Tag: Blackwork tattoos

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Dragon tattoos: Interview with tattoo artist Intat

Tattooist Intat creates mythical blackwork dragon tattoos at Yasaeng tattoo parlour in Seoul. We chatted to the artist about his style and how he’s working to change how tattoos and tattooers are thought of in South Korea...

How long have you been tattooing and how did you get started in the industry? I started tattooing about eight years ago in 2015. At that time I didn’t have any contact with the tattoo world or tattoos, but coincidentally I came across the fine line genre of tattooing and became fascinated by it. So much so that I dropped out of university and immediately entered into the tattoo industry.

What inspired you to become an artist? I would say that I was inspired by the time I have spent with different types of people who were firm in what they wanted to do, they were free and happy. I longed to be like them.

Above all else my will to do what I wanted to do was the main reason I became an artist.

Do you have a background in art? I started painting when I was four years old and I majored in art at university, before I left to become a tattoo artist.

How would you describe your style? Among my works you’ll see representations of dragons, other animals and plants. If I have to choose a style or genre of tattooing I’d say I fit in the blackwork genre.

I express my own black and white art with a naturally toned arrangement that harmonises with my clients’ skin tones. My tattoos have a stable balance of composition and delicate and complex expressions.

Why did you choose to work mainly in black ink? I think the delicate and heavy atmosphere that can be expressed through black ink is really attractive. The use of dark and bright is simple and easy to interpret.

My favourite colour is black, but that doesn’t mean I only use black. If the design appears to me as being an interesting experiment then I am open to using various colours.

What inspires your designs? I’m affected by everything I see and experience. I only work in my own set style, but if you look closely you can see subtle differences in all of my works.

I think that this is the reason why what I see and feel in real time and real life is directly, or perhaps indirectly, incorporated into the tattoos and paintings I do at that very moment.

Does your heritage influence your art? For me, it’s always interesting to deal with traditional symbols and images from my heritage that have a unique feel to them. However it’s also very difficult.

I’ve been dealing with all sorts of oriental gods (such as dragons and haetae) and the experiences I have with these ideas and creatures have a huge impact on me.

Can you tell us about the process behind your tattoos? I actually have an obstacle that makes pulling off the complicated and difficult style I do difficult. During my military service, I had an accident involving my fingers and I had to have surgery. This incident means that the fingers that hold the tattoo machine are actually numb.

It has taken me a long time to overcome this problem but eventually I have learnt to create tattoos as I do now.

What do you like to tattoo and what would you like to do more of? I like to tattoo anything that I can express in my style. But I especially like to tattoo my signature material – dragons and snakes.

How do you see your tattoos evolving in the future? I think tattooing will stay on the timeline it’s on at the moment. It just feels like it’s continually moving as it always has but when we look back we’ll realise how much change there has been.

Where’s been your favourite place to travel and tattoo? I have worked in a lot of countries and experienced different places. Based on these experiences, I think the best environment is one that follows the rules of sanitation and allows you optimal space to move around and be comfortable.

What was your first tattoo? Do you still like it? My first tattoo is a Darth Vader Star Wars tattoo, it’s a big piece on my shoulder. I love Star Wars, but I didn’t plan on having these designs tattooed on me at the beginning. I got this tattoo because I wanted to know what being tattooed was like, so I knew my customer’s point of view and could learn the technicalities of tattooing. I don’t regret getting it and the experience taught me a lot.

How has your tattoo collection developed since then? After my first tattoo I have only gotten tattoos from my favourite artists. For example I have tattoos from @oozy_tattoo and @zihaes.tale.

Do you have any more travels or guest spots planned? I’m open to travelling to any place but for now I think I’ll be tattooing in Korea for a while.

What’s the tattoo scene like where you are? The tattoo scene in Korea is not particularly pleasant, because tattoos are still outside the bounds of the law.

I am working as an executive at the Tattoo Union, which was established to legislate tattoos in Korea, and I am working for the rights of tattooists.

What do you do when you’re not tattooing/drawing? I spend most of my day doing tattoo-related things. When I finish my tattoo work, I work through my reservations and consultations. I also produce content to upload or draw a design and the rest of the time I’m sleeping.

Some people say that this kind of life is unfortunate, but I’m happiest when I work.

