Tag: animal tattoos

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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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Interview with tattoo artist Gigi

Tattoo artist Gigi (Heaji Choi) tattoos beautiful fine line tattoos from Monday Island, Seoul, South Korea. We love her one-liner tattoos and chatted to the artist about her style, journey into the tattoo world and inspirations…

How long have you been a tattoo artist? 

I started tattooing in 2020, so three years now.

How did you become a tattoo artist?

I happened to see a video on YouTube where Doy, a Korean tattooist, was being interviewed about his job and life as a tattooer. Afterwards I did loads of research, searching for more information around this career. I thought it looked like an interesting career and so I began learning to tattoo.

What made you want to become one? 

The act of leaving a meaningful and long-lasting piece of art on a person’s body was an attractive concept to me, it still is. That’s why I have always been respectful of tattooing and responsible.

What’s the best thing about your job? 

I think meeting different people is the best thing. It is a wonderful and enjoyable experience when I meet not only Koreans but also guests from other countries

How would you describe your work?

I find the characteristics of a subject be it an object or person and express these using a flow of lines.

How do you do your one-line tattoos? 

Sometimes the lines are quite complicated and the area and size of the tattoo is small, so I can’t exactly see the lines when I place a stencil. If I draw a line wrong even once, the drawing and tattoo might look a bit different. So I am often checking the design and tattoo while I work on it.

What inspires your designs? 

I like to take a walk and listen to music. It seems I am inspired by seeing and feeling nature, observing objects and animals around me. Of course, I try to get inspiration by going to art galleries and exhibitions as well.

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

I like to make tattoos of nature, natural subjects and animals. This is what I usually do now, and I want to work on various topics in the future.

Do you have tattoos? Can you tell us about them? 

I have a few small tattoos. Most of them are flowers and animals. I got some of them because they were made by my favourite artists, and I got some because I happened to see the design and I liked it so much. I love my tattoos so much!

What do you do when you’re not tattooing? 

I like to do yoga. At first, I started doing it just for the physical benefit because I work a lot. But the more I did it, it seemed to help me mentally too, so it suits me really well. 

What’s been your proudest career moment?

There’s one client I remember. She got a very meaningful phrase and image on her wrist. It was her first tattoo. She couldn’t take her eyes off it for a while after getting it tattooe. She was very moved and started crying, saying thank me so much.

That’s when I felt once again that this kind of work really does provide a really meaningful moment for people. Since then, I have become more serious about my work – I’m very proud to have this job.

Follow @gigi_tattooer for more adorable tattoos.

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

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Interview with tattoo artist: Maret

Maret aka @lordenstein_art, creates incredible tattoos at Capsule.3, a private studio in Berlin, Germany. Here she tells us about making tattoos that tell a story, her most memorable tattoo experience and her fun tattoo collection…

How long have you been a tattoo artist? I slowly started tattooing friends and people I knew in 2014 and I became a full time tattoo artist in 2016. I tried to get an apprenticeship in 2005, when I was 15 years old, but at that time it was quite impossible.

How have you seen the industry evolve since you began? I was interested in tattooing as a child, but even then I had the impression that the scene was very male dominated. Women were mostly just cover girls on magazines and the tattoo shops were full of male tattoo artists – the environment seemed hard and rough. But that didn’t bother me and I really wanted to be a part of it.

I’m glad that the scene has opened up a lot more. There are more styles and different ways into tattooing as a career is possible. More variation exists and everyone inside a tattoo studio can feel like they’re in good hands.

How would you describe your work? Has your style changed since you started? I would describe my work as mostly driven by linework with some shading to set the contrast. I love dreamy, beautiful or cute designs and a “clean“ image instead of chaotic or abstract designs. Saying that, when I started out I would sometimes work in a more abstract way, I also would use bigger lines and apply dots instead of light shading – I wouldn’t do this anymore.

What drew you to linework rather than colour? As well as aspiring to become a tattoo artist I wanted to become a manga artist. I found the implementation of shadows and structures with black ink especially exciting. I have always liked to work with fineliners instead of pencils.

What appeals to me is that you can’t correct what you’ve drawn, but instead you have to accept it.

I think I felt more comfortable with black lines and with a few exceptions, no one has ever asked me for a colour tattoo. So, from the beginning I have stayed with the technique I felt most comfortable with.

What inspires your tattoos and what do you like to create? I like to create cute and joyful designs, but sometimes they also include a hint of melancholy.

I love it when they tell a story or when I can hide Easter eggs in there which you don’t notice immediately.

