Tag: Things and Ink

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Eat, drink and be merry: our fave food tattoos

Our editor Rosalie loves food and – of course – tattoos. So what’s better than combining these two loves? It seemed a lot of you agree with her. In this blog, she shares the stories behind some of her – and your – food tattoos.

Rosalie Hurr: “This is my silly cat wearing a cake and it’s by Lucy Alice (@_cattnip). I actually won a tattoo giveaway and just thought this was a fun idea. The edamame bean was done on holiday in Newquay by Gemma (@helfire). This foodie tattoo is for one of my oldest friends, Cath. We always share edamame beans when we see each other, it’s a bit of tradition. My cute bean reminds me of all the good times and food we’ve shared together. Awwww…”

“Then, there’s my cinnamon bun by Hayley Blackwood (@hayleyblackwoodtattoo). I just reeeeeeally love a warm doughy, comforting cinnamon bun. While honeymooning in Canada, I made it my mission to seek out the best ones. The words ‘forever hungry’ honour trying to stay open and, more literally, my constantly rumbling tummy.”

“I also share tons of amazing food tattoos on @Foodie.tattoos!”

Joey, 31, living in London

“My strawberries were done by Korean tattoo artist @mym_room. Based on a song by my favourite band about strawberries – a heart is like a strawberry, it has nothing to protect it. In an emotional, rather than literal, sense…”

Amie, 32, Operations Manager for a small charity, living in Bristol

“My lil lime tattoo is for my besties! We all love a shot of tequila, obvs with a lime. So, I thought it would be nice to honour my favourite women with a bright green lime on my leg. It’s by @abiloveless. “

Rachel, 30, from Leeds

“I have a pizza slice tattoo. I also have a tomato by Fiona (@growing.basil) but I got that because my cat was called Tomato. So it’s more symbolic but it’s still food!”

Lucyna, 36, hairdresser, Nottingham

“I love PIZZA! I just like pepperoni pizza!”

Amy, 38, tattoo collector and cat mother, Manchester

“Paula Castle (@paulacastletattoos) did my food tattoos. A cup of tea solves everything. And this is my teapot with a bee as a representation of Manchester. Custard creams, malted milks, fondant fancies have always been faves of mine. My mum will always do me a brew with biscuits when I visit so it’s a bit of a homage to her.”

“Scones are also a fave (jam first always), plus it always feels special to go for afternoon tea with scones, jam and cream. Food definitely brings people together – even in the hardest times. Sometimes a brew and a biscuit is what you need to know you’re loved and cared for. One of my nieces pointed at my biscuit tattoos and said those are her fave too – that made my day!”

Nicola, 40, from Sunderland

“Alex Rowntree (@alexrowntreetattoo) did my milkshake tattoo. There’s no story to it other than I love a good narna milkshake! I wanted it for years before I actually got it.”

Vicki, 48, SEN teacher

“My banana was custom by Sarah Whitehouse (@warahshitehouse) back in 2018. I got a tattoo for my younger daughter, then I asked my eldest daughter what I should get for her. She was 14 at the time, but she said a banana! Most of my tattoos have faces so that was what I went for. I teach students with special needs and it’s the tattoo they always comment on. My nephew has loved it since he was a baby, too. A banana with a happy face seems to cheer people up.”

Bek, 30, Clinical Deputy in secure services, Birmingham

“My tattoo was done by Lucy Blue (@lucybluetattoo) when she was an apprentice about 8 years ago. It was a drawing on a print she had created with other foodie ladies and she wanted to tattoo them, so I said yes. You usually see the ladies with fruit on their head, but I liked how fun and different the junk food was.”

Have you got a foodie tattoo? Let us know in the comments and tag us on Instagram!

We’re always sharing amazing tattoos and tattoo artists. Keep scrolling and check out our latest tattoo posts.

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Apprentice love: Alice

We’ve loved Alice’s artwork for a looooooong time – we actually first spoke to the artist in 2020 (read our interview here). So when we saw she’d started tattooing, we knew we had to chat to Alice (@aliceneedstattoos) to find out all about her tattoo apprenticeship…

Where are you apprenticing? When did it start and how did you get it? 

I’m finishing my apprenticeship at Girls Girls Girls Tattoo Club in Wakefield, UK. I had originally started an apprenticeship at a studio elsewhere which ended up with me leaving to protect my mental health – I was on the verge of a breakdown from the way I was being treated.

