Hello Matt Reid! Thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview. Please start by telling us something about yourself and what inspired you to start tattooing? I was lucky enough to have my tattooist at the time, Craig Watson who had become a very good friend. He opened his first studio and offered me an apprenticeship after seeing my portfolio of mostly sketches and scribbles.

Q: What kept you motivated? Was it hard?
A: I find the craft naturally motivating. The start was extremely difficult as I started in a new studio with no clientele and having moved from interstate a relatively small network of friends. My wife Ryann has been absolutely supportive and in the beginnging, she’d ensure we got by so I could pursue this career. Big love to her.

Q: What type of art outside tattooing do you like the most?
A: I’d say oil painting for sure! As for influence I’m surrounded by it everyday, everywhere my closest friends and my colleagues are all amazing tattooers, painters, musicians.

Q: Tattoo realism is definitely a very popular style nowadays. Many are trying to master it. What are some of the most difficult parts to work on while doing a portrait tattoo?
A: The hardest part for me is creating the stencil. Ensuring it is legible and not too cluttered. This makes the application of the tattoo far less stressful and enables more focus on hues and value etc.

Q: Is color tattooing more "expressive"?
A: Definitely... instead of using simply black and grey, you can manipulate hues as well, allowing for gradiation between warm and cool tones and applying bright vibrant highlights.

Q: Do you have any favorite ink brand?
A: I use mostly Fusion inks. They’re great.

Q: How important is having good drawing skills?
A: I think it’s pretty important. And I’d say if you can tattoo and can’t draw, draw more. It will show in your tattooing.

Q: Do you paint or maybe explore digital art?
A: Yes I paint a fair bit, oils, acrylic, and occasionally watercolor. I do a lot of digital sketching/sculpting but it’s not as fun as the paints.

Q: Many people think that being a tattoo artist is a lot of fun, or..is it?
A: Being a tattoo artist is fun, but only if you love it. For me the most challenging part is juggling family life with work, but damn it’s fun.

Q: How important to explore new ways of working in order to improve artistically? Would you change something?
A: I think if you want to keep doing the same thing and take no interest in progress you will keep doing the same thing. I constantly change the way I work purely to explore new techniques and ideas.

Q: Advice for the new artists?
A: It gives you back what you put in.