I get inspired pretty easily by all kinds of stuff that’s around me, sometimes it’s just the light falling through the leaves of a tree or a butterfly sitting on a flower on my balcony. I also have a good collection of artbooks, including Studio Ghibli animes and others, which display a great collection of landscape designs.

In the end I want to create something that makes my customer happy and gives them a positive feeling.

What’s the tattoo culture like in Berlin? I feel the tattoo culture is very diverse and modern. From the classic old school walk-in shops to the private studios and safe spaces, everything is there – stylistically as well. Nevertheless, I sometimes feel that the scene could benefit from more networking and communication between the styles of tattooing.

But, then again there are events like joint art exhibitions that break down these discrepancies by inviting everyone to join in and contribute a design in their style. In my opinion, there should be more of these.

Also tattooing should finally be officially recognised as an art form, which unfortunately has not been the case in Germany so far.

Do you have a tattoo experience that sticks out in your mind? Almost all of my experiences so far have been very good, whether I have created the tattoo or been tattooed.

Getting tattooed in South Korea was a particularly special experience. I was quite nervous at first as I had to transfer the full amount for the tattoo months in advance. When I arrived in Korea, I was given the address which I was not allowed to share. I was also asked not to post anything on social media.

The shop looked like an apartment building from the outside and the inside was like a small office. Little by little the equipment was taken out of different closets and corners and a tattoo shop emerged. Tattooing is still illegal in South Korea, so everything is done in secrecy.

In addition, the tattoo artist took a long break every hour and had two assistants on site. Rarely have I seen a tattooist allow themselves so much selfcare, although it would do us all so much good! Who doesn’t know the constant back pain and eating unhealthy snacks quickly between appointments?

Everything there felt peaceful and mindful.

Can you tell us about your own tattoo collection? My right leg is mainly a collection of tattoos from friends, acquaintances and people I’ve met during guest spots. Most of the tattoos on my leg have something in common – they all do show llamas or alpacas. I just love these animals and they are so funny! Many of them are doing things that reflect me, like eating ice cream. One sleeps on the back of a snail, because in life I generally need a little longer to tackle things or find my way. This leg is obviously also a bit more colourful.

Otherwise I like a lot of black and now and then a coloured accent. I also prefer dark and bold designs. For example, on my left leg I have a centipede which crawls into the open mouth of a woman’s face and on the side of my thigh I have a huge Hydra. I especially like the contrast between the dark colour and the free (open/not tattooed) skin.

Perhaps you can tell that I was a big fan of the classic tribal as a child and that it had a lasting aesthetic impact on me. However, only on myself.

What’s been your proudest and happiest moment in your career so far? I have a few and new ones are happening all the time. Mostly it’s when a tattoo artist I admire tells me that they like my stuff and follow me. Or when clients keep coming back to me for more tattoos after many years.

I have been doing this successfully for eight years now, that makes me very happy.

What do you do when you’re not tattooing or drawing? I spend most of my free time playing video games. I used to paint with oil but haven’t done that in a while, because I don’t have the space for it at home. Otherwise I like to go on long walks or ride my bicycle. I also went back to university in 2020, so there isn’t too much time left to do anything else really.

Follow @lordenstein_art for more amazing tattoos and sign up to her mailing list for updates.

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Interview with tattoo artist Fluffy Tattoo

Fluffy Tattoo creates the cutest mix of floral and animal tattoos we have ever seen! Working at Studio by Sol in Seoul, Korea we chat to the tattoo artist about the inspirations behind her tattoos and how she became and artist…

How long have you been tattooing and how did you become an artist? It will be exactly two years since I started tattooing in June this year. I’ve always liked to draw ever since I was a child. There’s someone who’s always drawing, right? That was me.

As I decided to go to an art university, I started to learn painting with earnest. After entering university I majored in crafts, especially pottery. However, I preferred the process of painting on top of the pottery rather than making it. After graduation, I started to work as a designer while drawing as a pastime, but I felt that it wasn’t for me. I decided to become a tattooist because I wanted to draw again.

What’s your favourite thing about being a tattooer? That people like my drawings. I feel happy that so many people like my style and tattoos. The reactions when I show the results of our tattoo session to my clients makes me feel good .

Can you tell us about your experiences in the tattoo industry? After years of working as a tattooist, I think tattooers are comprehensive artists. Tattooists often have to schedule work, take pictures, edit and market themselves, not just draw pictures.

