Category: Interviews

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“I like to be quite free and experimental with my artwork” – interview with tattoo artist Meg Roberts

Tattoo artist Meg Roberts (@meg.the.cyclopz_) creates blackwork and dotwork tattoos at The Drawing Room in Coventry. We chatted to Meg about her style, her love of cats and the reason she fell in love with tattooing…

How long have you been tattooing?

I’ve been tattooing for four years now. Two of which were my tattoo apprenticeship. 

What made you want to become a tattoo artist?

I’ve wanted to become a tattoo artist since I was five years old. I always had a strong passion for art and was fascinated by people who were heavily tattooed – I thought they looked so much cooler than the average person… Also I only had one family member who had any tattoos and that was my grandad who was a massive influence in my younger life.

He sadly passed away when I was seven and since then I’ve wanted to make him proud doing something that I love.

Can you remember the first tattoo you ever did?

I’ll never forget the first tattoo because it’s on me! It’s a little trad-style flower on my ankle.

It’s definitely not the best but I’ll always keep it to remember where I came from – no matter where I go in my career. 

How would you define your style? How has this changed since you started? 

My style is very much a mixture of blackwork and dotwork. I like making things quite detailed and illustrative but I’m heavily influenced by traditional art work, too.  My style doesn’t fall into the traditional category at all though – it’s cute but also has gothic hints, which is very fitting with my personality.

I originally thought I would be a traditional artist, but the traditional style has too many rules to follow and I like to be quite free and experimental.

What do you love to draw and tattoo?

My favourite thing to draw has got to be animals – epecially cats. I’m a massive cat lover but I love drawing literally any animal because they have such amazing features. I also enjoy drawing eyes and faces because every one is so unique – which creates great artwork. 

What would you like to do more of?

One thing I definitely want to do more of is cathedral buildings. I did some recently and thoroughly enjoyed them. I think they’re very fitting with my gothic style, too – I can really bring out my creative side in those sorts of designs. 

Have you seen any trends in the themes you’re tattooing? 

I always get asked for completely different things all the time, which I love because it always keeps it interesting for me. But there are definitely popular trends in tattooing at the moment: angel numbers, cherubs, dragons and even tribal has made a massive comeback. 

What was your first tattoo?

My first tattoo was a classic rose on my forearm. I had it done on my 18th birthday because I just couldn’t wait any longer. It’s probably not something I would get done now but I still love the tattoo because of the memories attached to it. 

Do you have a favourite tattoo experience?

My favourite tattoo experience was probably getting my first one because of how long I’d waited and the build-up to it. I was so excited yet so nervous, but once it started and I realised it was nowhere near as painful as I thought I was completely fine and just wanted more. I ended up booking back in two weeks later.

Where can people find you and how can clients get in touch with you?

I’m based at The Drawing Room in Fargo Village in Coventry in the UK. It’s an absolute delight working there with some lovely talented artists who have helped me grow both as an artist and as a person. The best way to get in contact with me is through Instagram. 

Any future plans you’d like to tell us about? 

My future plans include doing some more guest spots around the country and maybe other countries when I’m brave enough. I’d also love to do a convention next year because I’ve never done one before and would love to see what it’s all about. 

Make sure you follow @meg.the.cyclopz_ for more blackwork tattoos.

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

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“Understatement and neatness are what I’m all about,” interview with tattoo artist, Foret

Tattoo artist, Foret (@foret_tattoo on Insta) is based in Itaewon in Seoul, Korea, and has been tattooing for six years now. She works out of Nandostudio. On her own body, she has just one secret hidden tattoo, and she loves creating miniature works of art for collectors who love fine line tattoos. We sat down to have a chat with her…

How did you become a tattoo artist?

When I was in college, some friends had tattoos and I was fascinated with them. My interest just grew from there…

What made you want to become a tattoo artist?

When I saw my friend’s old tattoo, I had a cheeky thought, ‘I’d do better than that’.
It was such a small curiosity, but it’s what made me start tattooing.

Did you have a background in art?

I studied art for around two years at art college.

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

I have a small heart-shaped tattoo on my collarbone, it sort of looks like a little dot. I got this tattoo before I learned how to tattoo. I wanted to know what it would feel like. But I also just wanted to have a small, cute tattoo – it’s like a secret tattoo that others don’t necessarily notice. I love that, like it’s something just for me.

What was the first tattoo you did on someone else?

It’s a tattoo of three small and cute people holding hands. I remember being so nervous that my hands were shaking.

How would you describe your style?

My own design, understatement and neatness are the things that represent me. When drawing, I pay attention to the each tiny part.

Would you call yourself a fine line tattooer?

I’m ashamed of the name, but I admit it.

What drew you to small, delicate tattoos?

There are many people who like small and delicate tattoos in Korea. It’s like that in any country. So I’m continuing to do a lot of small tattoos. Originally, I liked big tattoos too, but of course, I need to meet the needs of my customers. That’s what tattooing is all about.

