interview with tattoo artist Raimo Marti

   Hello Raimo Marti! Thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview. Please start by telling us something about yourself, how it all started? Hi there, My name is Raimo Marti and I work at Black Mirror Tattoo in Copenhagen, Denmark. I started tattooing 3 years ago. I have been creating art, oil paintings since I was little kid and even though I've been doing a lot of different things, the art almost always seemed like it was something that I could rely on. Both as a form of relaxation but also when times were hard financially. I am a former pro athlete ( ice hockey and later on mma ) so I never really gave education any serious though…besides I always had a hard time sitting still for long periods of time. When I quit the sports, this resulted in me jumping back and forth between a lot of different jobs having a hard time to settle and really find my passion... until I started tattooing! First time I gave it any real thought was when I saw some tattoo show on tv. Guess I could se myself living this lifestyle, and thought that my painting, drawing skills and creativity would be an advantage in the tattoo business. So I decided to get an apprenticeship at a local studio and they quickly opened their doors for me, since then I've been working hard to become better every single day and have been working in several big studios ending up opening my own studio this year.

Q: What do you like the most about tattoo realism?
A: Realism is definitely my passion. Being able to create a portrait that just captures the spirit of a person. It's difficult, challenging and very rewarding if you can pull it off.

Q: Has anyone revealed their story during the session?
A: People usually have some personal reason for wanting that particular tattoo and they like to share their thoughts and feelings during the process. Sometimes it might even be a very emotional experience for the customer when the see the final result. That's when I know I've done a great job.

Q: Which are more inspiring, humans or animals?
A: Some human might be, if they inspire others, but I do not thing that humans are any more inspiring that animals. We are all creatures under the same sky, the spirit is a universal thing. There are dogs that have more personality and spirit than some humans and there are humans that seem to have charisma and spirit that transcends time... inspiring others long after they left this earth. Usually a portrait tattoo is more than just a picture...it's a statement.

Q: I love your paintings! What kind of supplies do you use?
A: Painting has always been a hobby of mine and in some periods of my life it kept food on my table. I still sell my paintings for the right price. It is also the engine behind my tattooing. I primarily use oil colors on canvas. Sometimes I like to use charcoal and graphite creating hyper realistic drawings, this is very time-consuming though and sadly we only have 24 hours a day :)

Q: Tell me about the tattoo scene in Denmark.
A: The tattoo scene in Denmark is very old, dating back to the sailor getting inked at Nyhavn (Old harbour district in the old part of Copenhagen) when they hit the shore back in the days. As a result, traditional tattoos are still the biggest focus here in Denmark. People are starting to open their eyes to the new styles like realism. This is not something that I pay to much attention to since I primarily fair on the international scene and 70 % of my clients travel to my studio from abroad. The people who get tattooed range from the age of 20-50 and many of my customers come to me to get their very first tattoo. I guess this shows that people are opening up to the fact that great tattoos are truly a piece of art being created by artist taking great pride in perfecting their craft. Just like any other good craftsman in their respective field.

My studio adress is Viborggade 23. 2100 Copenhagen. Black Mirror Tattoo.
https://www.facebook.com/raimomarti
https://www.instagram.com/raimomartitattoo

Q: Having the talent you have, I bet you're always booked, how we can book an appointment?
A: I'm booked pretty far ahead yes. But I still try to keep my calendar manageable and not overwork myself. If people wanna book a session with me they should write to me on my official email raimomartitattoo@gmail.com Here I need some basic info about the tattoo and the placement before we take the process further.

Q: What's the biggest mistake when it comes to progress?
A: The biggest mistake is without question, biting off more that you can chew. It's important to work hard, being critical with oneself and having a lot of patience. I think it's a shame when you see an artist starting something out of ambition only to realize that the skill level doesn't match midway in the process. The result will be something that looks like it is rushed. Art has no time limit, especially not tattoos. If an artist feels like they are being pushed by the client time frame or money it's important to lay down the rules and how the process work before starting in order to work freely and avoid any misunderstandings.

Q: Some of your plans for the near feature?
A: Travel a lot more to conventions, guest spots etc. Just to get a lot more input, inspiration and become better. I will expand my studio here in Copenhagen or maybe even bring my family with me to California to start a studio there. I have a huge fan base in Cali and the weather is warm and sunny!