P120 MORE THAN SKIN DEEP
At a time when tattoos have never been more mainstream, choosing an artist is less about rebellion and more about taste and curation. Urban Active sought out four very different ink specialists to ask what it’s like to live the brand
We profile four top tattoo parlours to find out how modern ink is changing shades
How would you describe your style? It’s bold and solid tattooing based around American traditional, with influences from Japanese style, hardcore punk, and western esotericism. I enjoy making tattoos like the ones I have on my own body – tattoos that are readable, bright and will look great in years to come. How have you developed your style? I have an ever-growing collection of reference books. In the age of Instagram I think it’s important for a tattoo artist to have a strong library of references and not be swayed by this week’s popular style. Describe a tattooist’s life. I’m at the shop five days a week, but most of my work is custom, so I draw every day before and after work, as well as on my days off. Sometimes I might draw a tattoo for six hours before tattooing it. There’s no downtime with tattooing – I’m always surrounded by it, for better or worse. How would you describe your typical customer? Being so close to shops such as Supreme and Palace, we definitely get an overflow of those moving from overnight queue to tattoo – all as part of the skater, streetwear movement. My background and interest in punk music and the samples of my work on Instagram definitely brings people with that kind of style through the door, too. Is the increasing popularity of tattoos a good thing or a bad thing, creatively? Popularity has its up and down sides. On the one hand, more tattoos means more opportunity for creativity. On the other, people are now more assertive about what they want and they want to replicate what they see on social media, rather than create. Often what people see and want recreated won’t work – be that practically or stylistically. It’s my job to try to educate them. What advice would you give a man considering his first tattoo? I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve seen some model get tiny writing that won’t be legible within a couple of years. It’s important to understand that as your body ages, a tattoo will settle under the skin and soften. If it’s too small or lacks a solid foundation of black, it will look poor quickly.
frithstreettattoo.co.uk
How long have you been doing this? At 18 I had an apprenticeship custompainting cars, so I’d always been drawn to doing my artwork on things. As that interest developed, the ultimate thing to draw on became people. It’s actually easier transitioning from fuel tanks to people than it is from paper. Eventually the guy tattooing me suggested I might have a future in it, and now Vagabond’s doors have been open for five years. How did you develop your own style? I’ve always been more interested in traditional imagery and prefer an all-black aesthetic. There is a romance to classic design. I’ve refined my style by stripping back and simplifying wherever I can. A design often translates best in its simplest form. How do you improve as an artist? When I was learning to tattoo I would practise on my own legs and anywhere I could reach with both hands. The only way you can see if you’re learning is by checking the way it heals and the way it sinks into the skin. People don’t realise that the application is just as important as the drawing. Does your work attract a particular type of client? Since we’ve been open we’ve developed a rep for simple, clean tattooing. And with that we’ve seen a lot of the graphic design crowd, along with those interested in bikes and vintage clothing, come through the door. When you’re inking, do you feel like you’re creating art, or like you’re working? When a customer commits a large area of skin to you, that trust is very humbling and offers a lot of opportunity for expression. But my favourite kind of tattoo to do is a palm-sized drawing where, while the client has some idea of what they want, they let me have complete creative freedom. It’s always incredibly satisfying to complete something in one day that you’ve been able to pour all of your own style and taste into. What advice would you give a man considering his first tattoo? Think about placement first then pick a design that works with the body. Don’t try and put all your ideas in one piece. The best tattoo will come from the simplest idea.
iamvagabond.co.uk
How did you first get into tattooing? In the late ’80s I played in bands and used to come and get tattooed at Diamond Jacks. It’s had an illustrious rock clientele since the ’60s. I did an apprenticeship elsewhere but came back and bought the place in 2002. As a kid I was into comic books and music. I got the best of both at Diamond Jacks. So would you say your style is rock’n’roll? Yeah, I’d say so. There are lots of flames and dice, symbolic man’s ruin-type tattoos. The kind of thing you’d imagine Guns N’ Roses getting on the Sunset Strip in the ’80s. It’s retro-specific. I like a certain time and style. It’s not very trendy, but then we’re not a very trendy studio! Has the typical Diamond Jacks customer changed in recent years? When I first started here we had bikers, rockers and druggies coming in after picking up their methadone. Now we’re seeing a lot of skaters come through the door – which doesn’t sound quite as edgy, but I like their style. Skate culture is bringing back the lowbrow images of hot rods and designs from ’60s California rock’n’roll. They want the real deal. Would you say you’ve given the rock’n’roll style your own spin? Yes, but at the same time I’m not trying to create something new. This style was perfected a long time ago. Mess around with those images too much and they lose their essence. Is the increasing popularity of tattoos a good thing or a bad thing? In short: it’s a bad thing. People don’t want to be individual, there are less trailblazers and mavericks. The best illustration of this, I think, is the rise of written tattoos proclaiming who people are and the qualities they have. But if they really did have ‘strength’ or ‘power’ they wouldn’t need a tattoo to tell people. What do you like most about your job? Giving people a great experience. A lot of the old-timers who tattooed me got into it late. They’d been in the forces or in bands; they had life stories. Being an old rock’n’roller, I’m the same. I tell stories and we have fun. It’s not just about creating a great piece of art, it’s about the whole tattoo experience.
diamondjacks.co.uk
Were you always destined to ink? No, but I was destined to do something artistic, I think. I’ve been taking photographs ever since I remember and began drawing again properly at university. It wasn’t until meeting my husband, also a tattooist, that I realised this was the best outlet for my artistic aspirations. How has your style developed since then? I need to split that answer in two because the way I tattoo is traditional – bold lines, bold colour and simple. But where the inspiration comes from gets more complicated, like Tibetan artworks or Eastern European and American folk art. It’s very basic, but varied. I had a very long time to pull my inspirations from different places – as an apprentice I spent a lot of time just drawing and making people coffee. You really have to wait it out before they let you pick up a gun. How would you describe the typical Good Times customer? The benefit of being in London is there isn’t one. With so many style tribes coming through the door, it creates this condensed melting pot where you can be inspired by other cultures that you wouldn’t normally be exposed to. Is the increasing popularity of tattoos a good thing or a bad thing? I like the idea of everyone going for it and getting tattoos when they want them. But it’s more of a good thing when the people getting tattoos are open to collaborating with the artist. When people put their trust in your opinion and you can work together to create something with longevity, that’s when it becomes rewarding in a creative respect. What makes a good client? A bit of nervous excitement! Nerves are good. People are more open to being more creative that way, plus the adrenaline can help you to get through the pain. What advice would you give a man considering his first tattoo? That’s difficult for me to advise because I didn’t think – I just went for it. But come in and be open minded when you talk to the artist. Come armed with an idea and then ask for their spin on it. It’s the best way to ensure you walk away with something original.
goodtimestattoo.co.uk