What do you like to tattoo? Do you prefer colour or black and grey?

I like both. But if I get more tattoos on my own body, I think I’ll get them in colour. I like the vintage colour and how it looks when it becomes one with my skin after time.

What inspires you and do you have any artists you admire?

One of the tattoo artists I’m interested in these days is Cheon moon (@moon.cheon). There’s an authenticity to his work. I actually met someone with one of his tattoos and I was so jealous. You can see how much he cares about doing tattoos.

Do you have any guest spots planned?

Yes. Next year, I have guest spot plans in Hong Kong, New York, Singapore and Japan. I’m already happy and looking forward to meeting guests from each country.

What’s been your proudest moment so far?

When I felt like I was ready to teach others the craft of tattooing. I was very proud of myself when I shared with them what I’ve learnt over the years. I want to continue to help many people – without forgetting the joy of such a magical job.

Give Foret a follow on Insta @foret_tattoo

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

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“Tattoos can mark a milestone moment, symbolise a new beginning or celebrate cherished memories in a person’s life,” interview with tattooist Tanya Buxton

Tanya Buxton started her career as a traditional tattooist, but she realised the power of tattooing extended beyond simple designs on skin. She now creates hyper realistic nipple tattoos for breast cancer survivors – and they look so real they often get removed from social media. We had a chat with Tanya, who tattoos from her welcoming studio Paradise in Cheltenham, to find out more...

Tanya Buxton at Paradise Tattoo Studio in Cheltenham

Can you remember the moment you fell in love with tattoos?

I’ve been obsessed with tattooing for as long as I can remember. I was fascinated by my father’s tattoos as a child. Tattooing called to my soul – it was something I always wanted to pursue from a very young age. The rich cultural history and creative freedom that surround this incredible art form is something I’ve always been drawn to.

Tell is a bit about your journey…

I started out as a traditional tattoo artist but expanding my skills into cosmetic and medical tattooing was something I always wanted to do – right from the beginning of my career. I’ve always loved helping people feel good about themselves. From very early on in my tattooing career, I realised how powerful tattooing can be, how it can uplift and elevate people on so many levels and for so many reasons. 

“Once I began offering cosmetic tattoo services, it opened me up to a whole new world of people who can benefit from tattooing.”

That’s what led me to expand my skills further into medical tattooing. I’ve seen first-hand the impact tattoos have on people, from decorating a scar with a beautiful piece of art to recreating a realistic 3D nipple after mastectomy surgery, tattoos can help heal a person inside and out.

Tattoos can mark a milestone moment, symbolise a new beginning or celebrate cherished memories in a person’s life; they enable people to reclaim their bodies and transform their skin into something they love, helping them to move forward, build self-esteem and boost body confidence.

Tanya Buxton at work

To me, 3D areola-nipple tattooing represents the true power of tattooing. These small tattoos – quite literally – change a person’s life. It is difficult to put into words just how wonderful this form of tattooing is.

They help people reclaim their body back after surgery, illness or trauma, allowing people to move forward in their lives feeling more ‘complete’ and like themselves.

They allow people to feel confident in their skin again, they help people to look in the mirror and love their bodies. These tattoos not only impact a person’s physical wellbeing, but also their emotional wellbeing. 

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“To be able to give someone a piece of themselves back through an art form that I love is a gift that is difficult to describe.”

 Seeing a person look at themselves in the mirror for the first time after their tattoos are complete – whether it’s a 3D areola-nipple tattoo or a mastectomy tattoo – is such a magical moment to be part of. You can see the confidence radiate from within, it’s just beautiful. 

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We spotted you tattooing a woman’s breast at Brighton Tattoo Convention this year, which was absolutely incredible and so brave – can you tell us a bit more about this…

I tattooed a few breast cancer survivors at the Brighton Tattoo Convention this year, my ladies wanted to have their tattoos done there to help spread the word on this wonderful form of tattooing and share with the public how empowering tattooing can be. They all also wanted to help raise awareness for my breast cancer charity, the Mastectomy Tattooing Alliance, which was also at Brighton.

Both myself and the MTA will be at Brighton in February 2024, too. 

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Amazing, we will of course be there too. So what’s next for you?

I’m hoping that next year will be a big year for Paradise. We’re moving to a larger premises in Cheltenham, which we are all really excited about. The bigger studio will allow us to expand our team and offer more of these wonderful tattoos.

I will also be launching a training academy, which has been created to help professional tattoo artists develop and advance their skills into more specialised areas of tattooing, such as areola tattooing. 

I plan to continue growing the Mastectomy Tattooing Alliance charity and raise more awareness of our cause and the positive impact of these life-changing tattoos. We recently added two artists from the US to our directory and I would love to add more artists from around the world and take our charity work global.