I was lucky enough that Beth from Girls wanted to take me under her wing and give me a safe and inclusive studio to learn and work in.  

What drew you to the tattoo world?

I’ve always been interested in tattoos, I was fascinated by them as a teenager and like the idea of people having art on their body. 

Did you want tattoos as a child? 

Yes, I don’t really remember when it started but I always wanted them – even though no one else in my family was tattooed. I booked my first tattoo for my eighteenth birthday a year in advance because I was so excited.

Can you tell us about your own tattoo collection

I started getting tattooed when I was 18, I’ve grown my collection pretty rapidly but I’m very lucky to have been tattooed by a bunch of amazing artists. I think that’s the perk of living in Leeds!

The majority of my collection is by Lucy O’Connell (@lucylucyhorsehead), we are working on full back leg pieces of badass Greek mythological women at the minute. 

You’re a freelance illustrator as well, can you tell us about this? 

Yes! I’ve been a freelance illustrator for around 5 years now, I started it when I finished uni because I wanted to make work I enjoyed after doing a fine art degree.

I was lucky enough to get some exciting jobs early on which kickstarted my career, it’s ended up tying really nicely into my tattooing. 

What do you love about your apprenticeship? Have there been any challenges? 

I love the studio I’m at now, the babes that I work with have made me feel welcome straight away and it’s always good fun. Beth is a great mentor!

I’ve always been wanted to get into tattooing and it took me a long time to get my foot in the door. Being able to do it now is genuinely such an amazing feeling, I will always be grateful. 

As I mentioned I had a bad experience with the first studio I started at, unfortunately tattooing still has a real problem with men having power trips and I wouldn’t allow myself to be intimidated. 

Have you got an emerging style? 

At the minute it is neotrad, lots of bold colour which takes inspiration from my illustrative work. I love Japanese though and would like to develop this.  

What do you like to tattoo and draw? 

Anything colourful and bold! I love a bit of kitsch but on the other hand I love anything inspired by classical fine art, so it’s a real mix. 

What does the future look like for you?

Hopefully just developing my style. I want to work as hard as possible to be the best I can be and keep developing myself. Who knows where I will end up!

Make sure to follow Alice (@aliceneedstattoos) on her tattoo journey and get booked in.

We’re always sharing our favourite tattoo apprentices in our Apprentice love series, read more interviews here.

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Painting on skin: Interview with tattoo artist Dareum

Precious things tattooed to capture a moment in time, tattoo artist Dareum (@dareumtattoo) creates beautiful drawings for the people that visit her. Here we found out more about her art, hopes for the future and how you can get your very own “drawing tattoo”…

Tell me about what made you fall in love with tattoos?

I fell in love with tattoos when I first got them. Having loved drawing since I was a child, I fell in love with the charm of being able to paint on skin, not paper for only one person.

What’s your earliest memory of tattoos? Did you want them as a child?

I didn’t know I would be a tattooist when I was young. It hasn’t been long since Korean tattoos became popular. I think tattoos and tattooers are still in the stage of changing that perception. Tattoos were strongly perceived to be negative, their images were frightening in Korea. Of course I thought so too when I was young.

How did you train to become a tattoo artist?

I first learned to tattoo in 2016. At the time, I majored in visual design at university, and I had the opportunity to learn tattooing, but I slowed down for a while because it was a time when I was thinking about my career path. Then in 2018, I started again properly. I learned the practice of expressing my paintings in tattoos and how to handle machines.

How would you describe your style of tattooing?

“Drawing tattoo”, I want to say that! I transfer the drawings that I make on paper onto my client’s skin. I like to express the texture of the materials I’ve used. That’s why it’s better to call it “drawing tattoo”!

Do you tattoo lots of tourists who’ve travelled for your work?

Yes, Of course most of my guests are Koreans, but I’m so grateful to the customers who come to me while traveling.

How long is your wait list? How do customers book in?

My books are always open. I accept reservations for the next one to two months first.

How should customers contact you? Of course if someone is travelling over from the UK, how much notice would you need?

I communicate with all my customers through messenger or email. First, if you contact me with the date you want, I will send you a notice and a booking form. Please contact dareumtattoo@gmail.com, Instagram DM, or Kakao Talk.

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

I think Korea is still in the middle stage. All Korean tattooists are striving to develop a tattoo culture. I hope that the day will come soon when we can legalise and work confidently.

