interview with tattoo artist Adrian Lindell
Hello Adrian Lindell! Thank you so
much for
taking the time to do this interview. Please start by telling us something about yourself,
how it all started?. I’ve been tattooing since november
2015. So I'm pushing 3 years at the moment! What inspired me to
start was probably the “Miami ink” TV shows that aired in Sweden a couple of years back. My
dad always told me when we watched the shows together that I should
be tattooing because of my big interest in art. I didn’t really
think of it that much until I discovered Instagram I guess.
Q: Was it hard to learn? Is apprenticeship a good idea?
A: The learning process was hard at first but I didn’t really think
of it as hard. More challenging I would say. I’m still learning to
this day and I think I won't ever master the craft of tattooing to a
full extent. I hope I won't at least because then I think I’ll grow
tired of it. Apprenticeships is the best way to learn and to learn
how the industry works, but it’s key to find a serious mentor that really want to see you grow and become a
better artist. I actually started at home way back but I didn’t
really understand anything until I started working in a studio.
Q: How would you describe your
style? Would you give it a name?
A: It’s hard to create
a “Signature look”. It feels like so much has been done already so I
really like seeing new unique styles showing up here and there. I
feel like I haven’t found my own style yet. It’s constantly changing
but lately I’ve been quite fund of the double exposure/realistic
style with heavy contrasts. That has been done a lot but I’m working
on getting my own twist on it.
Q: How important is to know how the skin
might react to certain inks?
A: I’m only working in black and grey at the moment so my technique
applies to all of my clients. But If I work with any colors, the ink
and skin type plays a big role. I’d say the darker the skin tone,
the more vibrant colors I use.
Q: How you do these hyper realistic tattoos, what's the secret?
heh
A: My tip on getting a realistic look is just to put a lot of time
and effort, use heavy black in the darkest
areas. The white and black in the design must complement each other
to get that 3D look and really make the finished result pop. I guess
that’s all I can share!
Q: How important is to experiment? Have
you ever tried something different than the style you are known for?
A: Experimenting is very important in finding your own style and
making things interesting. I guess that’s the best way of creating
your “signature style”. When I was new, I took all
kinds of work from old school, neo trad, japanese, scripts... The
list goes on but I felt black & grey realism was for me. So yes, I
have tried some different styles than the one I’m known for.
Q: What do you like the most about being a
tattoo artist?
A: The things that I cherish the most is all the friends I’ve got
through tattooing both clients and artists. I’ve learnt a lot about
myself aswell. It’s also awesome I get to travel this much and still
get paid for it! I don’t really put any energy in the competition
and negativity that is flying around. I know there is a lot of it
but I’d rather lift people up than to talk shit and drag them down.
In the end it just comes down to me so I guess I'm my own
competition.
Q: Any advice for the new artists?
A: Go to an art school and learn. Get that solid base to start from.
You wouldn’t trust anybody with the tattoo machine who doesn’t have
any artistic background, right? Even if you have talent,
it’s still a good idea to take art classes. After that you should
be out looking for a studio you think you’re going to learn from. Go
to the shop and introduce yourself personally, It’s a way more
efficient than just shooting an email.