There have been so many differences between watching the tattoo industry when I was outside of it, and seeing it inside its boundaries. At first, I thought it was difficult because of these differences. I wasn’t used to dealing with customers or taking pictures. But now I think of all this as being part of a tattooist.

How would you describe your work? Every one of my tattoos is a small world in itself. There are stories to be found in my little works. Most of my tattoos are cute or beautiful and I always try to put a special meaning in them. Most people want to express themselves with tattoos or have them contain stories. Customers also give the tattoos I make for them meanings that even I don’t think of.

You’re open to doing cover-up tattoos, can you tell us more about this? I do about four or five cover-up tattoos a month. My customers usually want to cover their existing tattoos with flowers, animals, the moon and clouds. Cover-ups are more difficult than general tattoos. Not only do I need to cover previous work in a natural and beautiful way, but I also have to pay attention to any damage to the skin. They’re just as interesting as the other tattoos I do and I love that my customers are always very satisfied with the new tattoo. I feel very proud of them.

What would you say to someone wanting a cover up tattoo from you? If you want to get a cover-up tattoo, you must read the cover-up precautions beforehand. Since the cover-up isn’t magic you need to consider that the size and colour can’t be as diverse as a regular tattoo can be. This is because tattoo ink cannot put bright colours over dark colours. Plus, the cover-up design should be larger than the existing tattoo. I make an appointment after the customer has thought about these things.

How do you feel covering and updating another tattooer’s work? I’m not conscious of the tattooist who gave my customers existing tattoos. I just focus on the needs of my customers. I see so many people get cover-ups because their tattoos smudge or the previous tattooer has messed up a lot. But, there are some people who cover them because their tastes change. Therefore, I’m open to someone who has been tattooed by me having my work covered by someone else.

What inspires you? Everything around me. Of course, nature is my greatest inspiration, especially as natural things are always around us. The changes in seasons and temperatures, the flowers and animals I’ve seen along the road and new scenery on trips inspire me. 

Can you tell us about the process behind your tattoos? The first thing I do is draw a design and almost every day I upload one on Instagram. So, in fact, even when I’m not working on tattoos, I keep drawing and editing photos to upload. When the design is sold through Instagram the appointment date is set. I then prepare a stencil, guide customers on placement during our consultation and finally tattoo them.

What do you like to tattoo and what would you like to do more of? These days, the combination of animals and flowers is the most interesting to me. These tattoos are small and delicate and they take a lot of time. But, it’s always fun when I’m working on these. I do, however, want to draw and tattoo bigger pieces.

Can you tell us about your own tattoos? Are you a tattoo collector? I have eight tattoos on my body. Three small doodle tattoos, three plant tattoos, a goldfish tattoo and my cat tattoo. Two of them were given to me by my tattoo teacher, Soltattoo. After I got a few tattoos on my body, the style I wanted became clear. But I don’t think I have enough to say I’m a tattoo collector maybe after another two or three tattoos.

How does it feel making tattoos in Korea when they’re still illegal? I always feel like I’m carrying a certain amount of anxiety. Before I became a tattooist, I hesitated because it was illegal. That’s why I’m always cautious. Now I’m used to the anxiety, but I hope it becomes legal soon so that both tattooists and customers can get tattoos safely.

How are tattoo artists seen by society?There are still two points of view. Contrary to the positive perspective of people who enjoy tattoo culture, there is a conservative and disgusting view of tattoos. As a person engaged in tattoo culture, I am still surprised when I encounter people who feel disgust for tattoos, especially while I’m surrounded by people who love tattoos. Most of the older generations still regard tattoos as a symbol of negative attitudes, which is why tattoos are not legalised in Korea.

Despite all of this what moment in your career are you most proud of? I’m proud every time that people love my tattoos. I’m glad that I do this job whenever I receive good reviews from customers after tattooing.

Make sure to follow @fluffy_tattoo on Instagram for more adorable tattoos.

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Human animals: Shani Nizan

Tattoo artist Shani Nizan is known for her human animals which she creates in New York at Inked NYC. We chat to the tattooist about the inspirations behind her recognisable artwork…

What inspired you to become a tattoo artist and how did you become an artist? I have been drawing ever since I can remember. When I was younger I would draw every day for four hours. In the afternoon my mother would sit me and my sisters on the living room carpet for creative time. Thinking back that must have had some influence on me. 

I would say that my formal entry into the art world was actually in physics class, when I couldn’t focus I would draw my teacher, Efraim, who had unique facial features.

During my mandatory military service, when I was bored, I would draw on my arms. I then shared these on social media and loved the reactions and attention I’d get. People would approach me and asked to get inked as they thought they were actual tattoos.