What’s the best way for customers to come up with an idea for you? Do you offer flash or prefer custom work?

I prefer to work on flash designs. I’m so grateful to the customers who accept my personal drawings as tattoos. Of course, I’m so grateful to the customers who trust me with custom designs as well. Knowing and trusting my style can be a pleasure for both customers and myself.

What is the address of your studio?

The studio is located in Yongsan-gu, the centre of Seoul. It is adjacent to Myeongdong, Jongno, Itaewon, and Hannam-dong tourist attractions.

Do you ever do guest spots? If so, when / where?

In 2019 I went to Paris, then in 2022 I was in London and in 2023 I visited Tokyo. I haven’t been to many different places due to the pandemic, but now I want to try to visit lots of different places again!

What are your hopes and plans for the future?

The current plan is to develop more hand-drawings and to go to various countries. I want to do art books or exhibitions with my drawings someday too.

What do you think about the tattoo world itself?

Tattoos are an art that you can use to express oneself without explanation. It marks a time that has passed. Many of my clients got their tattoos to remember a time or leave precious things on their body.

Over time, you can take out your old diary, look at the tattoos as if you are immersed in memories, and look back on yourself at that moment in time.

Make sure you follow Dareum (@dareumtattoo) for more beautiful tattoos

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

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Tattoos to mark transformative moments

Our founder Alice Snape recently wrote a feature for HuffPost about the power of tattoos that mark transformative moments in our lives – you can read it over at huffingtonpost.co.uk.

As part of the feature, she writes about her new chest piece by Kate Mackay Gill @kate_selkie (pic in header taken by Olivia Snape) to mark her 40th birthday… and she also interviewed other tattoo collectors about the transformative reasons for getting tattooed – from taking ownership of bodies to marking the death of a loved one…

She spoke to so many people while researching the feature that sadly she couldn’t include every story, so we thought we’d share them here instead:

Nina Cresswell, 33, writer

“In 2020, I named a tattooist who violently sexually assaulted me, then he tried to sue me for defamation. But I won what became a landmark libel case in April 2023. I got this Drowning Girl by Fidjit, who’s also a survivor as a reminder that I kept my head above water for years – and survived (hence the party hat). On top of the libel case, the perpetrator reported me for malicious communication for speaking out. Feeling powerless, I wrote “I am the evidence” over and over before driving to the police station. My experiences have been painful, but quiet moments of self-love and solidarity kept me going. Believing in myself. Believing in my strength. Believing in change. Because without hope of change, survival feels impossible.”

Stephanie Harris is 36 and works in IT

“I got this tattoo by Cassandra Frances in June 2021, almost two years after my eldest sister Tanya died of cancer. I wanted a tattoo that was not only in memory of Tanya, but that also that symbolised myself and my two sisters forever intertwined – even beyond this life. This tattoo is of my blonde hair, my sister Natasha’s dark brown hair, and Tanya’s warm brown hair braided together to express our sisterly bond. The women in my family all have thick, coarse hair, and I wear a braided lock of Tanya’s hair in a reliquary necklace every day, so hair feels important and somewhat sacred to me.”

Stephanie with her sisters

Rowan Stein, she/they, 32 year old cat lady living in Edinburgh

“My tattoo is by Sophie Bellingham from Cap in Hand tattoo in Loanhead. I got it after a long term abusive relationship, my ex made a lot of comments about my appearance and I was learning to let go of his voice in my head. I had originally planned for it to be on my stomach, but my skin’s too soft and it would have warped the design so we put it on my chest. It’s been a game-changer in me seeing myself the way I want to and not how others dictate.”

Terri-Jane Dow, 36, Writer

“This script from the Freddie Mercury song The Great Pretender. Freddie Mercury died when I was really little, and my dad was heartbroken. He and I laid on the living room floor listening to records for days, so, after my dad died, it was an obvious choice for something to get tattooed. It was done by Adam at Vagabond in Hackney about six months after dad died. It’s funny that I got a tattoo for dad at all – he had tattoos that he’d lied about his age to get, and hated them. I moved home briefly when I was in my late 20s, just after I’d got a big tattoo on my leg, and I spent the whole summer sweltering in jeans so he wouldn’t find out about it. After he died, when we went to the crematorium to see him, I told him I had tattoos. If anything was going to wake him up, that would’ve been it.”

