In the last seven years I have acquired a fair few tattoos. The only thing that has really prevented me from getting any more than I have currently, is the lack of disposable income. If the financial gods had blessed me with greater wealth I know that by now I would be approaching full capacity in terms of ink on skin. Given the opportunity I would have had more tattoos, and though this view is shared by many, there are those that feel differently.

Laser treatment aside, the placement of permanent ink on skin means that each time you have a tattoo, you are left with less and less space upon your body. The car park that is your body, is slowly being occupied with vehicles, and once you reach maximum capacity, you cannot add another level. This relationship of permanence and scarcity leads to thinking the question: “Are too many cars being let in too quickly?”, or in tattoo-talk: “Am I getting too many tattoos, too young?”
This question was one I found one commentator asking themselves a few months ago. Rosalie Woodward, the editorial assistant over at the wonderful Things&Ink, blogged her thoughts on the topic and very kindly answered the questions I sent her way. Rosalie is worried that she may be covering herself too quickly. She holds concerns over “people getting chest pieces at 18″, getting hand tattoos before anything else, and seems uneasy with the fact that an old school mate of hers “recently had two complete arm sleeves done in a matter of months.”

Rosalie told me that she is worried about her taste in tattoos changing over time. She admitted that what people say influences her, and that at 22 she is yet to find “the confidence in [her] choices that older people may have”. It is clear that Rosalie is assessing the potential of future regret. Striving to find her own self-identity she is worried that at a young, impressionable age, other people are likewise making decisions that cannot be undone, and that will stay with them forever.

The fact that Rosalie is even asking herself these questions shows great foresight, as well as demonstrating the essential skills that come with making any permanent decision. Though tattoos are growing in popularity and acceptance, they are still not something to be taken lightly. Rosalie is fully aware of this, despite her love for them.

As well as the possibility of regretting any tattoo she may have, Rosalie also sees the tattoo process as a form of opportunity cost. My words, not hers. Opportunity cost is business speak for the cost of choosing one course of action instead of another. In terms of tattoos this is present at every inking session a person has. Your choice to get a stencil style sleeve of portraits by Reverent Rudles, means that you have then lost the ability to get a unique black ink masterpiece by Duncan X.

Rosalie’s concerns about getting too many tattoos too young essentially fall into two categories. The first being that of future regret, and the second being opportunity cost. She says that “there are so many amazing artists” that she wants “to save some skin for”, and being covered at a relatively young age would prevent this. I wondered if other people held such concerns, and if they did, do they fall into the same categories, ie. regret and opportunity cost. With that in mind I hit the streets and did some crowdsourcing online to get in touch with some heavily tattooed youngsters.

Matthew Turner, a 23 year old tattoo apprentice in south Wales, has spent around £2500 on tattoos, and has been getting them ever since he turned 18. He has his neck, arms, hands, fingers, chest, hips and feet done, as well as a few on his legs where he has used his own skin to practice. Matthew has both his legs already planned and is looking to do some travelling to get more work on his front and back. He tells me that getting tattoos quickly became an “addiction”, and he plans to cover his entire body, except his face.

Matthew said it wouldn’t bother him if someone said he was getting too many tattoos too young. His approach to life appeared to be very live and let live, telling me that he disagrees with people thinking “it’s their right to tell you what you should do with your own body”. He understands that people may judge and stare, but essentially it his choice what he decides to do with his own skin.

There does not appear to be any regret with Matthew and his tattoos, and even when his plan to cover his entire body is completed he says he won’t be too disheartened. Though, like Rosalie, he understands he won’t have any more space for tattoos, he would see it as an accomplishment, rather than a missed opportunity. He tells me: “I’d have completed my goal” and “I’d be what I want to see in the mirror”.

Liam Davies was another South Wales based tattoo enthusiast that I was able to speak to. At the tender age of 22 he says that he has had “over 200 hours” of work,  spending “approximately £9000 on tattoos” in the process. He justifies this by referring to the famous Sailor Jerry quote: ”Good work ain’t cheap. Cheap work ain’t good”. Unlike Matthew, Liam does not work in the tattoo industry, and is not looking for a career within it. His is an important perspective to gain as being young and heavily tattooed in society is even more a stigma than being young and heavily tattooed in the tattoo community.

Liam’s plan is to get full body coverage, leaving only the areas termed “jobstoppers” untouched – hands, face and neck – despite his desire to get them done. It is sensible logic from a young man that seems to be a collector of artwork, rather than someone who wishes to get tattooed simply for the sake of it. He comes across as very focused, stating: “I know my aims and ambitions in life and am making progress to reach them”. Liam does not currently regret any of his tattoos, and believes that regret stems from poor decision making. He appears to be very self-assured and very confident that he will never regret any of his chosen artwork, and this is due to his thorough research into every piece that he gets.

