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!