Tattoo Studio Archives

July 3, 2023July 3, 2023

Three Kings Tattoo London anniversary flash day

We absolutely love a tattoo flash day. It’s so exciting being part of a tattoo party, making friends in the queue and choosing a flash design to have tattooed on you forever. On Saturday July 15th, Three Kings London (@threekingslondon) in Deptford are celebrating their third birthday with a flash day and evening of entertainment.

All flash designs will be at a set rate of £60 from one of their expert tattooers, so check out the full blackwork flash sheets on offer here. If you’re one of the first 50 customers on Saturday July 15th you’ll receive a goody bag filled with:

Discount vouchers from Three Kings
Goodies from local independent neighbours
VIP entry for you and your pals to celebrate with the Three Kings crew to the sounds of Rinse FM loved DJ Joe Milli at Little Nan’s

So make sure you get down early!

The tattoo artists at Three Kings London — The Three Kings Tattoo London crew

We first spoke to Amanda Rodriguez in 2019 (read her interview here). With it being three years in July since Three Kings Tattoo out of NYC and Brooklyn launched a studio in Deptford, South East London under the leadership of New York artist Amanda Rodriguez, we wanted to catch up with the tattoo artist.

How have you been since we last spoke in 2019?

I’ve been really good. It’s been really up and down work wise since COVID but now it’s starting to pick up again. We’ve got an amazing crew at the shop now with five full time artists other than myself. My clientele is building slowly but surely and I’ve been able to work on some really amazing pieces in the last few years.

You’re now owner of Three Kings Tattoo, can you tell us how you got to where you are?

Just a lot of hard work and determination to be honest. My business partners from America were super helpful in getting me here to the UK also.

What’s owning a studio like – the highs and lows?

Owning a studio is different than I thought. I love the space I have curated and the artists I have chosen to work with and our employees. However, as a business owner you always have work to do and you are responsible for others’ income which is a lot of pressure. I’ve found juggling the business stuff and my own tattooing career really difficult at times as I have less time to draw and post online.

Amanda's flash tattoos — Amanda’s flash sheet

We think a flash day is the perfect way to celebrate three years, what can people expect on the day?

The flash day is so much fun! We usually have people waiting to get in at 11am and tattoo straight through to 7pm with a little lunch break. This will be our fourth or fifth flash day so I think we’ve got a good system – we take people’s details and what tattoo they want and then let them explore Deptford until we are ready for them. Our customers will get a goody bag with some merch and vouchers for local businesses and this year we are giving them to people before they get tattooed so they can utilise some of the vouchers while they wait (if they have a wait!) This is the first time we’re doing a Saturday so we’re expecting more people. Afterwards we have a party happening at Little Nan’s with a DJ. It’s going to be good fun!

What are you most looking forward to on the flash day?

We always meet some amazing new people on the day and I’m really looking forward to having new people come and experience the shop and the fun vibes. I’m also looking forward to people enjoying Deptford on the day while they wait. I really love the area and we tend to get a lot of people who don’t know it well so this is a great opportunity to get people here and see what Deptford is all about!

What does the future hold for Three Kings Tattoo?

Hopefully lots more guests and our artists being very busy! Brand collaborations down the line would be amazing and trying to give back to the community.

The flash day is open to the public from 11am to 7pm on Saturday 15th July on a ‘walk-in’ basis. The after party at Little Nan’s Grandad’s Shed in Deptford Markey Yard starts at 7pm.

Location: 182 Deptford High Street London SE8 3PR

August 22, 2022

Striving for fluidity: Interview with tattoo artist Jade Chanel

We chat to Jade Chanel, tattoo artist and owner of Vaporwave Tattoo, in East London, about her passion for tattooing and journey to authenticity…

What inspired you to become a tattoo artist and how did you become one? I’ve always loved creating. From when I can remember, I was making things, crafting, painting and drawing. Being a visual and kinesthetic learner, I’m very expressive and I love using my hands as a tool.

When I was 18 years old, I started getting tattooed because I loved the way they looked, then it all just snowballed from there. I continued getting more and more tattoos and I then fell in love with the craft. I started apprenticing at Lowrider Tattoo in Bethnal green when they first opened in 2015.

Can you tell us about your experiences in the tattoo industry? It’s been challenging at times, especially being a woman of colour. I started tattooing when I was 24 and I was lucky, growing up in the heart of East London where culture is diverse.

I had this idea that I needed to “fit in” to feel safe and to do well in the industry, but I learnt very quickly that the best thing to do was to just be myself.

How would you describe your work? I’d describe my style as fineline, black and grey. I love precision and detail I can focus in on. I also love that my work has a delicate feminine feel and I’m always striving for fluidity.