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Interview with tattoo artist Hussein Mistrah

Tattoo artist Hussein Mistrah (@hussein.mistrah.tattoos) works in Detroit, Michigan after emigrating from Lebanon earlier this year. Having made a name for himself in a short space of time, we caught up with him to chat about his journey into the tattoo world and his goals for the future…

What made you want to become a tattoo artist?

As early as second or third grade it became clear to my teachers and fellow students that I was destined to excel in art. I can recall when I was about 8 years old my district had a contest that required the children to draw inside of a Picon Cheese container (similar to Laughing Cow here in the United States) and I won.

I later found tattooing and went on to attend university in Lebanon and obtained a Fine Arts Degree. I enjoyed sculpting the most but became proficient in many other mediums as well. The transition to tattooing full time came easily as I was able to make a career of creating and sharing my art with others.

What’s your earliest memory of tattoos? Did you want them as a child?

Tattoos were not common in Lebanon when I was young. I can remember drawing on my friends with a pen when I was about 13 years old. Shortly after entering university I found myself in a tattoo shop by chance and immediately became determined to pursue the craft. I have always been more interested in tattooing others than having them myself.

How long have you been tattooing for? How did you train to become a tattoo artist?

I have been tattooing for 12 years and I’m primarily self taught. My college education set a solid foundation for my work and I was able to apply that knowledge to ink on skin. There weren’t many tattoo-specific resources available to me in Lebanon, but today I enjoy learning from other talented industry professionals when I attend conventions.

How would you describe your style of tattooing?

I specialise in black and grey realism and aim to achieve a specific balance of light and dark in all of my work. My preference in terms of subject matter include figures of Greek mythology, historical sculpture and portraits. When tattooing portraits I prefer to incorporate female subjects. I feel the eye is consistently drawn to the beauty of a female face which adds spirit and soul to my artwork.

Do you prefer to work on flash or custom tattoos? How do you work with your clients on designs and ideas?

My work is exclusively custom and I spend the majority of my time on larger scale pieces. When a client approaches me I begin with the primary subject matter of their preference and expand upon it to create a cohesive and proprietary composition.

The day preceding an appointment I spend time organising my ideas and setting the groundwork which allows me to spend more time with my young daughter. I always give my clients freedom regarding placement and size, however I find it necessary to organise the major components of the canvas to best fit my style and technique for the most dramatic result.

How can clients book in with you? Do you have a waitlist?

In order to best accommodate myself and clients I have found that booking in short segments is most effective and flexible. I open my books every three months and use Instagram exclusively for scheduling. I don’t maintain a waitlist but interested clients can reapply in the next three month cycle.

Can you tell us about your seminars, what do these involve?

I’ve had the privilege to present five seminars in Lebanon and two in the United States to date. I will be hosting my third US seminar in November 2023. Teaching other industry professionals presents a unique opportunity to focus on my personal techniques in a way that gives black and grey tattooers a new perspective. I place emphasis on balance, contrast and saturation with smooth transition and shading.

Do you have a favourite convention or place you’ve tattooed in?

My favorite convention is Tattoo Planetarium in Paris, France which I have attended twice in 2019 and 2022 respectively. This convention gave me the opportunity to meet several of my idols face to face and the calibre of work is extraordinary.

Can you tell us about some of the awards you’ve won? Do you have a moment you’re most proud of?

When I emigrated to the United States I attempted to enter the Motor City Tattoo convention only three weeks after my arrival. They initially couldn’t accommodate me on such short notice but I was ultimately given a small booth and was awarded Best of Show for Black and Grey work on the final day. It was not only validating for me but my first step towards achieving the American Dream.

How does the tattoo scene differ in Lebanon and Michigan?

Tattooing in Lebanon is not prominent however it has grown as an industry since I began in 2011. Previously it was considered taboo but in recent years it has become more mainstream.

In the United States tattooing is obviously well established. I have found potential clients are willing to wait for appointments when they understand the quality of work they will receive.

What do you think about the tattoo world itself?

Looking back on the experiences and opportunities the tattoo world has given me I have to
admit that if I was given the opportunity to start over I would choose this career again and again.

Tattooing has given me the means to support myself and my family but is more than just a job and I truly enjoy being able to make a living through my hobby.

What are your hopes and plans for the future?

I aspire to be recognised as an elite artist and become an esteemed member of the professional community. I have been lucky enough to meet some incredibly talented artists and hope to be among them someday.

Make sure you follow Hussein Mistrah (@hussein.mistrah.tattoos) for more incredible tattoos.

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