NBAF 2014
MEET THE ARTIST
nick imms PAINTED LADY TATTOO PARLOUR
How did you get into tattooing? A bit of luck really! I went for my first tattoo not long after finishing my art college course and it just so happened that they were looking for an apprentice. It's not a career I'd ever really considered; it was more a case of right place right time, luckily for me, and I've never looked back since!
How has your career progressed since you began? I was thrown in at the deep end at the street shop where I first worked and I had to learn quickly how to put a clean tattoo on! But luckily my now good friend Frenchy showed the way! Since moving to the Painted Lady Tattoo Parlour at the end of last year I've felt there's been a big change in my work, and I know this is due to being around some incredible artists and having an awesome boss like Dawnii who from Day One encouraged me to do my own thing.
I see your work is really detailed. You must have to really concentrate…is it a case of being in tip top condition to ensure a steady hand? Te biggest thing for me is to try and get a good night’s sleep and keep organised as best as possible!
Why do you think tattooing is so hip at the moment? To be honest, I'm not entirely sure! Partly to do with celebrity following and popular TV shows but the main reason is tattoos are badass! Ha ha.
Are you looking forward to coming to Norwich Body Art Festival this year? Yeah I am, I've never worked this convention before and its always cool to put faces to names :) It's also my birthday on Sunday so if you see me feel free to buy me an Appletini ;)
What is the greatest tattoo you’ve ever done? Tis is a really tough one as I've done loads that have been my favourite! I'd probably have to go for the Batman tattoo I did at the Portsmouth Tattoo Convention. It was on a good friend of mine and was really fun to do! We also won best black and grey (small) with this piece so it'll always be a special one for me as this was the first award I've ever won.
NORWICHBODYARTFESTIVAL.CO.UK
ricky lopez BLACK GALLEON
How did you get into tattooing? Well I've always loved drawing; it was pretty much all I did in my school days. I got my first tattoo when I was 18 (because I had a baby face)and instantly I wanted to be a tattooist. I asked a few studios around Cambridge and no one wanted to take me on. I ended up getting into carpentry, so over the next 7 years every time I got a new tattoo I'd ask the studio for an apprenticeship, every answer was a no. When I was 25 a friend asked me to draw some tribal designs for him. He went and had the design done as a tattoo at Tattoo Crazy and texted me saying they were looking for an apprentice so I took the next day off work and went in with my portfolio of drawings to see Barry.K. He seemed interested, but I didn't hear anything for a couple of weeks so I went back and asked if I could go in every Friday from open to close to just watch. I ended up doing that for a month or two and then got the job!
I see you’ve just recently set up your studio in King’s Lynn. How’s it going? My friend & brother from another mother Mike Harper, who I met six and a half years ago doing my apprenticeship decided in November last year to get a studio together in Kings Lynn. We got the ball rolling in February and opened our doors at the start of June! It is going really well thank you, was definitely a good move!
You do some excellent photorealist portrait tattoos. Tat must be a big responsibility…to get the sense of the person as well as the likeness. Do you generally ask about the nature of the person you're tattooing before you start? Tank you! Yes it is a big responsibility! I do like a bit of pressure & the challenge though haha, I do ask about people's tattoos; I think it's interesting to find out if they're getting it because it means something or just because they like it!
What is the greatest tattoo you’ve ever done? Errrm...I'm not quite sure about
greatest....it changes all the time really. I did a customer’s grandad driving a tractor; that's probably one of my top favourites. But my favourite portrait at the moment is an Alex Ferguson one I did last month.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64