Have you always tattooed like you do now? When I started tattooing in 2015, I used bigger needle groupings, so my linework was a lot bolder. I also did a lot of dotwork and mandalas.

After using a single needle, I never really looked back. It just felt right for me and what I was trying to achieve.

Can you tell us about the process behind your tattoos? A client contacts me via my website using a form which has all the details needed to spark an idea for a custom design. If it’s an idea I’m happy to work with, I will send over more details and a booking link.

I make tattoos I feel would look best in the space on the body. Aesthetics are everything. Yeah, so I draft my ideas using key words and references, then I start drawing. It seems quite simple but it’s not!

What inspires you? Most of my work is custom based on ideas given to me by my clients. We bounce of each other. Also, being an artist in this social media era, we’re constantly over exposed to stimuli that influences our “styles” as such.

I’m constantly asking myself what inspires me, it’s so hard to say. Too many things.

You’ve done flash designs inspired by music, are songs a big part of your tattooing? Music is a huge love of mine. I literally have a soundtrack for so many moments in my life. Being that it’s another form of expression, they coincide perfectly! I’m always listening to music when creating so that’s how that idea came about.

What do you like to tattoo and what would you like to do more of? I really enjoy tattooing, and this is a question often asked by clients. One of my favourite things about being a tattoo artist is that no day is the same. New design, new client, new energy. New challenges keep my work exciting! I’d love to do a lot more larger scale projects that cover entire limbs.

Can you tell us about your own tattoos? Are you a tattoo collector? I love collecting tattoos! I never imagined I’d ever have this many, but the saying about it being addictive is true.

It’s a transformational journey. I’ve been tattooed by incredible artists, some of which are my friends. It’s special that I get to wear their work on me forever.

You have your own tattoo studio, what’s this side of the tattoo business like? When I decided to open my studio, Vaporwave Tattoo, it was important for me to not run it like a business as such and create a hub for artists to feel free to flourish.

It’s exactly what I needed and what I felt the industry needed. It’s really challenging because I really love my job as a tattooer and that’s what I wish to give all my time to. I’ve always found admin difficult, and it hit me like a ton of bricks when I started this venture.

I’m always having to find balance between being an artist and being a studio owner.

What’s Vaporwave Tattoo like? It’s full of life and colour. It’s a peaceful but vibrant, safe, welcoming and inspiring space. I’m not even being biased, it really is something special.

The choices of colour and the running theme is basically a portal to my soul, my youth, growing up in the 90s! I’ve crowned myself the DIY Queen after this project. All the décor, fixtures, fittings etc. were chosen and installed with my bare hands. It really is a labour of love!

What moment in your career are you most proud of? All of it. There’s not particular moment I can think of as it’s just been an exciting, challenging journey and each part holds such great significance.

It’s a beautiful feeling, knowing that I’ve been trusted by loads people, to decorate their bodies and create ever lasting memories.

Follow @jadechanelp and @vaporwavetattoo for more tattoos and studio news.

January 7, 2017January 7, 2017

Shaded: Danny Rossiter

‘Shaded’ is an on-going interview series created by 22-year-old Bournemouth-hailing music journalism student, writer and editor James Musker, which focuses on tattooists, the interesting people that wear their work and both the artist and canvas’s relationship to the craft.

Danny Rossiter is a legendary 37-year-old tattoo artist and co-owner of Manchester’s Rain City Tattoo Collective. As part of Things and Ink’s ongoing interview series ‘Shaded’, I spoke with ‘The King’ about his passion for tribal tattooing, surfing and Japanese culture as he tattooed my shoulder.

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“Before I was tattooing, there wasn’t anything I wanted to do,” answers Danny Rossiter, more commonly referred to as ‘The King’ by his peers, to a question regarding his relationship with tattoos that I can barely ask as the Traditional-Japanese heavyweight begins to hammer an Eastern-inspired demon onto my shoulder. “I just wanted to surf,” he continues casually – as if he were telling the story over dinner as opposed to the violent process of tattooing. “My grandma was an artist – a painter, and she always encouraged me to draw, but it wasn’t until I was 17 that I asked myself “what can I do that’s really cool?” and tattooing looked cool.”

