Tag: Things and Ink

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“On one hand, there’s tremendous value to be found in the old ‘gatekeepers’ of tattooing, their respect for techniques and history… on the other, that knowledge was often inaccessible – especially as a young female tattooer,” tattooist, Charlotte Timmons

Tattoo artist Charlotte Timmons (@charlotte.e.tattoos) is known for her creepy cute tattoos – we’re obsessed with her iconic cat ghosts. Having made the move from the Birmingham in the UK to work at Grit N Glory in New York, here she shares more about her tattoo journey and the ever-changing tattoo world…

When did you start tattooing and how did you start in the industry?

I can barely remember when I started tattooing at this point, but it must have been around 2009, so we’re going back about 15 years.

How have you seen the industry change since then? 

It’s very difficult to answer this succinctly because it’s changed so much. As a mid-millennial, it’s crazy how much I’ve seen technology evolve in my lifetime – and that’s had an impact on every industry in so many ways. 

For me, tattooing has evolved in really good and really bad ways because of both the influence of social media and culture more generally. On one hand, there’s actually tremendous value to be found in the old ‘gatekeepers’ of tattooing – their respect and reverence for techniques and history, and the humility expected from people getting into the industry are lessons I internalised. On the other hand, that knowledge was often inaccessible – especially as a young female tattooer – and that it isn’t so much the case now.

As someone who loves to do guest spots in different places, it’s always fun to find fresh and conflicting opinions about where the industry is headed. Suffice to say, in my experience, the best people in the industry, both old and new, are the people who value and care for their customers, and are grateful to do the job. Not the people who always need to buy another ticket for their ego.

You tattoo in New York now, how was the move from the UK? What inspired you to move? 

It was really difficult. I went from a full calendar and a shop full of people I loved like family to barely any bookings and a shop full of new people I didn’t know yet. Then a pandemic hit – which made me feel I had made a huge mistake.”

“The culture of New York is highly competitive, innovative, fast paced, expensive and exhausting. And if I think about it, I don’t really know what inspired me to move here. It’s more like I did something really insane and then made up the reason later – like a lot of my favourite tattoos.

I had hit 30 and was watching a lot of friends and family settle down. I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life, I just felt this restlessness in my gut that I had to do *something*. When the thought came up to move to NYC after guesting there, I thought, why not? It’s kind of insane, but New York forced me to grow into a person closer to the one I wanted to be, so it was the right decision.

How is the tattoo scene different over there? 

I’d say I tattoo more people of colour in New York than I used to, which is a great thing that has helped me grow as an artist, and to see different tones heal on different skin types is important for the planning of a design. I grew up in a fairly diverse community, but most of the people of colour I knew were from conservative or religious families, so they rarely had tattoos.

The tattoo scene here is as vibrant as anywhere, but there are so many people here that you have to find your specific niche or it’s highly competitive for work.

How would you describe your style and what do you love to tattoo?  

My style has sort of been coined as ‘Illustrative Neo-traditional’. It’s a pretty good description. It’s like I can’t decide what lane I’m in so I just throw a bit of everything I’ve learned from people in every style into it. I love animals and floral, and I love creepy stuff and fantasy stuff the most. The themes of traditional are classics for a reason, but I’m become more interested in flow, and fitting things to the body shape.

Is there something you’d like to do more of? 

I would love to do some darker themes, and some bigger more ‘stripped back’ stuff, but I also appreciate that a lot of my work is really ‘cute’ and intricate and that’s why people go for it. It’s not like I want to tattoo skulls all day, but I would love to lean more into that occasionally because I feel like I want to fine-tune that area to be a better all-round tattooer.

Have you found you’re known for a particular subject? 

My little cat ghosts. Creepy cute stuff, animal portraits, and undoubtedly the most ‘famous’ tattoos I’ve made are of moths.

What’s been your proudest tattoo moment? 

It’s hard to pick one but a girl said to me at a show here in the US that she followed my work when she was a teenager, and it inspired her to tattoo. And a woman once sent me a picture her 14-year-old had drawn based on one of my tattoos. Both sort of took me aback because no matter how old I get, I always have this imposter syndrome and feel kind of irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. So to have people notice anything you’ve done, and say you specifically inspired them to draw or tattoo feels really profound.

Any future plans you’d like to share with us?

