Gravure tattoo artist: Olesia Kovalchuk

Tattoo artist Olesia (@lescrowtattoo) creates large-scale gloomy tattoos consisting of clear lines, contours and shading, which she coins ‘Gravure’ tattoo. We chatted to the Ukraine artist based in Los Angeles about her love of mythology, tattooing style and more…

Olesia Kovalchuk

“I create a drawing in an engraving style based on Greek mythology, and then I transfer it not to wood or metal in order to make an impression, but to the skin of a person to keep it there forever. From my perspective this is synthesis of the arts which is timeless”

Winged lion Gravure tattoo

What’s your earliest memory of tattoos or tattooing?

My first tattoo was a gift for my first girlfriend. It was first letter of mine and the name. Veeeeery trivial I know…but it’s a warm memory.

Angel tattoo

How long have you been a tattoo artist and how did you become one?

I’ve been tattooing for 12 years now. Since I was a girl I loved drawing and contemplating nature, but my mother and teachers said my art was strange and gloomy, which stopped me from pursuing my art.

After school, I entered the Art Academy at the Faculty of Design and Architecture. I didn’t want to become an architect, but studying helped me with the basics of compositions. I eventually got a job at my friend’s tattoo studio.

Greek Gods Gravure tattoo

Can you tell us about Gravure tattoos?

Gravure tattoos have become my own niche. It’s characterised by large-scale pieces, often inspired by Greek Mythology, which are gloomy in nature expressed lines and shading.

As I learnt to tattoo I found an audience who revered my style and trusted what I was creating. After several years of experimenting and tattooing in Barcelona and Europe I honed my skills and what made me unique, that’s when I moved to LA.

What in particular draws you to Greek mythology?

In Greek mythology I am attracted to how perfect the image of a person can be. In general, they knew a lot about the beauty, mind and earthly pleasures.

Do you have a favorite story or a Greek God?

I like all the stories about Hades and Persephone. For me they are like a movie- «only lovers will survive».

Icarus tattoo

How do you see your tattoos evolving in the future?

I don’t know, maybe I’ll be in slavery to AI, like all of us! Most likely I will remain just an artist and it doesn’t matter where my drawings are whether they’re used for illustrations, bodies or some kind of engraving on robot panels.

I hope one day I will write a book about my inner travels and will illustrate it too, it’s the dream of my life.

Greek god tattoo

You describe your work as gloomy, do you have a gloomy personality?

I’m definitely the queen of darkness inside , but in society I am a very cheerful and sociable person, the one who will make everyone laugh, unite and gather for a party
(I can’t live without the fun of sarcasm and nightlife). But yes with myself I’m blue and gloomy.

How do you feel when you’re tattooing?

For me, this is a moment of concentration, meditation and also a time when I can combine work with knowledge (during the sessions I always listen to audio books or lectures on history) just imagine those feelings! Your body’s here creating a world on another person’s body and your mind is separately traveling through the pages of novels or the past! This amazing sensation is disturbed only by pain in the neck or back.

Soldier leg sleeve

How does the LA tattoo scene compare to other places you have tattooed?

I moved to LA half a year ago, so I haven’t fully felt the difference yet. But if we talk about the public itself, the clients here are very grateful and open to everything new more than, for example in Spain, despite the fact that my style here is something new because America is the founder of traditional and realistic tattoos, especially in colour. And of course, the scale of the country doesn’t allow you to stay without work for a long time.

Gothic church chest piece

Where’s been your favourite place and inspired you the most?

My favourite city, no matter how trite it may sound, is Paris. But it’s just for my soul cause my lovely poets are buried there. If you mean tattoos – New York is the best city for work and spending money. I’m a fan of the big city vibe!

Snake back tattoo

Can you tell us about the tattoos you have on your own body?

My tattoos look more like a diary of small disconnected stories, each one belongs to a certain period. I dream of a big project for the whole of my back, but ideas change every year, so my back is still waiting for the right idea.

Follow Olesia @lescrowtattoo on Insta for more gloomy Gravure tattoos.

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

Interview with tattoo artist Sion

27-year-old tattoo artist Sion works at Vism studio in L.A. We chatted to the artist about her influences, beautiful knot tattoos and desire to follow the natural curve of the body with her tattoos…

How long have you been tattooing and how did you get started in the industry? I was based in Seoul when I first started tattooing, now I’m in LA. It’s been around 10 years. Growing up, I was exposed to tattoo culture through the influence of my tattooist mother. I believe this naturally inspiredd me to start my career as a tattoo artist. Before this, I was a student. 

What inspired you to become an artist? Do you have a background in art? Although I didn’t have any art related career or background in art before I got into tattooing, I gained interest in the world of tattoo thanks to my mother. Ever since then, I’ve worked hard to become a tattooist with a unique style.

How would you describe your style? What drew you to colour tattoos? My tattoos hold the story of our daily lives, fond memories, and relationship between individuals. These are all expressed through my work in the style of Korean traditional elements – main being the ‘norigae’. I believe creating the most natural flow that suits each individual’s body and its curves is important. 

Each colour holds a different symbolic meaning in Asian culture and as I put a lot of emphasis into the significance, colour tattoos became my signature style as well.

You tattoo a lot of knot tattoos, can you tell us about these? The main elements that I use in my design are traditional knots and strings. Korean traditional knot symbolizes Korea’s native spirit of relationship between individuals (Yinyeon, 인연).