What moment in your career are you most proud of? Although it’s much better now the recognition tattoos and tattooers get in Korea is still very bad. Often though my work breaks people’s preconceived notions of tattoos and some of these people even end up getting a tattoo from me.

I think my proudest moments are when my work contributes to the positively change the way tattoos are perceived.

Follow Intat for more incredible linework dragon and mythical creature tattoos.

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The aesthetic of macabre: Interview with tattoo artist Lina Shuliar

Lina Shuliar creates dark Japanese tattoos at First Class Tattoos in New York, in this interview Lina tells us all about finding her feet as a dark artist…

How long have you been tattooing and how did you get started in the industry? I have been tattooing for 12 years. I started by accident, I never planned to be a tattoo artist. My friends pushed me into it as they wanted me to tattoo all of them. They always believed in me.

At first I didn’t take it seriously, I even flipped a coin to decide whether I should start learning to tattoo. The rest is history.

What inspired you to become an artist? I have been drawing for as long as I can remember. Creativity has always been an important part of my life, even as a child, toys didn’t excite me as much as drawing did.

I went to art school when I was eight until I was 16. After school, I went to university where I studied design and architecture, in the first few years we drew a lot and did everything by hand. At the same time I was learning to tattoo and these subjects went hand in hand to help me develop my knowledge and skills.

You describe yourself as a Russian vampire and macabre aesthetic, can you tell us more about this? Well, “Russian” – since I was born and raised in Russia. “Vampire” – because I have fangs – that’s why I’m a Russian vampire! Besides, one of my clients once called me it – I really liked it and I’ve been using it ever since.

I think my appearance, my work and how I see the world are connected. I think every artist brings a piece of himself into this world through his paintings and tattoos – in my case, the aesthetic of macabre is my philosophy, this is what I am guided by when I make a design.

You used to tattoo in colour, what made you shift to a darker look? How did your dark tattoos come about? I used to do a lot of coloured tattoos. I don’t even remember why I liked them so much. For me, colour tattoos were very easy. I didn’t have to think about them too much, I was automatically guided by the knowledge that I had, like a printer.

Switching to black and grey tattoos was very valuable to me as I realised a lot about myself as a person and tattooer.

I fully allowed myself to do what I had wanted to do for such a long time. Of course, at first I lost all of my clients and starved but I had no doubt that it was the right choice. I never doubted myself.

What inspires your designs? Does your heritage influence your art? Most of my projects are based on my clients’ and my own ideas mixed together. More than half of my clients are as crazy as me and they love the things that I love. I find inspiration in my clients, in what unites us. I love Halloween, American Horror Story, dark folklore and fantasy – all of this creepy and dark stuff is me.

When I create art, I focus on my feelings and emotions, listen to myself and what resonates with me at that time, whether it’s mythologies, Japanese or gothic.

I really started developing myself in Russia, the artists are at a very high level and competition is huge – you have to be a good artist to survive. The black and grey tattoo community in Russia is a big inspiration for me. I also used to work around Japanese and dark artists who taught me a lot.

Can you tell us about the process behind your tattoos? Everything starts with design, it’s the most important step for me. First of all, I have a detailed in-person consultation with the client. Then I create the designs and do a few sketches before selecting the best one to add more detail to. Or I may show these sketches to my client and we choose one together.

When I then tattoo the design I add a piece of myself in every detail.

The process of tattooing is not only about creativity, but also about customer service. I think anyone can make tattoos, you only need 10,000 hours of practice and you become a professional. But the vision and sense of style, understanding of anatomy and how the tattoo will look after 10 years – not every artist thinks about it.

What would you love to tattoo? I enjoy everything that I do. I am serious! I love tattooing clients who have asked for my specific style, when I have their trust inspiration just flows out of me and I create the best projects.

I love doing things related to Japan: dragons, snakes and peonies, even samurai. I love to turn it into my dark style. Something that has a history or is mythical inspires me the most.  

I recently enjoyed doing a couple of tattoos in the theme of Slavic mythology, there was Baba Yaga, her house and Koschei the Deathless. It was something new for me and I liked the challenge. After that project, I realised I wanted to develop myself further.

Most people admire my female characters that I do often, but these are so easy for me – it’s time to take a break and switch to something new.

How do you see your tattoos evolving in the future? I would like to move away from female portraits for a while and go deeper into folklore and mythology. These themes offer endless possibilities with different stories that will look cool on the body.

