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How long have you been tattooing or painting?
Tattooing since 1983
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What 5 bands or musicians are in your current rotation?
Georgia Thunderbolts, The Steel Woods, Clutch, Cody Jinks, 49 Winchester
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Favorite non-tattoo-related thing you did in the past year?
Taking it easy and reading on a small Dutch island.
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What’s your overall perspective on the current state of tattooing, and where do you see it heading in the future?
I have mixed feelings about the current situation. Firstly, there are so many really talented people in the game today, it's unbelievable, and they are having a hard time making a living in this business. And then there are so many bullshitters too, who only care about their ego, are blind or ignorant of what came before us and why. Hopefully, when this new thing of uber-tiny, just-outlined, shit tattoos fades out people will flock to the laser shop to get it removed, and realise tattooing is not for everyone. But before that it will get even worse, with more tattoo shops than kebab places.
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Where is your shop based, and what do you love about the location?
Our shop is located in a smaller rural town in the north of Holland, and we’ve been in our current location since 2004. Love the small town feel and no bullshit mentally. Fortunate to be in the same region since I started out, which brings in kids and grandkids of people I tattooed back in the 80's and 90’s.
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What are your favorite types of designs to draw?
Stuff I prefer to draw istattoos that look like tattoos. Old school designs based on the stuff at the shop I started out in, all the good stuff: Hardy, Malone, and Aussie flash. A bit more color than is considered hip these days.
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With all the advancements in tattooing technology, which tools or techniques do you rely on, and are there any older methods you still hold onto?
I recently got back to my older set up– coils for lining and direct drive for shading and colour. I even put aside most of the cartridges I was using for colour and went back to regular needles, because I wasn’t satisfied with where my work was heading using cartridges. Hell, I even tried a pen for a while, which was okay for some shading and good for colour, but I hated lining with it.
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In your opinion, how important is it for artists to evolve their style over time? Is it better to master one niche or explore different paths?
It is really important for artists to evolve, for sure. Never too old to learn.
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How do you see the relationship between client input and your own artistic freedom when designing tattoos?
A client’s input is very important to some degree, since he or she will be wearing it on their body for a good while. Even if they give me so-called “artistic freedom” I still like to have a few guidelines of what they like.
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How do you handle creative blocks or periods where inspiration seems harder to find?
The Covid lockdown was a hard period for me to find inspiration, so I started painting sketches from my previous sketchbooks just to keep myself busy and sane. Eventually, that led me to drawing some newer stuff.
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What advice would you give to aspiring tattooers or those wanting to get into painting trying to establish themselves in today’s competitive industry?
For younger people who want get started, I would say study the ones who came before you even ifit might look out of date now. There is no need to try and (re)invent the wheel.
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How do you measure success as a tattoo artist? Is it based on personal satisfaction, client feedback, or something else?
I think the surest way to [some form of] success as a tattoo artist is to work hard and not bullshit your clients, because those days are over. Clients are well educated these days about what’s going on and what is possible.
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Do you thrive under the pressure of deadlines, or do you prefer having unlimited time to perfect your projects?
Working under a deadline for a design usually works best for me.
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Are there any traditions or practices from tattooing’s past that you wish were still prevalent today?
I love the way old schoolers would sometimes bullshit people and get away with it. No google or yelp
reviews in those days.
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How do you feel tattooing has changed over the past few decades, and do you think it’s evolving in a positive direction?
The change this trade has gone through in the last few decades is enormous. The developments have been enormous too. If these changes are all beneficial to the trade, only the next decade will tell. Personally, I think it will even get further diluted to a level that there are even more shops. At that point, maybe the big majority of people will lose interest. This will probably cause a big decrease in shops, eventually.
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What’s your take on social media’s impact on the tattooing industry, both positive and negative?
Social media is a double-edged sword: you need it for exposure, but it also brings with it lots more (often unnecessary) communication.
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What sparked your love for art, and how has that initial spark influenced your career in tattooing?
I got interested after seeing older kids with tattoos hanging around. I was already drawing all the time, so it sparked my interest in drawing tattoos for them. Then we practiced on some friends, tattooing by hand. After visiting an old-school-style shop, at the corner of the red light district, I got my first one and was hooked on the whole vibe.
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How do you balance downtime with maintaining creativity and pushing yourself as an artist?
Balancing the time between all my interests is still a struggle. I intend to try and go more with the flow these days.
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What hobbies or activities help you recharge and stay inspired when you’re not painting or tattooing?
Besides tattooing, music is my biggest passion (maybe even bigger than tattooing). Listening and discovering new music, record hunting, going to gigs, and reading about it. Reading is also a big passion of mine; historical novels, for instance. Going on nature walks, and riding motorcycles if I can find the time.
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Where do you draw the most creative energy or inspiration from in your day-to-day life?
I hate to say it, but I think social media is a big source of inspiration these days– all the feed from Instagram and the stuff you can find there. And books, mainly the ones about those who came before us. I’m amazed by the stuff that’s still out there about the old school days. Love that.
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Are there any exciting new projects or plans you’re working on that you’d like to share?
I really can’t complain about all the nice projects, of any size, that still come walking through the door. I keep painting, making prints and flash. There’s always something in the works.
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Who were some of your first artistic influences, and have they shaped your personal style? If so, how?
I think my early influences were Tattoo Karel, the guy I started out with. All the (redrawn) flash he had at the shop, though Malone’s flash hit me the most. Still love that stuff. And the bold and colourful old Aussie flash we had at the shop, since Karel started out in Australia.
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Do you have any inspirations outside of tattooing that significantly influence your work?
Inspiration outside of tattooing can be everywhere. Just walking down the street and looking around or watching a movie. Keep your eyes open.
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How do you approach balancing technical skill with artistic interpretation in your work?
I’m always open to trying new stuff, needles, machines, etc... But lately I’m back to coils for lining and direct drive for shading and colour. Tattoo pens are just not my thing, as I found out after trying different brands for a while. Same goes for cartridge needles. Now I just use them for some shading and colour depending on the customer’s skin type. For most people, I still prefer to use regular needles there too, as I do for all lining. No cartridges there.
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What is it that particularly drew you into painting flash?
Painting flash is like a form of therapy– being in my zone, music on, and maybe a little drink with it. Love just sitting down with the old fashioned brush and paper.
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