I have been tattooing for 13 years. I first became interested in tattooing in Houston Texas. I was going to art school and I wanted a job making money as an artist, so I didn't have a typical job like busing tables or delivering Chinese food. I wanted to work in art. A Classmate of mine was a tattoo artist and made good money while going to school. He told me NOT to get involved in tattooing, so naturally its the first thing i did. I wanted to start tattooing because I have always drawn weird and crazy things, and wasn't quite sure how i was going to make a living, and where i would fit in with my art. So when I realized tattooing was a valid source of income and i could make good money doing it, it was instant. I said Ok, this is it... this is where i can sell my drawings and make good money doing it. I got my start at at tattoo shop called A1 tattoo in 1996 after randomly walking into a tattoo shop with my drawings looking for a job. I didn't realize I had to take a full apprenticeship. I then went through the typical hard as hell apprenticeship for a full year before I actually started tatting. I did my first tattoo a year or so after I started my so-called apprenticeship, and only after i had tattooed on myself and at least 3 victims. lol :) honestly, My first tattoo was fucked up!
I have created my own style, but my favorite style is ORIGINAL if that's a style. It doesn't matter if its color, grey wash or whatever, as long as its original i'll think its awesome. I don't have one favorite artist. I have a general respect for all good art creators. None are on the top, its like apples and oranges. I would like to mention a few like, Paul Both, Guy Atchison, Bob Tyrell,and Dino Cook. The newer guys on the block would be Niko Hertado, Roman Abrego, Brandon Bond and Jess Yen just to mention a few. I'm influenced by Guy Atchison and Paul Booth the most. Outside of tattooing, Alex Grey, Chet Czar, Walt Disney artists, Bob Ross and others. Ultimately, Paul Booth was my very first inspiration for tattoos.
My personal style is dynamic and strange. Dark, yet somewhat comic at times, a variation of all techniques... not just one, or two, or three. My best pieces incorporate all of the techniques inside of my style. What makes my style unique are the decisions i make during the creation process. I entail a free-flow from the source to my drawings, giving them a unique conclusion as opposed to something you may have seen before..more of a spontaneous originality. Like a trust, rather than a rigid measurement. One of my favorite tattoos is my wife's back piece. I have been working on it for several years and showing it off half-done. I got serious recognition at a tattoo convention with it, and I'm not even done with it so I'm very proud. I like to tattoo my own ideas. I have been working extremely hard at pulling really cool ideas from other peoples minds, and my own. When i get an opportunity to tattoo original ideas, its always turns out to be a total masterpiece, and sick-ass work of art. People who let me do what I want are always extremely happy and emotional when I'm done. The question than I am most asked is "is this going to hurt?" and "how much is it going to cost?", and.. "are we done yet?" .. and, oh yeah, "what do i have to do to take care of this thing?".
I have had art training in the past. I attended the Art Institute of Houston, I also worked as a caricature artist at Six Flags Astroworld in Houston Tx, then had my own small caricature business all before tattooing. The question has been asked "is it important for an artist to have artistic history or formal training?'. I would have to say it matters how your tattoo's turn out. IF you have never had a day of training in your life, yet your tattoos turn out excellent and you have learned how to do that, then obviously you didn't need any training. However, if you go to 10 years of art school, and your dad's an artist, and you come from a long line of artists, and then you become a tattoo artist and your tattoo's look like crap, then you just suck. Didn't matter how much training you had. Right? So, as long as your tattoo's look awesome, and heal awesome, then there you have it.
I have had several unusual experiences during my career. I had a guy vomit, pee and shit his pants... all at the same time. Then he passed out. I have had stick-ups in the parking lot, many a fight (mostly outside), hookers, military, religious, you know what... every walk of life and color of skin. Yes, tattooing is colorful, and almost the entire time, it is unusual. My best tattoo experience was when i actually got paid for the first time to do a custom piece (my artwork). My strangest tattoo experience is the Indian guy who comes in and tells you your future and reads your mind and then asks for money. He's usually totally right but you don't want to pay him cause it could be a scam, but your still kinda freaked out so you give him 5 bucks. Or when the cops come in and you feel awkward cause I'm totally criminal minded, and this dude would love to arrest me but we're friends while we're here... and I have a needle. lol :) My most annoying tattoo experience? There are a couple of things that annoy the piss out of me. Number one, is people who nit-pick the tattoo whilst I'm doing it. Wait till I'm done before you start the inspection. Number two, is people who don't know what the fuck they want, but they have to have something, but they don't know what it is, and they change their minds continuously for two hours, before waiting till next week to get it. If you don't know what you want, I sure as fuck don't know what you want. Oh I know!! You should get a demon zombie gurgling blood, screaming, melting off your leg with its eyes sown shut. Because that what I'll tattoo on you if you let me.
My job is the best part of my job!! I get to draw art on people. That is the best part of life and I get paid!! Are you kidding? I am totally grateful for this. I have now opened my own tattoo studio in Escondido California called Dermalgrafix. My stepfather, Steven Westbrook is the owner, and I am his partner and manager. We built Dermalgrafix from the ground up. It is a very unique tattoo studio, unlike anything you have ever seen. I plan on tattooing for most of the rest of my life, or until I am to old. I do consider myself just beginning, so we'll see how far it goes. As far as the current state of tattooing goes, I feel it's just getting better and better. With the introduction of good artists and good apprenticeships, new technology, and new application, I can only see tattooing getting bigger and better. It will become a fine art, I think it already is. As technology makes it easier to get into tattooing, so will the spread of scratchers and fakers and clones that will create allot of static, but the definition of a good artist will be that much more important. So no matter what, if you are a good artist, there will always be a serious demand for you. In the future, I plan to fly around in anti-gravity cars and talk to aliens. Look for me in southern California, at the Pamona Body Art Expo. It happens every year :)
Thank you.
Fotos und Text: Ryan Dean Brink
Dermalgrafix Tattoo
www.myspace.com/dermalgrafix
