interview with Nikolay Mertsalov
Hello Nikolay Mertsalov! Thank you so much for taking the time to do
this interview. Please tell us something about yourself and your
beginnings.
The first time I got my hands on a tattoo machine was back in
1999. I just turned 14. It was for God’s sake a piece of equipment
put together from an old electrical shaver. It looked and worked
like a piece of shit but it was enough to make a 14 year old me
happy. At that time in Russia it was very hard to find any
information about tattooing. I had to learn the basics through trial
and error. It wasn’t easy.
Q: What kept you motivated during the process?
A: I started drawing very early. My father, an exceptional artist,
was my teacher and my biggest inspiration.
Q: How long took you to gain confidence?
Who were some of your first clients?
A: My first tattoo I did was on my own leg. Shortly after I tattooed on
most of my friends and relatives. There were long periods of time
when I wasn’t tattooing. These gaps were slowing down my progress.
Becoming an artist was a long and difficult journey for me. It took
me about 9 years to understand that my work is worth something. In
2008 I started my professional career as a tattoo artist. In 2012 I
opened my own tattoo studio “Under the Skin Tattoo Shop”. I work
there to this day.
Q: Important things when doing a portrait tattoo?
A: When creating a portrait you have to keep in mind a lot of
things. First thing to remember is resemblance. It can be achieved
through constructing the form, the ratio of light, shadowing and
ultimately the detailing is important. The problem with most artists
is that they dig too much into the detailing while ignoring the
basics but it does not work like that.
Q: Some
people think being a tattoo artist is fun but, is it?
A: I thank God that I became a tattoo artist! But being a good
tattoo artist is far from easy. In addition to the fact that I spend
7 to 12 hours a day at work in the studio, I also need time to
prepare each design. I also want to continue to develop in drawing
- because it enhances your skills in tattooing. And of course,
communication with customers, this takes a lot of time. I also
have a family and two sons, whom I love very much and give them all
my free time. In general, you need to plan your time well and value
every minute.
Q: How important is to be willing to push forward in this job
technically and creatively?
A: Movement is life and if you are not trying to move forward, then
you are not trying to live. I constantly work on myself. I improve
my technical skills during tattooing, and when practicing drawing I
come up with new ideas and ways to implement them.
Q: The Beavis and Butthead tattoos! Oh Haha! Probably my
favorite! So funny!
A: I have a lot of interesting projects that I would like to do.
Regarding the portraits I would like to do my favorite characters
from the 90’s movies, almost every character is a legend.
Q: Who came up with the idea?
A:
Oh! This is perhaps my favorite tattoo! I am a fan of Beavis and
Butthead since childhood - it was impossible to drive me away from
the TV! My parents hated them! The idea was mine and I dreamed
of doing this tattoo and found the same crazy guy like me for this
tattoo. I was pleasantly surprised that they are still remembered
and loved. We took the 2nd place at the International Moscow
Convention with this tattoo.
Q: Do you travel a lot, like visiting tattoo conventions,
expos etc? Do you have any favorite artists?
A: Yes, I started traveling a lot this year and I will say that it’s
very useful! First of all, you meet new people and have new
experiences. Secondly, guest spots perfectly prepare the artist for
tattoo conventions, they create similar stressful situations. At
tattoo conventions you become more known and then develop a healthy
sense of competition, which positively affects your further
creativity and performance.
Q: Your advice for those who are willing to start
tattooing?
A: Believe in yourself, work on yourself, communicate and draw a
lot!