Rosalie’s opinions are echoed in the thoughts of both Matthew and Liam. The two main concerns highlighted in her work are also present in the interviews with these men. Though neither think it is likely they will later regret their artwork, the thought had crossed their minds. As well as this, the issue of running out of space features, with Matthew seeing it as unfortunate but necessary to accomplish his goal, and Liam deliberately saving space on his body for some of his favourite artists.

Amy Wyllie was my third victim for interrogation. Not yet 21 and with almost two and a half thousand pounds spent on ink already, Amy is well on her way to achieving her plan of “covering [her] body”. Like Liam, Amy is also choosing not to tattoo “jobstopper” areas as this may affect her career. The idea that you can have too many tattoos too young seems stupid to her, she told me that if anything she does “not have enough at the moment”. Amy does not once mention regret as we talk, and like Matthew, she sees running out of space as somewhat of an achievement, stating: “I think when I’m covered I’d be satisfied. I’d feel complete.”

What was noticeably absent from these discussions was the mention of age. The very topic we were choosing to focus on was not addressed at all. Despite the original blog post on Things&Ink looking at the issue of getting too many tattoos too young, age did not appear to be the issue. The issues seemed to be running our of space, regretting the tattoos you have, and future career opportunities, not once did anyone say “I am too young to have this much ink”.

Even though age was a crucial element of the question we were attempting to answer, we had ignored it somewhat. That being the case, I decided to get in touch with Professor Vanessa Burholt, a Gerontologist (someone that studies ageing) at Swansea University.

Luckily for me Professor Burholt had both a professional, and a personal interest on the issue of tattoos, and was more than happy to speak with me on the topic. I explained that my previous interviews had led me to the conclusion that age was nothing but a concept, and is not even that relevant when discussing the issue of tattoos. She agreed and immediately began to discuss one of the common themes that was present throughout my research; the topic of regret.
Professor Burholt said that age has “little relevance” when looking at issues relating to tattoos. They key issue when looking at the question of too many, too young, is in fact regret, and Professor Burholt stated: “If you have a  tattoo you regret, I believe it is the same at any age”. Seeing then a heavily tattooed 20 year old, is no different to seeing a heavily tattooed 40 year old. Why should we assume that the 20 year old has got too many, and the 40 year old does not? Why should we assume that the 20 year old will regret theirs and the 40 year old will not?

Professor Burholt believes it may be “more about how society views ageing, and the prejudice that people have”. Though her work focuses on the older generations, what she says is true also for the younger. There is an ageism within society that shines a negative light on both the older members, and the younger members. With tattoos, in particular, having always been a somewhat easy target. The older generation face the myth that tattoos are going to look awful on ageing skin, and the younger generation get told that they are too young, and they will regret their artwork.

For once, I feel like we may have come to a conclusion. Is it possible to have too many tattoos too young? No, I don’t believe that it is. Is it possible that you will regret being covered by the time you are 25? Yes, absolutely. But that regret is just as likely to happen at the age of 25 as it is at 35, or 45, or 55. There is no quota, with an agreed figure, dictating how many tattoos you can have and at what age. It is your life, your body, and your choice.

I was able to ask one final question to Rosalie, the person whose blog post inspired this entire article. I asked how she would feel if there was a change of law and the legal age for getting a tattoo increased to 21. She replied, quite simply: “age restraints are just that, too restraining.

This is the latest episode of ‘Inspired Portrait‘ featuring Danny Woodruff.

Introduce yourself to the readers and tell them exactly who is Tommy Surya?

Hello everyone my name is Tommy Surya, I’m living on small city of Malang East Java, Indonesia. I’m 31 years old and work as a freelance illustrator, graphic designer, and, sometimes, I do paintings. I started drawing in 2007. As far as formal education is concerned, I don’t have an actual degree in art & design. I did study Social Politics at Communication College, but art has always been more interesting, to me, so I decided to pursue that path. I just want to say I have never regretted my choice to follow art, because for me art is everything. We can live life without politics, but we can’t exist without art. Know what I mean?

I know many artists don’t like being labeled or pigeonholed into particular slots, but if you had to do so, how would you describe your style?

Well, I don’t know what to say (laughing). I simply draw things I want to draw. Like many artists, my work is influenced by things that held significance when I was younger. I love [to draw] some surreal art and, comic books, as well, from back in the day and therefore much of my work is heavily influenced by those styles. Still, at the end of the day, I like to think I am putting my own twist on those influences, and making the art a reflection of me.

How did you get your initial start in graphic design, and what about that particular medium caught your attention?

I would have to say, I first started [with graphic design] in 2005. I was learning about silk screen printing (on t-shirts) when a friend of mine showed me some of the designs he was making. I was amazed by what he created, and that inspired me to start making my own designs. As they say, real recognizes real.