From fantasist beginnings spent dreaming up his very own ‘Endless Summer’ meets Horiyoshi III existence to a nomadic life spent darting across the Southern Hemisphere, Danny is currently tattooing me out of his own shop: the legendary Rain City Tattoo Collective. The 37 year-old Zimbabwean’s corner of the shop holds a plethora of books – most of which relate to the subject of Japanese culture. “I just love Japanese Culture! The imagery is really powerful and holds so much meaning. You can find yourself looking at a brutal battle and a serene scene of beauty within the same Ukiyo-e print!” Although a master of the craft himself, Danny constantly humbles his position that’s backed-up by an 18-year relationship with the industry by suggesting that he’s simply riding history’s wave. “There’s so much tradition to Japanese tattooing, and ‘tradition’ loosely translates into ‘repetition’. It’s traditional because it has worked, been repeated and been passed down, so I’m well aware that all of my work has either been stolen or borrowed.”

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The idea for the collective was born out of a drunken, lightning-strike evening Danny spent with talented artists Matt Cooley, Gre Hale and Dan Morris, who had all decided they no longer wanted to work under the thumb of any kind of shop hierarchy, but wanted to create a diplomatic space that allowed them the time and freedom to develop and concentrate on their work. Founded in 2012, the shop has grown to be one of the most well respected spots the world over. “The shop has influenced me to keep working and to keep going,” speaks Danny of Rain City’s effect on him. “You can get complacent when working with one other person, but when you’re surrounded by so many people that are so stoked on tattooing, you can’t help but get caught up in it.”

When speaking of his first memories of tattooing, Danny speaks with a cool detachment as if unburdened by nostalgia. “I got my first tattoo when I was 18. It was this tribal biohazard symbol. It’s covered now, but I do love tribal. It’s such a strong look that often invites passionate criticism. That’s what’s so great about it: it encourages passion – it’s so powerful that people fucking hate it!” Danny’s enthusiasm for tribal bled into the story of the first ever tattoo he produced. “I vividly remember the first tattoo I ever produced: It was this tribal spider – I couldn’t stop shaking! I’d love to see what that tattoo looks like today. ”

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As someone who is called ‘King’ more than he is his own name, I feel hesitant asking Danny of his inspiration, but much like the rest of our conversation Danny is open and unpretentious in his answer. “Everything is visual with me. I’ve never been the kind of person who finds inspiration in more abstract places, like music or writing. Maybe there’s a whole world of work I could be producing if I dug into that.” Danny follows the thought with how he sees his work evolving. “People can get lost in the idea of ‘style’ and leaving their own unique mark on tattooing, but producing work for the customer rather than yourself is far more important. People think too much about the mark they want to leave, but it’s all about what you’re doing in the moment. You don’t want to get too involved in the future.”

February 15, 2016

Interview with Holly Marie

Holly Marie is a 20-year-old Disney fanatic tea sipping tattooist who works out of Creative Body Art in Coventry, and creates kawaii bright cute tattoos. We chatted to Holly about her love for Disney, video games and her tattoo collection…

How long have you been tattooing? I have been tattooing professionally from Creative Body Art Tattoo Studio for a year this coming April! I am so pleased with my progress over the past year, but it is still just the beginning for where my work will go.

What drew you to the tattoo world? My first interest in tattoos was way before I can remember, I have always been very into art and appreciated body modification from a young age. I used to watch the beautiful Kat Von D, when I was 13, and tattooing and collecting a large amount of tattoos became my ultimate dream; not one that I ever thought I would get the chance to fulfil though!

What did you do before?
Before I was a tattoo artist I had a couple of retail jobs whilst studying art at college and even considered training to be a dental assistant after receiving my art qualifications but I learnt quickly that I did not suit that career. Luckily I was in the right place at the right time and slowly made my way into the industry in 2013 through a two year apprenticeship which consisted of daily tasks, such as making coffee and sterilizing equipment for artists that I was learning from.

What do you like to draw and tattoo? My most preferred style to tattoo/design is bright and beautiful coloured pieces with bold lines! It still blows me away when people see my designs on social media and ask to have them transformed into tattoos but in general I just adore tattooing all of the fabulous quirky bright ideas that people trust in me to put on their skin. I genuinely find it hard to sleep from excitement if I know I am making (for example, some of my biggest passions) a Disney, Harry Potter or Pokémon tattoo the next day! But following that, I put heart into every tattoo that I do; no matter the size or design. From the smallest dainty infinity symbol to a half sleeve of tribal if it means something to the customer then creating it personally for them means everything to me.

Not just the artistic side of the job makes it the best job in the world though; talking and laughing with my clients is wonderful, I adore hearing the stories from every walk of life and I live to see the smile when they get that first look at their finished piece!

What inspires you? I am inspired to work hard and put everything into what I do by my tattoo family at Creative Body Art, Joanne Leslie, Mia Joyce, Dave Boyle and our talented piercer/receptionist Jessica McGuinness. We are all so different style wise but we bounce off each other and encourage each other daily. When I am trying to inspire myself to create new designs my usual set up is a cup of tea, snuggled in pyjamas with a Disney film running in the background, pens and pencils at the ready with my noble steeds (Chihuahuas) by my side!

