Q: When did you start doing tattoos? What made you to become a tattoo artist?
A: Since I was a kid, I spend a lot of my free time drawing. It was 1997 when I made my first step into the world of tattooing, after getting some advices from a tattooist that used to work, in his home, near where I lived. My whole imprinting was self-taught.

Q: Some people say that it is possible to be self though artist. What are your thoughts about this?
A: I think it's just a thought, because as I said before, I also started a self-taught, by following a few tips here and there!

Q: How has your work developed over the years?
A: I experienced a quantum leap 4 years ago, shortly after I made a tattoo by Andrea Afferni, I gave some useful tips especially on the organizational level. Since then I decided to dedicate myself only to the style that I'm passionate - realism. Since then I have noticed an improvement in my technique and I finally feel happy with my work.

    

Q: I can see a lot of custom tattoos. In which designs you find most creative freedom?
A: When I do a tattoo , portrait or realistic, I take inspiration by pictures that contain strong contrasts between light and shadow. I really like dogs portraits, cause I really love my dogs. In my life they cover a very important role, especially Pini and Lona, my two little dogs! More than human’s portraits, but in particular way, I love when the pictures are no-conventional never seen or crazy! I really like when the customer favors my idea, I can give them free rein to my ideas.

Q: Your color use is awesome. What inks do you use?
A: I use “ Panthera Black Inks” doing Black and Grey. When I do color tattoo, I often use Intenze or Eternal. It’s more difficult tone tattooing colored piece cause my background is based completely on Black and Grey drawing. But there’s another problem: I work near the beach, so it’s rare to have possibility to work on white skin.

    

    

Q: Portraits are maybe the most remarkable designs in your portfolio. Do you remember when the impression for this kind of work first began?
A: Portraits always been my favorite subject to do, even when I still wasn’t a tattooer. I’ve always been inspired by the challenge to reproduce a face like it’s real and listen to people says “wow”! “It’s really him/her!” In particular way I love to realize dog’s portrait, because I really love dogs and I think that every dog has his physiognomy and the owner knows it well.

   

Q: Can you tell me little about the making process?
A: When a client come with his idea, the first step is to find some pictures on the internet, with a good resolution and most artistic as it’s possible. The second step is to adapt on the part of body where to put tattoo piece (longer or pargost is important to me to concept this work as well). The 3rd step is to realize a collage of images or, in case of a single images, create a good background to make possible it doesn’t see lik a “ sticker” on body.

 Q: I was fascinated when I saw the Charlie Chaplin sleeve. WOW!  What was the basic idea?
A: About the sleeve with the Charlie Chaplin's portrait, the client's idea was to reproduce 4 portraits: Chaplin, Marylyn, David bowie, Dali'! I didn't want just to put Them as They came so I found interesting to fuse Them together using a texture pixel effect! I'm really interested on putting this kind of effect close to a realistic tattoo! I think it can help to make less ' anonymous' a piece like a portrait or else . Normally the client's idea is well supported by me even not in case They ask to choose a picture not clear or not good contrasted.

Q: What reaction from the clients makes you happy? Any crazy experiences with the clients?
A: The final reaction of the clients is always an emotion to me! First of all when I realize portraits of r.i.p.Person! Often the client's eyes became wet as they look at the work I've done! So I understand That I've done a good work and the portrait really seem to the real person!

  

Q: Tattooing is very creative work. What's your biggest inspiration?
A: I find my inspiration trying to get more and more strange pictures on the web, books, magazines or else! Then i love to mix, interpreting by my way! The hardest part is to sell them to the customer... lol

    

Q: What is the best lesson that you've learned from your tattoo journey?
A: The best lesson I've learned from my TATTOO journey is That every day you have a lesson to learn: by the costumer, by the partnership, by the skin, by your supplies, by yourself...! I know it looks a rhetoric answer but it's real as it is!

Q: Any advice for the new artists?
A: People Who is starting to TATTOO nowadays, founds it very easy instead several years ago, when I started( 1997). You've got every sort of supplies, books, tutorial on you tube, advices ( even by payment) from a lot of tattoo artists ,Google and more for draws! But this kind of 'take it easy' makes think That you don't need to sacrifice at all, and everyone feels like a master after few TATTOOs done, killing imagination and the curiosity to learn!

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