I think knots that are intertwined with flowing strings resemble our lives and their unique stories. I want to express each and every story my clients bring to me by intertwining their special memories and elements that they are fond of with the knots. 

What inspires your designs? Does your heritage influence your art? Of course! I grew up very close to Korean culture and its stories, architecture and clothing (Hanbok). I believe this has influenced my style a lot.

Can you tell us about the process behind your tattoos Although it’s important for the tattoo to be made with my own artistic insights (designs, composition and elements etc), it’s equally important for my clients to be fully satisfied with the end result. 

To achieve this, I make sure to deep dive into my client’s needs through thorough discussion and also make revisions on the day of the appointment after adjusting the size and the flow of the design on the client’s body. 

Precision and hygiene is also key in terms of the actual tattooing, which I believe all tattoo artists also put extra effort into. 

What do you like to tattoo and what would you like to do more of? I like tattoos that naturally flow with the placement while maintaining the significance of each element. For this reason, I am working hard on creating designs that are more tailored to the structure of the body and I will continue to do this in the future.

How do you see your tattoos evolving in the future? I want to continue to listen to all my client’s stories and express them in my designs, learn from each other’s experiences, and gain understanding of various cultures. 

Where’s your favourite place to travel and tattoo? I personally love traveling to places where there are strong and unique natural and architectural characteristics. One of my goals is to travel to various places around the world as much as possible. 

Do you have any travels or guest spots planned? Traveling to various places is a joy of my life! As I’ve recently moved to LA, I don’t have plans for the guest work at the moment but it would be great if I can get the opportunity in the near future. 

What was your first tattoo? Do you still like it? How has your tattoo collection developed since then? My first tattoo is from my mother and it’s a word tattoo that includes a phrase of my favourite poem. It’s not in a place where it’s visible but it’s good to be reminded of the poem that I like from time to time! After this tattoo, I have been getting tattoos that encompass the memories I wanted to capture at a certain time, or from artists that I like.

What do you do when you’re not tattooing/drawing? Since I was a child, I have been fascinated by traditional culture. So I watch a lot of historical dramas and movies. I also deep dive into and study the field that I get hooked on. Besides this, I also like playing games to chill my brain! 

What moment in your career are you most proud of? Though each and every moment is special, I am most proud of myself when my loved ones, especially my parents who show endless support, are also proud of me and the work I’ve done. 

Follow @tattooist_sion for more beautiful tattoos.

Natural History Museu​m ​of Los Angeles: ​Tattoo An Exhibition

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This November, The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles showcases an exhibition 5,000 years in the making. The art of marking skin with ink spans cultures, continents, and has evolved over time. We find ourselves with a mysterious fascination with both ancient and modern tattoo practices. Are they considered a part of sacred ritual or an act of rebellion? A sign of belonging or expression of individuality? In the special exhibit Tattoo, you’ll explore the history, technique, motivation, and sheer artistic genius that are connected to one another by ink.

19th November – 15th April 2018

The Natural History Museum, LA

Buy tickets here 

The exhibit will feature more than 125 images and objects, ranging from historical artefacts to intricate contemporary designs tattooed onto silicone models of the human body. Each tells the story of this unique and diverse art. The Museum will enhance the West Coast incarnation of Tattoo with objects from the Museum’s expansive collection, as well as features specific to the rich tattoo cultures of Southern California, from Ventura to Los Angeles to Long Beach and Orange County.

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Collab: Convicts and Tati Compton

Tati Compton is an L.A based stick and poke tattoo artist with some serious adventure stories about her days travelling the world in a van and busking. New York based digital media brand Convicts collaborated with Tati to create a profile and original video exploring her art, outlook on life and love of cuddling…

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I really like tattooing naked ladies and kind of cultish things. But people know me for my delicate wrist work and stuff. Stick and poke is really organic feeling. You can tell that somebody has made it with their hand, it has a really personal feel to it. Once it’s on your skin it feels like it’s been there forever. So, my style is hand poked.

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Dude, I worked every job under the sun forever. I’ve painted houses. I’ve been a housekeeper. I’ve been a bartender. I’ve been like all that stuff. I was managing a vintage clothing store and I had a breakdown at lunch one day and was like ‘I can’t fucking do this anymore. I’m just going to go crazy. I have to do something else.’

When I quit, I saw that there was like a niche for tattooing small tattoos at a cheaper price. Mostly for girls who were too intimidated to go into a tattoo shop and ask for a tiny tattoo and pay a lot of money. I was like ‘I can do that.’

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Read Tati’s full interview here and watch the video below to find out more about her tattoos…

For more music, art, style and travel videos check out Convict’s Instagram and Facebook.

The Art of Alex Gross

Alex Gross is an LA based artist who creates incredible oil paintings that often explore the themes of globalisation, commercialism and beauty. His works suggest that in the world we live in, it is impossible to escape consumerist and media pressures.

Memory Fragments, 2015, oil on canvas, 40.25 x 53.5 inches

Candy Crush | Oil on Canvas | 48.25” x 33.5″ | 2014

Selfie | Oil on Canvas | 22” x 15″ | 2014

Come to where the flavor is. | Oil on Panel | 20.5” x 18” | 2010

Original Sin | Oil on Canvas | 54” x 56” | 2011

Siren | Oil on panel | 28″ x 45″ | 2004