Are there any artists you admire, do they influence your work? I admire, respect and follow as many tattoo artists from around the globe as I can but would have to say our lovely local artists at Grizzly’s and Hales St are definitely ones that I will have to mention. They warmly welcomed me into this industry and I hope to see them for more tattoos/conventions with our team at Creative Body Art in the future!

Can you tell us about your own tattoos? I collect a lot of bright and wonderful tattoos that I adore spread across my back, legs and arms! Mostly Disney, Alice in Wonderland and nature themed in a variety of styles and colours, although one exception is a black and grey portrait of my late grandad that I cherish dearly on my arm. I plan on growing my own tattoo collection as I develop more as a tattooist.

January 22, 2015

Part Three – Mindful Wanderlust Vegan Travel Diary

Our guest blogger is Giselle, creator of Mindful Wanderlust – a travel blog about responsible travel, tattoos, and following a vegan lifestyle. This is the third of many posts to appear on th-ink, telling of her and her husband Cody’s travelling tales. If you have missed their previous travel posts catch up and read Part Two and Part One…

We made it to Tokyo! Before we even booked our flights to Japan I knew it was a country I really wanted to get tattooed in, so I spent some time back in Canada researching different artists.

After taking a look at their consistently beautiful bold artwork, I decided on American traditional for the design, I chose to go with the guys at Inkrat Tattoo in Tokyo. Rei is the owner of Inkrat Tattoo, and has been tattooing for over 22 years. His shop is covered in art, new and old, and original flash from the 1950s hangs on the walls.

I couldn’t stop picking out all of the pieces I wanted.

Prior to arriving at Inkrat I decided on a geisha and left the design up to Rei. I thought, “Other than a Sumo wrestler, what’s more Japanese than a geisha?” It’s the perfect souvenir from Japan.

I learned something very interesting and new about Japanese tattoo etiquette (or at least Rei’s tattoo etiquette) at the shop that day. Before arriving for my tattoo appointment, I was asked where I wanted the tattoo, and I said on the outside bottom of my left leg.

On the day of, Rei walked over to me to fit the design on my leg and it didn’t quite fit properly. I said “it’s ok, we can do it on my other leg” But Rei didn’t really respond, he just told me he would make it a little smaller so it would fit. A regular customer sitting across from me said that where I asked for the tattoo is where I am going to get it. The reason for this, is that the artist doesn’t want to inconvenience me, as I already chose the placement and he wants to respect that.

That came as a little bit of a surprise to me. I would have been perfectly fine with the tattoo on my right leg, but just hearing that he refused to put it on my other leg out of respect made me smile a little.

Respect – and integrity – seems to be an extremely important thing in the tattoo world among tattoo artists. It is something that really resonates with me, as integrity is hard to come by these days. I have a lot of respect for people who have a lot of respect for people. Go figure.

On top of my excitement over visiting and getting tattooed in Japan, arriving in Tokyo was a sensory overload. My senses were pulling me everywhere. The colours, the lights, the droves of people, and the, sometimes, disapproving stares from some of the locals.

Although tattoo shops are legal in Japan, the long history and mentality of tattoos being only for criminals and misfits has not yet dissipated.

The earliest signs of the Japanese getting tattooed date back to 5,000 BC. By the 7th century the Japanese adopted much of the same mentality that the Chinese had for tattoos, seeing them as barbaric and using them as a punishment for crimes committed.

In the middle of the 18th century Japanese tattooing was popularised by a Chinese novel with several of its heroes covered in tattoos. This novel influenced all Japanese culture and arts, but the yakuza also became interested in tattooing, further making it a tasteless form of art and self expression to many. The yakuza felt that because tattooing was painful, it was proof of courage, and because it was illegal, it made them outlaws forever.

Finally, tattooing in Japan was legalised in the 20th century, but to this day it is still taboo. People with tattoos cannot enter into any hot baths, so unfortunately we will not be visiting any onsen (hot springs) in Japan.

Thankfully the mentality of tattoos being only for criminals is dying out with the old generation and new generations are embracing their rich culture of the art of irezumi.

It is an ancient craft that should be appreciated and respected for what it is, not looked down upon, because it is misunderstood.

As Japan tries to reclaim all of the beauty and positivity of this ancient art of expression; I feel honoured to be able to collect an original piece from a country so steeped in the tradition of tattooing.

Follow Giselle and Cody’s travels on their blog and Instagram