In any case, I’m not going to deviate too far from my style, everything will be in creepy and dark colors, with an emphasis not on realism but on fantasy.

How does the New York tattoo scene differ from the one in Russia? Please tell us about your favourite place to tattoo and/or travel? In America, everything is much simpler.  Most people understand the value of art and I meet clients who share their knowledge and view point of the world with me – it’s invaluable.

In Russia there is a sense of community in the tattoo world, unlike America where it’s perceived as just work. But, America remains one of my favorite places to work, everything is so different it keeps me on my toes! Of course, sometimes I miss Europe, where the industry is completely different.  

What was your first tattoo? Do you still like it? I got my first tattoo when I was 13 years old. It probably wasn’t the best choice, but I don’t regret it. I then became the coolest and most dangerous girl in school!

The symbol on my lower back wasn’t beautiful or neat. I’ve covered it twice, finally with a huge black basilisk and a goat that covers my whole back, butt and part of my thigh, this project is still in progress.

How has your tattoo collection grown since then? I have just a few free parts of my body left as I’ve tried to stretch out getting tattooed and the pleasure it brings. My last tattoo is the start of my full leg made by my husband, he does really good ornaments which I love.

Do you have any travel or guestspots planned? At the end of September we’ll be in Boston for a tattoo convention, I’ve not been to this one before so I’m a little nervous. Then in the fall we’ll be at more conventions in Biloxi (Mississippi) and Richmond (Virginia). In the new year we’ll take a short trip to Miami.  

What do you do when you’re not tattooing/drawing? This is a good question! In the rare moments that I can rest from work, I usually lock myself at home and play console games or watch anime / read manga. I rarely have such moments due to constant trips or work, but they are extremely important to me.

I also like to get out into nature, but I do this less often than I get comfortable on our sofa with a blanket and a mug of tea. 

What moment in your career are you most proud of? There are so many moments. I am proud that I have designed t-shirts with Stay Cold apparel twice. Previously they have paired with only really famous tattooers, so I feel really proud.

I am also proud of the moment when I was first called to be on the jury at the tattoo festival – It was exciting and unforgettable to see so many tattoos in a short time frame. Being a judge at the Empire State Tattoo Show was so cool, there was so much talent on stage it was difficult to judge.

I also want to say that I am proud that I came to America, although I never planned to. I have received recognition here as an artist with a talent visa.

Follow Lina for more macabre designs and book-in via her website.

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Interview with Artem Koro

A tattoo artist and keen traveller Artem Koro creates incredible tattoo compositions. We caught up with Artem to learn more about his avant-garde tattooing and love for the craft…

I have always been attracted to the trade and have been a tattoo artist for the past six years. I first got tattooed when I was 14 years old and at 28 I realised that I could combine my love of tattoos and travelling the world into one profession. I then set out to become a tattoo artist.

I would define my style as avant-garde. It’s a style that has evolved and continues to evolve. That’s something that is very important to me; it’s important that my style and myself will continue to constantly develop. I don’t believe in staying in one place in terms of style and what I create.

I think it is very important to note that there is always some growth in my art. Development is the root of success as is growing as an artist.

I get inspiration from many aspects of life, including music, movies and places I have visited. I get lot of inspiration from nature, my roots and where I grew up (in the Middle East). For example, a lot of my textures and compositions are inspired by desert areas, Middle Eastern music, patterns on carpets etc. 

Each appointment can take a full day, but the tattoo itself will take between three and six hours maximum. I like a darker atmosphere in my tattoos, and these days I prefer to work with black ink only. I try to perform work with a high contrast so that the tattoo will last for a long time in the best way possible.

I like to design animals that are not seen every day as well as different textures and unusual compositions. I also like to emphasise the aesthetics and flow of the shape of the body.

In the first two months of the pandemic it was very difficult for me to create and it affected my work. But over time I tried to keep doing the things I love in general (not only tattoos), and eventually this blockage passed. I can say I have remained active for the past year which has helped.

I cannot imagine life without tattoos. My life has changed 180 degrees since I started doing this work. It is very difficult for me to describe in words how much the world of tattoos has affected me. I believe it would be impossible to understand this feeling without experiencing it yourself.

Make sure you follow Artem on Instagram for more awesome avant-garde tattoos.

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Interview with tattooist Pasha Et

A tattoo artist for 6 years, Pasha Et (Pavlo Kurylo) creates beautiful black and grey realism tattoos in Ukraine. We chatted to Pasha about the inspiration behind his pieces...

