interview with shooby tattoo | Me Gus Tattoo | France 05/09/2018
Q: How long have you been
tattooing? What inspired you to start learning about this beautiful
art form?
A: I'm tattooing since 2009. I always liked to draw when I was
young. I have started painting only later, I was 25 years old. It
helped me to overcome some hard moments in my life. I was already
tattooed at that moment and it was still an art wich attracted me. I
had a job and I sold my paintings in parallel. After working, I went
in a tattoo shop in order to look a friend tattooing. As time by, I
started tattooing in this tattoo shop. I took over this tattoo shop
and created "Me Gus'Tattoo shop", because this friend opened another
shop in another town. The art of tattooing became quickly a real
passion. I was alone in this shop nine years ago, we are six tattoo
artists now .
Q: Was it hard to learn? What is your opinion about tattoo
apprenticeship?
A: Yes, tattooing is very complicated at the beginning. You have to
be very motivated. It needs to have a good drawing level, it helps
when you prepare your projects. For my part a pretty tattoo
represents 80 % well drawing and 20% technical skills. The lines are
more complicated, long time is necessary before you can be able to
obtain clean lines. I'm observing that it's easier to progress with
big pieces, indeed you've got more time to get you to the project. I
still employ many apprentices. It's necessary for them them to learn
the basics, but everybody is different and you have to adapt
yourself to each personality. It's important to tattoo different
styles at the beginning in order to learn different techniques which
will be later useful when the artist chooses his specialty.
Q: The last decade artists can pride themselves for being
able to create realistic tattoos, that gave the tattooing a whole
new concept of not just as a designer image but a highly skilled
technique that many artists nowadays are trying to learn. It's
innovative for sure. Color tattooing especially, as being said many
times that color tattoos are a bit more challenging to do. What is
your opinion on this?
A: It's true that there is an important evolution of the artists who
work realistic style. This is very often reprography even if some of
them can create realistic pieces, portraits, animals, flowers, skull
for example or other, some artists can give a graphic style even
surrealism. We're drawing less now, my wife is delighted, it's clean
at home! We're spending more time working with Photoshop or Pad Pro
for our realistic projects. For my part, the fact of having painted
before, helped me a lot to do color tattoos. I don't think that
color tattoos are more difficult but we spending more time because
we have to choose sometimes a lot of colors and color mixes, so the
preparation is a bit longer.
Q: What do you prefer color or black & white tattoos and
why?
A: I'm tattooing a lot of black and grey pieces and I like it... I
put always grey color for my black and grey tattoos. But I prefer
color tattoos because for me, they have more dynamism on the skin
and they look more realistic. Color tattoos also give more
opportunity to do originals projects.
Q: Big tattoos such as sleeves and backpieces can take 4-5
sessions, that's a lot of hard work, patience, and pain for the
client, but I believe after it's all done, it's a pleasure for both,
you and the client, so it's worth it : ) How much these types of
work give you the ability to really show off your skills? Even
though small tattoos can be challenging and complex, but however, I
think people still consider big tattoos as more of a challenge.
A: I'm doing a lot of big tattoos, very often on the arm. The
interest of a big piece is that we can valorize the member with
negative (virgin skin motions) for example. The pieces can be
located accurately and the fact to work big pieces allows to get
more details with more impact. I like to apply dark background to
intense the edges and the colors.
Q: In creating a portrait tattoo, doing the details such as
eyes, hair etc I think the artist puts an extra energy to make it
looks more "real" the eye expression is probably the most important,
however, what are some of the most tricky details you find as "most"
time consuming?
A: For the portraits, the lips and mostly the hairs require a lot of
patience. The hairs require a lot of energy, they are external parts
of the faces but they are very important because they produce a
beautiful motion and improve the face expression. For the portrait
of men, the difficulty can be the texture of the beard and the
wrinkles. The eyes are generally not too long to make but require
accuracy to get a good translation of the emotion.
Q: I also like the fact that every tattoo you do looks
unique and reminds me of illustrative (graphic) design type of work,
so much patterns, a nice play with colors and mixture of many styles
in one particular design, really impressive. How do you get
inspired? Do you draw a lot for each client or the ideas can come
spontaneously?
A: The inspiration comes from the experience that I built with the
different styles I practiced before I became specialized in
realistic tattooing. It comes also from the artists I've met during
my career. I usually prepare a digital drawing or a graphic
composition at least one week before the appointment. Often, it is
just a base for the inspiration then for the color choices and
finally, the graphic touch comes in the moment.
Q: I think nowadays, as we live in a so-called digital world
of so much media, constant pressure for progress and competition,
how do you cope with that? Do you have any artists you look up to?
A: There is positive thing with media and social networks. The fact
to have the possibility to observe high level tattoos can of course
stimulate me. It's important to not look too much the others artists
work, simply because we can loose our artistic identity. It is
better for me to keep a certain distance and sometime to stay alone
and keep out social networks and create.
Q: I can see many type of tattoo styles that you love doing,
have you ever thought doing something completely different?
A: I did tattoos in different styles before I was specialized in
realism. I'm keeping this style because I prefer it nowadays. I do
not think I want to change yet. It could happen. I like a lot
Japanese tattoos and I 'm tattooing sometimes this style and
neo-traditional too.
Q: What would you say to someone who is planning to start
tattooing? What is the best approach?
A: If someone wants to learn tattooing, I advise a good drawing
level, patience before getting a good level as artist. It's too
necessary to try different styles before specializing in order to
obtain a lot of experience. It's also necessary to find a good team,
because the team is very important. At last, it's necessary to
surround yourself with good artists in order to learn in the best
conditions.
Please write your contact info and tell us if you're
attending a tattoo convention soon so we can say Hi and book
an appointment ; )
I attend to participate at Brussels tattoo convention and certainly
at Mondial du tatouage at Paris for the third times. I'll meet you
with at these conventions . Best regards :)
email:megustattoo@gmail.com ; insta:shooby_tattoo; website:
www.megustattoo.fr