HANNAH KAY

My name is Hannah Kay! I am an artist in Wilmington, North Carolina. I work with an amazing group of artists at Invoke Tattoo & Art Gallery. I went to school for Graphic Design, worked for a bit, then made the big decision to quit so I could make the jump. I have only been tattooing professionally for a year and a few months. I was a self-taught artist until I found my mentor, Kurt Elkins, who helped me fine-tune my skill.

Who or where do you get your inspiration from? I get most of my inspiration from Ryan and Matt Murray in Salem, MA. Cutty Bage in Morgantown, NC, and I also get a lot of ideas from books. Mostly “Crap Hound” books. And the season of Halloween!

What advice would you give to someone about getting his or her first tattoo? (A tattoo virgin) Do your research on the artist you want to get the

1.5 Years

Tattooing

Wilmington, NC Location

Independent Artist

Spooky Illustrative Fine Line Specialty invoke.hannahkay @gmail.com

@Hannahkaytattoos Instagram invoketattoo.com/ hannah-kay-wilson website tattoo done by. Do not go with a cheaper option! You get what you pay for.

What would you say is your favorite part of the job? My favorite part of the job is detailing the tattoo. Getting to do fine-line detailing on big pieces.

What was it that initially sparked your interest in tattooing? My dad used to bring home tattoo magazines for me when I was a preteen. When I got older, I started a blog for tattoos. I was so obsessed with what people could create on their skin. I got my first one a day after I turned 18.

Was it hard getting an apprenticeship? How was yours? Getting my apprenticeship was extremely easy. The art I presented was all paintings that had nothing to do with tattoos. My mentor trusted me right from the start. He saw some tattoos I had done on myself and let me join his shop. I tattooed fake skin in the afternoons after watching him tattoo for a couple of hours. He basically steered me in the right direction while giving me a space to work in.

What is the most challenging about what you do? Skin types and areas. Everyone is so different. It could be easy peasy in one area and extremely challenging in another, even if it’s the same subject matter. ✕