Hello Marco Pepe! Thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview. How long have you been tattooing? Do you remember your first tattoo? I started tattooing in 2011, my first tattoo was a traditional cherry blossom flower, done on a friend. I remember that took forever, like almost 3 hours. The most challenging part was to find something unique, find clients that trust you and become part of a project, an idea, something that can go from the brush to the skin.

Q: How long took you to gain confidence?
A: I think that I'm still trying to have 100% confidence in myself and this is a very important part for me, because I think that trying to find that confidence make you grow day by day and find every day something new. I'm sure that if you wanna do something you can work hard and get it, some people are very talented, others can reach the same point by studying hard.

Q: Do you have any formal art training?
A: I'm in love with art, unfortunately I didn't have the chance to study it in school, so I have to try to understand why and how painters are able to create things out of their brushes... So I tried to do the same. I always wanted to send a message with my works, sometimes it is hidden sometimes it is not. Actually I started with the traditional, old school style. I was in love with the large big lines and with the whipped shading and over the years, I made something unique.

Q: You're very creative. I like your style a lot. I'm a graphic designer so when I see someone doing something different rather than the popular tattoo realism style, I'm excited. Tell me about the process before the tattoo session. Do you draw for each client?
A: Thank you, your words mean a lot to me. I usually do just one tattoo a day, because I wanna give all myself to one person at the time. I draw in the morning and I tattoo in the afternoon. Everything starts with a form where I ask the client to explain me the feeling that they wanna show, from there I tell them the way that I will draw it. For me drawing is like a language so I try to translate a feeling into an illustration. When they see the design, usually is almost ready, about 70 % I always wanna see the design on skin, to understand how to "hug" the area, after that I paint something directly on skin and make something unique.

Q: There's no "undo" or "edit" option when it comes to tattooing, everything has to be well placed and planned before the session. Do you advise your clients about placement, color, size etc?
A: Is the same with painting, when the painting is on canvas you cannot "edit" it, that's why you need a good control when you wanna make a really cool abstract drop, it is the same on skin, but each person have a different shape, a different skin, a different tone etc. So I prefer to follow the natural line, with brushes or markers before I start tattooing. Usually my suggestions are about placement and colors. While painting, it's very important to follow some rules like gravity and how liquids usually move. My favorite parts are legs and arms, about size... I like to take the whole area, to give that "infinity " look, like the abstract painting, without frame, so the work have to wrap a bit, giving the idea that we are watching only a part of it.

Q: Do you accept reference images?
A: I prefer to draw or paint all by myself. Usually I do not accept reference images, only sometimes when I work on pets, but for me is very important to draw all.

Q: How would you call your style?
A: I call mine hard painting watercolor because I try to make my tattoos to look like a painting as much as I can. My idea is that, today is very important to do something unique and everybody should have their own style.

Q: Your advice for the new artists?
A: Draw, draw and draw, if you are interested in watercolor or any painting style... use brushes not pencils!