How long have you been tattooing and how did you get into the industry? I wanted to be a tattoo artist when I was 18. I found some videos about tattoos and decided that I could do it too. I’ve always liked tattoos and at 19 I bought all the necessary equipment and made my first tattoo, that was back in 2015.

What does tattooing mean to you? For me, tattoos are style, beauty, and self-expression. To be a tattoo artist is to give these things to other people. I enjoy the process of creating a cool tattoo, so after the tattoo is finished, my client will also enjoy their tattoo for life.

How would you describe the tattoo scene in the Ukraine and Belgium? If we’re talking about tattoo artists, then every country has some very cool but also bad tattoo artists. It seems to me to be about the same, there’s a balance.

If we talk about clients then the difference is really big. In Ukraine tattooing is still developing. Basically people aged 20-35 want to get a tattoo, but many of them are still students and can’t afford a quality tattoo. Most people over the age of 40 don’t understand tattoos or tattooing, they don’t see it as art.

Of course, there are exceptions, but it’s mostly like that. But in Belgium, clients consciously approach tattooing, they’re smart with their choice of tattoo and tattoo artist.

How would you describe your style? I work in the realism style with the technique of “whip shading”. I really like how tattoos look in this technique. I work mostly with small portraits (usually celebrities) and various sculptures or statues.

What’s the process behind your tattoos? How long does a typical tattoo take? It starts with the client sending me an example of what they would like, then we meet for a consultation and discuss all the details. Then we create a sketch in Photoshop (this is usually a collage of several pictures), if necessary, I finish sketching by hand. The next step is to determine the size and try a sketch on the part of the body they want tattooing. Once this is ok we agree on the date and time of the session.

Usually portraits take 4-6 hours. If they’re quite large portraits, about 20cm in length without additional details and heavy elements I can do them in one session (5-7 hours). If a portrait has lots of details, it can take 2-3 sessions each one being about 5-6 hours, but it all depends on how detailed and complex the design is.

Where do you get your inspiration? I am inspired by so many things. I’m mostly inspired by people in other creative professions, those who work hard on themselves and succeed in their field and beyond. It could be a tattoo artist, graffiti artist, a photographer or musician – anyone creative.

What do you love to tattoo and what would you like to do more of? Generally, I like to do realism by using photos. I would like to make even more portraits, especially shots from movies.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your tattooing? I’ve had more time to develop and improve my style, but I think COVID has had the biggest impact on my trips to other countries to either work or go to tattoo festivals. Unfortunately, until the situation around the world improves it will be very difficult to move. But someday it will all end and tattoo artists will be able to travel and make people happy with their tattoos again.

Be sure to follow Pasha on Instagram for more awesome realism tattoos.

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That’s how magic happens: The tattoos of Blvck Mamba

Liam Blvck (@theblvckmambatattoo) crafts contemporary blackwork tattoos at Bebop Ink in Vancouver, Canada. Liam combines their heritage of Chinese and European culture into dark, fantastical artworks which straddle the line between the above and the below, much like the lines Liam tells us they have existed between throughout their career and life…

What inspired you to become a tattoo artist? Did you complete an apprenticeship, if so what was this like? I’ve been fascinated by tattoos since I was young when I saw all of my favourite band members covered in tattoos, it really intrigued me. I remember thinking “can I just wear my favourite art on my skin forever?”

I was the only arty child in my family, and my family thought I would pass that phase as I got older, but I didn’t. I didn’t really think about being a tattooer until I was 16. When it really struck me how I was extremely into body modification and that I would love to do anything related to art, but at the same time I’m wasn’t interested in just painting on a canvas and selling my art in a gallery. After high school, I ended up going to art school which really reinforced the idea of becoming a tattooer. It took me years to find a proper apprenticeship, but I managed to find one at a street shop.

Luckily my mentor was willing to guide me through the process, even though it was a learning curve for both of us. I was his first apprentice ever. Most of the people who worked there were apprenticed under another boss, and I was the exception which kind of made me the black sheep. I was taken through extreme ups and downs when it came to my learning, because I wasn’t taught the way my boss was as an apprentice. I felt like I needed to learn faster and work harder to prove myself.