I am currently living happily in NYC, but have guest spots around the US lined up for the spring and summer. Hopefully I’ll be visiting the UK later in the year too, but I can’t make any concrete plans just yet. I’m hoping to be back a few times in the next couple of years too.

Make sure to follow Charlotte on Instagram for more cute tattoos – and hopefully some skulls, too!

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

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“I look at myself as a canvas”, interview with Beckie Bold

25-year-old digital creator Beckie Bold (@beckiebold) lives in North Wales where she creates inspiring content for her followers. We chatted to Beckie (she/her) to find out more about her tattoo collection and body confidence journey…

What made you want to get tattooed?

I’ve always loved tattoos and thought they were super cool when I was younger. Growing up I realised that I look at tattoos as someone painting their own canvas (their body). I think it’s really unique and brings lots of confidence and is definitely a way to express yourself as a person.

I knew when I was younger that I would definitely be a tatted person.

What was your first tattoo? Can you tell us about the experience?

The last time I got tatted, I got three in one sitting. I got a small love heart with the number 13 in behind my ear, because it’s my favourite number and it seems to follow me around. I got a coffin with flowers around it on my upper arm because I thought it went with the spooky vibe of my sleeve and then I also got some crystals and flowers, again to fit the theme of my sleeve.

The experience was great! I was tatted by Emma-louise Bolton (@emm.dots) in Salford, she’s fabulous. She’s so lovely and chatty and always makes you feel super comfortable! She always gives me the prettiest ink.

Talk us through your tattoo collection – any favourites or meaningful ones?

I have lots of tattoos, probably too many to go into detail about each one. Some of my favourites are my mandala in my ditch, that one hurt super bad I wont lie but it’s absolutely stunning. I love my flowers on my chest too as they make me feel super pretty and confident. Another favourite of mine is my little skeletons with the black rose between them, little skeletons in love!

I have one on my back which is quite meaningful to me as it reminds me of my nana and taid (Welsh for grandad) as they were travellers back in the day, so I got a Gypsy wagon wheel for them.

Do you have any themes?

Yes! My right arm is spooky/space themed and I am totally obsessed. I love it and I can’t wait until its completely finished!

You share body confidence and your mental health, do tattoos help you love your body?

Definitely. They let me express myself in a way that is unique to me. They’re beautiful and I want to show them off, which helps me be confident in myself. When I have low days with my body image, I look at all the ink which helps me push through the body battles a little bit more.

Have they made you see your body differently?

I look at myself as a canvas. I get to fill in my own canvas with everyone I love or makes me happy. It’s such a brilliant way to be create in my opinion.

My tattoos make me want to be proud of the skin I am in.

What’s it like getting tattooed when you have lipoedema?

I think it’s different for everyone with lipoedema. For me personally, my upper arms (where the lipoedema is) have bruised whilst healing, while my lower arms (where I don’t have lipoedema) didn’t bruise at all. My lower leg tattoo didn’t hurt at all which surprised me as I have lipoedema there too.

Do you have any advice for anyone who has lipoedema and wants to get tattooed?

It depends on the person and pain tolerance but be prepared for it to potentially be a little more sore in areas where your lipoedema is! I can’t comment too much on this as everyone’s body will react differently.

Can you tell us about what you share on socials, how it all started?

In 2017/2018 when I started university, I began to use Instagram as a mental health diary to help me through my battles. I never set out to do any of this “influencer” stuff and never thought I would reach 40,000 people, but I somehow did.

Seeing all the different content creators on Instagram has saved me in a way, they’ve inspired me to love me for me and I can now hopefully inspire others to love them for them. It’s an amazing platform when you follow people and connect with people that help you feel happy and good about yourself.

I actively speak about body acceptance, mental health and sometimes chronic health such as lipoedema. I want to help people as much as I can. Even if its just one person that feels better because of something they have seen or read on my page, then I’m doing it right.

How do you want people to feel when they see your corner of the internet?

Safe. Included. Inspired. Beautiful. Good enough. Worthy. All the good things! I want them to start treating themselves how they would treat their loved ones. It’s great to love others, but lets love ourselves too shall we?

Follow Beckie for more beautiful photos and tattoos.

Read more tattoo stories including tattoos to mark transformative moments and our interview with Cicely Rae Jackson.