The Mastectomy Tattooing Alliance is a UK charity founded by Tanya in 2021. The MTA is dedicated to supporting the breast cancer community in their healing journey by making these empowering tattoos more accessible to people and striving to help improve the information and education available for this wonderful form of tattooing. Tanya is always looking to add more skilled areola tattoo artists and mastectomy tattoo artists to the MTA directory, so please do get in touch with her. You can donate via the website, www.mastectomytattooingalliance.org.

For more inspiring tattoo stories read: Tattoos to mark transformative moments.

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“I make very well-tailored custom suits and dresses and my customers wear them,” interview with tattoo artist Ogi

Tattoo artist of seven years, Ogi (@ogitattooer) currently works at Bk.ink studio in Seoul, Korea. We caught up with him to find out about his journey into the tattoo world and unique take on tattoo design…

How did you become a tattoo artist?

Korea doesn’t have any educational institutions related to tattoo education because tattooing used to be illegal. That’s why I reached out to tattooists on Facebook, I was interested to see if they could give me a tattoo masterclass. Among them was @bk_tattooer. I was able to learn tattoo from them and it was this opportunity that enabled me to become a tattooist.

What made you want to become a tattooer?

From a very young age, I loved drawing and it just came naturally to me. Due to the obligation of Korean men to join the military, I had to join when I was 20 years old. It was a time when tattoos were illegal and people with tattoos were not common. But, the military was a place where a variety of people came together and I was able to see many people with tattoos.

It was the first time I was able to see a tattoo up close. I found it really interesting that the canvas was not paper, but the human body. I was instantly fascinated by the uniqueness of the art, which was different from the art I’d seen before. At the same time, I thought, “Oh, I think I can do it better if I could do it.” From then on, I dreamed of becoming a tattoo artist.

Did you have a background in art?

I graduated from art school and majored in video design at a prestigious university. At that time, I also worked as a lecturer at an art academy for college entrance exams.

Do you have any tattoos – can you tell us about them?

I have a tattoo with a harmonious design of a statue shedding tears and a rose. It’s my first tattoo. It’s meaningful to me because it is my first tattoo, but the meaning behind this design also has a lot of meaning.

When I was in high school, I practiced drawing sculptures for 10 hours a day in order to get into the art college of my choice. This was very difficult for me. However, I endured this difficult time and was eventually able to go to the university of my choice. This tattoo expresses these things. The statue in the tattoo design represents the statue that I used to practice my drawing from. The image of the statue shedding tears represents the hard work I have done to prepare for college entrance exams and, finally, the rose represents me achieving my goal.

What was the first tattoo you did on someone else?

The first tattoo I did was for a friend of mine, a tattoo of the artwork ‘Cow’ by Korean artist Lee Jung-seob. I made the tattoo with the intention of transferring the work of a very famous Korean artist to my friend’s skin. Although I did not have a high level of skill in tattooing as I had only practiced tattooing on my leg before then, I am still satisfied with the result even now. 

How would you describe your style?

For my tattoos, the most important thing is a design that flows along the muscle line of the area of the body that it’s being tattooed on. At the same time, geometric elements are used to create the beauty of blank space.

I wanted to differentiate my work from the existing traditional black and grey tattoos, with dense colouring on the skin – a style that I sometimes feel is too much for me. In this way, my customer’s unique skin colour can be brought out and harmonises well with the tattoo. It’s a style of black and grey tattooing with an understated richness and sexiness.

What do you like to tattoo?

I like tattoos of any theme. Rather than saying what motifs I like to work on, instead I like doing huge-sized tattoos that can be designed to suit each customer’s different muscle lines and body shape. To put it simply, I make very well-tailored custom suits and dresses and my customers wear them.

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

I respect a tattoo artist named Oscar Akermo. I think he is the first artist to express tattoos that are understated yet rich. They follow the flow of the human body, which I think is the most important thing when creating a design. I have been greatly inspired by him.

How can clients book in with you?

They can access my work through social media – Instagram and Facebook, and they can contact me through my email (ogitattooer@gmail.com). 

Do you have any guest spots planned?

Currently I have guest spots scheduled in Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Düsseldorf and Munich in Germany.

Is tattooing underground or becoming more mainstream nowadays in South Korea?

The number of people who have an open mind about tattoos is gradually increasing, and many people are getting tattoos. More and more current Korean celebrities are seen with tattoos, too. Originally in Korea, hair dye, body exposure, and especially tattoos were regulated even for celebrities. However, these things gradually began to change one by one as public perception changed, and the same goes for tattoos. So, I think tattoos will become more and more mainstream.

What’s been your proudest moment so far?

The answer to this question comes to my mind immediately without me even having to think about it. The moment is when I see my clients happy after getting a tattoo from me. All of these moments are precious and the proudest ones for me.

Make sure you follow @ogitattooer for more amazing black and grey tattoos.

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

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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.