
When and how did you open your tattoo shop? Originally I was running a tattoo studio with other tattoo artists, but since we were running it together it was difficult to carry out what we all wanted. So I decided to open my own tattoo studio three years ago and that’s when soda shop was made.
What is the shop like including the other artists? Soda shop has a bright and free vibe and consists of female tattoo artists only. We didn’t intend it but somehow we just got together. We’re all close and always supporting each other’s work too.
What moment in your career are you most proud of? I am proud when my customers are pleased with their tattoo, when I am satisfied with my work or when my students create outstanding tattoos.
Follow @daldam__ (if you don’t already) for more incredibly beautiful tattoos.