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“I find small things in everyday life – I contemplate whether those elements can be expressed through a tattoo,” interview with tattoo artist, Chou

When Korean tattoo artist Chou (@chou_tatt) was becoming curious about the wider world, a serendipitous email landed in her inbox from Chronic Ink tattoo shop in Toronto, Canada. She grabbed the chance to work there without hesitation and moved from her native Korea to her current home of Canada. Here she shares more about her tattoo journey…

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

I first learned about tattoos when I was 16. The guy was a sort-of gangster, I supposed, but also an artist in the Irezumi genre – he always drew dragon faces. At that time, tattoos in Korea were associated with the underground culture of gangsters. I found it quite shocking.

A few years later, I came across a watercolour tattoo by a Korean artist named Graffiti. He gave his client a vibrant red plum blossom on their side. Seeing that artwork, I realised that tattoos could truly be beautiful art forms. This experience became the catalyst for my love of tattoos.

What made you want to become a tattoo artist?

The job seemed cool. The idea of giving people lifelong art on their bodies really appealed to me. Before getting tattoos on my own body, I wanted to understand the principles of tattooing. So, I started learning about tattoos.

How long have you been tattooing for and how did you practice?

I think it’s been around five years now. I fell into the world of tattooing, and I’ve been searching for many teachers. I’ve had four tattoo teachers…

We absolutely adore your beautiful style, how would you describe it? 

I’m an artist who uses rich and sophisticated colour palettes to beautifully adorn the body parts that customers desire.

Where does your inspiration come from?

It seems like I always find something small in everyday life. When exposed to certain visual stimuli, I contemplate whether those elements can be expressed through a tattoo. If it seems feasible, I quickly jot down notes. When I feel the desire to create a design, I revisit those notes, allowing me to filter out the ones that align more with my criteria.

You’re currently based in Canada, what brought you there and why?

While working in Korea, I became curious about the wider world. The tattoo market in Korea had less demand compared to the supply. By chance, Chronic Ink – the shop I now work at in Toronto – reached out to me and I came to Canada!

How do you like to work with your customers to bring designs to life?

It’s incredibly exciting when customers suggest interesting themes to me. Especially, the tattoo ideas featuring blue chrysanthemums, eyeballs, and pocket mice. These have been the most amusing topics in my life. When expressing my own colour palette with various themes, I fall in love with my job all over again.

Is it a collaboration, or do you prefer to have full control of your work?

Well, most of my customers trust me completely. They simply tell me the themes they want, and there’s little to no need for further adjustments when I send them the designs. Thankfully, my clients genuinely trust and respect me.

If a customer has a firm idea of what they want, and it slightly differs from my opinion, I tend to show them a few examples to broaden their choices. Since a tattoo is something that lasts a lifetime once done, I consider this aspect to be very important.

Do you tattoo flash pieces or mostly custom?

I like both, but working with flash pieces is a bit easier. That’s because the completed images are already visualised in my mind, and I just need to bring them to life. So, I sell flash pieces at a bit more affordable prices.

What are your hopes and dreams for the future?

It’s truly wonderful for me that my profession gives me happiness and I find joy in touching my customers through my work. I genuinely feel blessed. I hope to continue experiencing this happiness in the future and share it with others.

Do you have any plans to travel for guest spots?

I will be working in the UK and Germany from March. If anyone would like to meet me, please contact me through the profile link on my Instagram, @chou_tatt.

Be sure to follow @chou_tatt on Instagram and fill her guest spot spaces.

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

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“The idea is to convert scars into something pretty; to transform a difficult experience into something beautiful,” interview with Tina Caruso

Tattoo artist Tina Caruso (@tinacarusodot) tattoos at Buzz Club in Leeds. Here she talks about her journey into the tattoo industry, never giving up on her dreams and her new project, the ‘pay as you feel campaign’ for those who’ve had mastectomies…


How long have been tattooing and how did you get started in the industry?

When I was 19, I started out of curiosity. My parents helped me buy my first tattoo machine and get my licence – I started tattooing from their house. At the time, in my small hometown in the south of Spain, there weren’t any tattoo studios.

I moved to the UK in 2016 and tattooing stopped being a priority for me, it wasn’t until 2018 that I tried to find an apprenticeship – I didn’t have much luck. So, I kept practising at home, I started English classes and I found the tattooing style I wanted to go for and put together a professional portfolio. I finally started in my first tattoo studio, Skinz, at the end of 2019.