Can you tell us about your own tattoos, and the process behind these – how do you settle on a design or choose an artist? I’ve collected a handful of tattoos from different artists around the world; each of the pieces represent my growth as a person, and what I was going through at that time. Most of the tattooers I find are from tattoo magazines I’ve purchase, word of mouth, tattoo conventions and artists of the late 90s/early 2000-esque from a website hosted on Angelfire. I was on more of a scavenger hunt for tattoos back then, instead of just going on Instagram like you do now.

I used to believe every tattoo had to have a meaning in order to get it permanently on my body, and I was told if they didn’t I’d regret it for the rest of my life. Surprisingly, some of my most meaningful tattoos have now been covered. The older we are, it seems that we look back on things and the feelings we had have changed. Nothing stays the same forever, every day we grow as a person. I came to the realisation that it’s okay to just simply appreciate something in the moment, overthinking it would make things complicated.

Most of my tattoos at this point don’t have any meaning, rather I loved the work the tattooer had put out. I simply want what they’re good at, not just the styles, but the subject matters they’re interested in too.

Do you have a favourite tattoo either on your own body or one you have created? Every tattoo I’ve created I’ve loved in different ways, that’s pretty much asking someone to pick their favourite children!

But I would say my favourite tattoo on my own body would be my black-out arm. It was a cover up of a sleeve I’ve got when I was between 18 and 20. It showed how much I had changed as a person, and I realise back then I was still exploring my self identity, as a woman at that time, and as a non-white. Underneath layers and layers of black is a super colourful sleeve that even had an owl with neon pink wings! The black-out took me two to two and a half years to finish, each layer was done by a different coworker that I trusted. The experience of a black-out arm is so different than that of getting a design, it’s a different level of commitment, and it’s something that’s hard to describe until you’ve experienced it on your own.

How would you describe your work? Do you think your experiences have shaped the tattoos you create? Although I was born in Canada, the majority of my childhood was spent in Hong Kong. Hong Kong was colonised by the UK at that time and so I was exposed to European culture along with my own people’s culture. European art was always my favourite because I’m obsessed with how humans can achieve such levels of details in their craft or artwork. Also I was into heavier music and often old European art would be featured on album art and merch.

My work is a fine line between European-esque art, and my life experiences of living on the line between Western and Chinese culture – my identity, my skin, gender, mental health collides with European occult imagery. It’s abstract and complicated.

What kinds of tattoos do you love to do, what designs get you excited? Is there anything you’d like to create or a particular concept you’d like to explore? I would like to continue with the occult aesthetic in my work, but take it more into a surrealism direction. Loving what you do and taking it to another level is the truest growth of oneself.

How would you describe your experience as a queer tattooer in the tattoo industry? Does this influence the spaces you tattoo in? I started out as a cis woman in the industry and I experienced the struggle of being part of the boy’s club. I still notice how I get treated differently compared to white colleagues, and often I get the harsh end of it all. Even the clientele at the beginning of my career treated me poorly because most of the folks that came to me did so because I’m not white, they assumed that they could get a deal on the tattoo they wanted.

I also have experienced male tattooers putting me into uncomfortable situations, such as commenting on women’s appearances, wanting to meet me outside of the workspace for a “consultation” and when I’ve gotten a tattoo from them their arm is positioned in a questionable area.

When I realised that I’m non-binary, and started to dress more queer it was another segregation on top of what I had already experienced. I feel sometimes that the community itself questions my queerness and my right to the space because I’m married to a cis man and therefore I’m not queer and non-binary enough. I was still treated as a cis woman, and my chosen name threw people off and some of them got a bit uncomfortable when they had shown up to their consultation and were expecting to get tattooed by a male tattooer.

All of these experiences, have shaped me. I want to tattoo in a queer friendly safe space where all bodies, race, genders are welcome. Both tattooers and clients give so much trust to each other and vulnerability, in this space judgement and hate is not tolerated. Getting a tattoo shouldn’t be scary and you shouldn’t leave with a traumatic experience.

I’ve read that you’ve explored your craft in a lot of different countries is there a place or moment that stood out for you? I’ve travelled to a few places throughout my tattoo career, I always get inspired by my experiences. Also seeing how other tattooers that I admire love and perfect their craft, gives me the motivation and validation to know that you create your own journey within this craft. There’s no such thing as one art being superior to others, your craft is created by a collection of experiences. The people who come to you do so because they connect with your creation, and that’s how magic happens.