Shortly after getting released from the army I knew I had to explore my options as a tattoo artist. After a while, I realised that tattooing made me “even cooler” than I was before, but more importantly I had the opportunity to meet a lot of new people and connect with them on a deeper level. So I am really glad life led me that way.

How would you describe your work? “Very specific” is the first thing I would say to someone that asks this question. Then I would add that I am always combining human bodies with animal heads. My style is semi-realistic mixed with naive drawing that I believe is inspired by old time children’s books.

How did you come up with your human animals? I was drawing them separately at first – animals because it was good practice and people because I was curious to draw my friends. One day I showed my drawings to my great aunt Galia, as her opinion matters to me a lot and she said “you copy well.” 

After feeling down for a few days I saw a video called “everything is a remix” which showed me how some great pieces of art were a combination of two already-m existing things. I tried to do the same and mix two of my interests, since then, it’s been hard to draw anything else. I can’t stop!

The first one I did in July 2017, I called her “Lady Linda” and I tattooed her on my thigh. I have tried and still try to develop as an artist and do other things, but they’re still what I like to create the most. 

They’re so different, some of my clients will use this hybrid to give their pet a human personality that they always had, some will use the animal head as a mask to hide with or as a metaphor for themselves. 

What attracted you to black and grey tattooing? Before I even started tattooing I never used colour. I would draw mostly “by the way” as I call it, carrying with me a small sketch book and a pen.

When I started tattooing it felt unnatural to use colour. I also imagined it wouldn’t be comfortable to carry so many ink bottles around when touring and traveling. 

Have you always tattooed like you do now? When I started tattooing I was doing lots of different styles so I could learn different techniques. Pretty early on I realised I didn’t think it was necessary and I started tattooing only my own art that was pretty similar to what it is now.

Of course like every artist I got better, developed and matured (hopefully). I found it hard to stop creating something that I liked so much, like my creatures. In my opinion, to force a young tattoo artist to learn all of the techniques is like teaching a guitar player to play every kind of music in the world. 

Can you tell us about the process behind your tattoos? Usually, I will wait to meet the client in person so we can work on the sketch together. Sometimes I prepare something beforehand but I’m never disappointed when I realise we need to start over.

The connection between me and the client as we build a sketch together is the most important part for me. That’s the moment when we both can feel that it’s not just a logistical process but an experience that means something. 

Sometimes people can be surprised or feel stressed when they come to get inked without having seen a design, but I think that that’s the magical part of tattooing.

What inspires you? I have problems remembering new things nowadays and I think the reason is that my memory storage is at full capacity. My mind is filled with children’s songs, tapes and memories I have from childhood.

In general I am fascinated by the imagination of children which is usually boundless, honest, creative and lively. These qualities can be seen in my drawings, in my youthful behaviour and by the fact that I am writing a children’s book.

I’m not sure how it comes to play a part but I think what inspires me the most though is music. I’ve always been drawn to music and most of my friends are musicians. I get inspired by documentaries about musicians I admire and in order to get myself working I need my music playing. My clients can testify that the one thing they need to endure, beside the pain, is listening to me sing throughout the session!

What do you like to tattoo and what would you like to do more of?  Lately I’ve started performing free hand abstract tattoos, that complement the body and hopefully make the client like the tattooed area more than before.

It takes time to start being known for a new niche but I hope to start creating more of these tattoos soon.

Can you tell us about your experiences in the tattoo industry? I am always experiencing three different parts of the tattoo industry. The one in Israel where I was born and started working so it always feels like home. The one in Europe where I was travelling from studio to studio between cities and countries and met amazing artists that are great inspirations. Lastly the one in New York where I feel like the industry is the most “industrial”, in the most positive way. At Inked I get the best treatment an artist can ask for from a studio.

What moment in your career are you most proud of?  Without a doubt the moment I got an email from Julia Rehme inviting me to be a resident in her studio in Berlin. I had less than one year’s worth of experience back then and even though I was arrogant to perform my art and my art only, I was doubting myself a lot on the inside.

Being invited to work with Julia opened the most important doors in my career and I’ll forever be thankful to her for that! 

Can you tell us about your own tattoos? Are you a tattoo collector? I don’t have a lot of tattoos, just a few pieces that I got from my friends and colleagues. My favourite one is a flower on my back done by a friend that I taught how to tattoo about a year ago. @Amita__________ got so amazing so fast that I wanted to give her a big canvas to work on.

Make sure to follow Shani on Instagram for more tattoos and travel updates.