What inspired you to be an artist? Do you have a background in art?

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been painting or drawing. I’ve also experimented with a range of media. I fell in love with oils. My mum’s house is covered in canvases. She has always pushed my creativity.

For me, becoming a tattoo artist came from the urge to be an artist. I felt that selling my art through tattoos would be an easier way to make a living. Now that I feel more settled in the tattoo industry, I can’t wait to start painting my canvases again and combine them with tattooing.

How would you describe your style? Have you always tattooed like that?

No, I started very young, with no guidance – not even YouTube to help me. I didn’t have anyone to ask about styles, so I started with the most popular style: Old School.

I’ve always been curious to try other styles – my first ever portfolio was chaos. It wasn’t until a year before I started working in my first ever tattoo studio that I began to stick to one style. It was dotwork, a very illustrative style – my designs and tattoos would be done dot by dot.

In the studio, I learnt how to whip shade, so I could start evolving my style. It became very dainty with small details creating fine-line realism. I’ve moved more towards surrealism, even more fine, delicate and smooth.

What inspires your designs?

Nowadays, my designs are inspired by people’s emotional scars and happy stories.

I would say daily life and storytelling inspires me the most.

For my personal projects I always use myself for inspiration: a bad moment, a certain situation I disliked, mostly negative emotions I’ve felt over the years. I would paint self portraits, not necessarily realistic, but to express what I felt in that moment and use it as a healing process.

Now I create more realistic looking pencil drawings, filled with certain emotions I have felt at some point. I find objects, human figures, animal, flowers, plants or anything that symbolises what I feel in the moment or relate to in some way.

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

I like to challenge myself with things I’ve never drawn before, this is what keeps tattooing exciting for me.

I’m feeling a bit experimental lately with human figures. I find I’m attracted to them every time I create. I find mythology from any culture exciting. Mostly mythological creatures, as I think these are very hard to capture. I’m learning to make them look real without losing the magical or ethereal look of them.

Can you tell us about your latest project?

The ‘pay as you feel campaign’ is a free service for those who’ve had mastectomies – if there is any exchange of money – but there doesn’t have to be – it will go to charity. I would love to tattoo more over scars and I’d love to help anyone who has had a mastectomy or top surgery.

The idea is to convert scars into something pretty; in other words, to transform a difficult experience into something beautiful.

I want to combine my profession with a social cause, as well as positively impact lives through my art.

How do you see your tattoos evolving in the future?

I am a very changeable person, I’m always creating and experimenting. I would love to start larger scale pieces, not necessarily bigger tattoos, just covering more of the body. They’d have lots of the delicate detail but would be spacious compositions that work with the body.

Do you think tattoos need to have a meaning or story behind them?

I prefer them to have a story. It helps my creative process so I can conjure up something different and unique every time. But I don’t think this is necessary, tattoos can be funny or for no reason. As long as they make the person happy and don’t offend anyone.

What was your first tattoo? Do you still like it? How has your tattoo collection developed since then?

I got my first tattoo when I was 19, it’s a line-work Converse shoe. I did it myself, in my bedroom. Fine-line tattooing wasn’t a thing until recently, so I had loads of colour traditional and black work tattoos.

I started covering everything two years ago, with a blackout from my left arm going down my back and finishing at my bum… for now. I decided to go for a neotribal bodysuit, as I feel it is a much more elegant and less noisy style.

Where’s been your favourite place to travel and tattoo? Do you have any guest spots planned?

I haven’t had the luck to travel outside the UK with my work yet. But, 2024 is full of guest spots, and I can’t wait – I’ll be travelling all over the UK. I’ll also be going to LA in September, so I will try to work in San Francisco and Mexico. But, nothing is confirmed yet. I’m also planning a full month in Germany, after the US. I am very much looking forward to these guest spots, seeing all these new places and meeting new tattoo artists.

What’s the tattoo scene like where you are?

Leeds is a very artistic and youthful city. I feel very lucky to be part of a team with young creatives and talented artists like the Buzz Club family. It is a great city to be an artist, even more so a tattoo artist.

What do you do when you’re not tattooing or drawing?

Emails! Tattooing is a 24/7 job. But when I have the free time, I love to go to the countryside, mostly in the summer, and in the winter, you will find me in any art gallery or exhibition. I find them very inspiring and sometimes I’m lucky enough to meet new artists while I visit their exhibitions.

