MIKE JONES

Tattooing for over a decade, Mike has been honing his craft and building a long list of dedicated clients, stretching up for half a year for an appointment. Self-taught after getting a spot in a studio just before his would-be mentor left, he pushed to learn everything he could. Quickly rising to portraiture and horror, the same direction his art had led him, he quickly garnered local recognition, which spread until people traveled for hours for appointments. Now Mike continues to sharpen his skills by adding more textures and patterns that attempt to provoke a more tactile sensation in his work ⸺ What would you say is your favorite part of the job? When I get to illustrate something for a client from a shared interest. For instance, a client asked me to work on a Poe-inspired sleeve with aspects from various stories. He originally asked for the usual popular story illustrations; black cat, raven, and heart. I told him we should do something that no one has done yet. No illustrations or other tattoos referencing, so we landed on The Masque of the Red Death, and I got to come up with how I imagined the Stranger to look. It was creepy and had a lot of gross and visceral textures that helped the viewer *feel* the story beneath it ⸺

Was it hard getting an apprenticeship? How was yours? Sort of. I applied to a local studio a bunch of times when a friend pointed out they were looking for an apprentice. I brought my portfolio with all my artwork in and called probably every other day. Eventually, they granted me a spot, but around the same time, the person who was supposed to train me left. I was kept on, though, but pretty much trained myself. The other apprentice that was there learned a bit before the mentor left, and he showed me some; the owner of the studiohe owned 3 locations at the time - came in occasionally and helped. I’m very fast at teaching myself and soon moved to a more popular location within the studio umbrella where I’d work for 5 more years. So I guess you could say I was self-taught in a professional environment ⸺ What are your tattooing goals? I want to work more on developing my style and doing more of the things I love. I want to work on darker pieces or at least have the freedom to turn projects a little darker, specifically with things like textures. I’ve been having a load of fun with what I’ve been doing lately and just want to expand on it. I want to reach further than just a black-and-grey realism artist. ✕

Hi! My name is Natalie Cooper; I am a 23-yearold artist from Saint Augustine, Florida. I started tattooing a few months after graduating high school and have fallen in love with the craft since then! I am undoubtedly inspired by folklore and nature, and interconnecting the two with my art and daily life is what I enjoy the most.

What advice would you give to someone about getting his or her first tattoo? (A tattoo virgin) Relax! Anxiety is sometimes inevitable, but if you do your research and choose an artist whose work you enjoy, trust that you are in good hands. Keeping yourself in a good headspace and open communication makes a huge impact on your first tattoo experience!