What moment in your career are you most proud of?

When I moved from Spain to the UK at that young age, it definitely marked a before and after in myself. I kept pushing to become a tattoo artist – even when I wasn’t good enough.

The second was when, with no previous apprenticeship, I started working in a real tattoo studio as a real tattoo artist. All the effort wasn’t for nothing. I finally got into the tattoo industry.

And the last, the moment I learnt that every one of us has a different path, and it’s okay to have a rest when following your dream. It’s hard work, but never give up even if it takes years. You’ll get there if you put effort and care into what you do.

Follow Tina Caruso (@tinacarusodot) on Instagram for more beautiful tattoos. She works at Buzz Club in Leeds.

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

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“I fell in love with the process of tattooing and that love has been with me all my life,” interview with tattooist Dmitrii Palkin

We sat down to have an in-depth chat with tattoo artist Dmitrii Palkin who tattoos from Mimik Tattoo, in Charlotte, NC.

What first made you fall in love with tattooing? Do you have a very strong first defining memory?

Of course. It was in Russia. I was 10 years old and I saw the movie From Dusk till Dawn for the first time. George Clooney was so cool and he had a big brutal tattoo on his arm. This movie impressed me so much that I couldn’t sleep all night… I became a fan of tattoos after that.

What tattoos are on your own body? How old were you when you got your first? Do they tell a story – or are they more random? Do you still enjoy getting tattooed?

I only have five tattoos on my body… but that’s two arm sleeves, one leg sleeve , and my whole back and chest!

I got my first tattoo done by myself when I was 13 years old. I put together my own machine out of a spoon, guitar string instead of a needle, a ballpoint pen and a motor from a CD player. It was a very bad machine and the result was the same. It was a hieroglyph and I have no idea what it means. But from then on, I fell in love with the process of tattooing and that love has been with me all my life.

How did you become a tattoo artist? Is it a constantly evolving process? 

After graduating from university, I tried my hand at different fields, but I always felt out of place. The love for tattoos is something I’ve always felt.

In one of the hard moments of life, when I lost everything, I decided that this would be the best moment for the dream to become a reality. I gave myself six months to try my hand at being a tattoo artist. It was the best decision of my life. I started learning how to tattoo every day. And this learning doesn’t end even now, seven years later.

How would you describe your style? 

Black and white tattoo, microrealism, fineline.

What inspires you? Do you have any artists you admire?

I am very inspired by Dmitry Troshin, Sergey Murdoc, Sashatattooing, Orge Kalodimas. They are very cool masters, and besides their work I am inspired by the fact that they achieve everything by themselves.

Do you have any guest spots planned? Where and how do customers book in?

Yes, I plan to visit many different states in the US, I want to explore California, Florida, Vegas. To book a session with me, you can use any means of communication. Instagram direct or email Palkin@mimiktattoo.com.

You specialise in covering scars, how did that come about and what do you love about it? 

I once had a situation where my wife badly burned her leg and I lived the recovery journey with her. She was left with scars after the incident and after healing I offered to help her cover them with a tattoo. When I announced on my blog that I was willing to help other women cover their scars as well, I saw huge feedback.

I started getting hundreds of hard tragic stories and pictures of scars sent to me. It was heartbreaking to read them, but I felt compelled to make their lives better. Scars are the heartache of thousands of women.

What’s different about tattooing scarred skin and what should customers think about if they have scars they’d like to tattoo over?

Tattooing over a scar is much more difficult to do than over just a skin. It takes a lot of experience to choose the right design and control the depth of the piercing. In the inexperienced hands of an artist, overlapping a scar will look like mush/a bruise. Not all scars can be resurfaced, sometimes I send clients to a dermatologist for a consultation to get the go-ahead.

We love how open and honest about your past you are on social media, why is that important to you?

Thank you so much! When I talk about my past, I get a lot of feedback from those who are having a hard time right now. And by seeing my journey and what I’ve come to, people see hope for a brighter future. It’s important for me to spread the message, it’s in my recovery programme. It’s also important for me to remind myself where I came from.

You’ve recently moved to the USA, where were you before and what made you make the move? What’s next?

All my life I have lived and worked in Russia and travelled a lot to other countries. America was my childhood dream. And I am happy that I have had this opportunity. America is a great country and I am honoured to work here now and learn  the American  culture!