In my city, many people attempt to make their own shirts, but after a month or so, they fade away and quit printing. Obviously, screening is NOT an easy route to take. Tell me, if you could, what has been the most difficult aspect of screen-printing for shirts, for you? What has kept you linked to this work?

I would have to say the hardest part of screen printing, in my opinion. is to work on the film positive because I don’t have electronic printer, so i have to go down town print store to print and then go back to my place. It takes more time, which does suck BUT I still love silk screen printing. I don’t know what specifically has kept me linked to this pursuit, but there’s a sense of joy that comes from doing this work manually. Automatic machines make it easier, but there is a feeling of accomplishment, from manually creating shirts, which cannot be replaced by new technology. The DIY vibe is way more fulfilling. Also, the kinship that comes with making those limited, custom shirts, with my friends, is so rewarding — it’s priceless.

Who/what has been the biggest influence on your art? Who would say has given you the most motivation as far as your design work is concerned?

It’s hard to list specific people, because everybody is influenced by so many people and things. But if I were to name the biggest influences of mine, I would list: Salvador Dali (for sure), Rembrandt, Frazetta, Bernie Wrightson, Sergio Toppi, and Pushead. Without question, they have had the biggest influence on my work, thus far.

Motivation is key, in order to succeed; it’s what keeps a person glued to their vision. Every artist has different reasons for doing what they do, and personal reasons for chasing their dreams. I want to know what motivates Tommy Surya to create all the things he does.

Without any question, my little family motivates me. They are my center … they are all I need; they’re the driving force behind my work.

Everybody has a vision of where they want to be, someday. Career wise, where do hope to be five years from now?

Get back to me in a few years for more defined answer (laughing), but for now, I’m trying to build my own art studio, and just draw and paint. Again, I plan on consistently creating new things; improving each day. Every artist should be focused on bettering themselves.

Ok. You’re right, a lot can happen in five years — it’s too far away to speculate. Rather than looking at the next five [years], where do you see yourself in the immediate future? Besides starting up your studio, what do you expect yourself to be doing?

I have an art exhibition taking place in September, at my friend’s local art gallery, and then the rest of this year I plan to do more pencil drawings and acrylic painting. The main plan is to just draw more and more every day; sharpen my skill and improve abilities.

Beyond that, I’m going to do more surrealism [art], next year, painting & drawing. I do realize I keep repeating the idea of improving my skills, but that is what I want to do. So I will keep practicing more portraits (drawing) because, personally, I feel, that is a skill, which needs to be developed the most. Lastly, my other mission is to get more local art exhibition(s) taking place in my area.

I think it’s always important for artists to share some of the spotlight with their counterparts, so I want you to take this moment and list some of the artists/graphic designers, in your area, whom you feel are making serious waves (impact) in the world of art?

There are some truly amazing painters coming out of Indonesia, right now. Lists aren’t easy, but off the head, I would say the one people should look for are: Basuki Abdullah, Raden Saleh, Affandi & Antonio Blanco. Again, those people are amazing.

What advice would you give to fellow graphic-designers who are out there, trying to get their work noticed? Are their particular techniques or routes they should use when trying to get noticed?

If I were to give advice I would tell designers to keep working and working. You will found what you want by practice, so don’t be afraid to trying new things and expand your resume.

I would also encourage them to try and absorb all visual things around them. Lastly, and most importantly, they should try to do it (art) their own way. If they’re heavily influenced by other artists, try to move outside of their shadow and make art that is your own. In other words, design your own blueprint.

Last question, where can people find your work online? Do have any particular websites or blogs to mention?

Right now, I only have my online portfolio with Behance: www.behance.net/toohard88. If people go there, they can find my contact information, and see more of the art I have created. Thanks!

For the forth episode of the Inspired Tattoo Portraits artistic and journalistic project features Julien Roze.

The latest episode of Inspired Tattoo Portraits features an interview with the geologist Antoine B.

Here’s the latest video from the Inspired series that features portraits of lingerie designer Joseph Stambach.

Last week we featured a teaser for the Inspired series which is an artistic and journalistic project about tattooing. The first interview is with Arnaud Sommier. Read the full interview here.

Inspired is an artistic and journalistic project about tattooing.

Inspired takes an active interest in the individual and gives a unique perspective on what it means to be tattooed today.

The project aims to explore the psychological dimensions related to this singular art by emphasizing the creative process.

Tattooing is a matter of experiences and emotions. Inspired recants the experiences that have motivated these choices and highlights the diverse artistic influences behind them.

Animated by a very personal aesthetic, Inspired promotes tattooing as an art and as a visual identity in constant evolution.

Tattooing is a way of life, and those who follow it give insights into their world through interviews, photographs and videos, realized in partnership with BIIMPROD.

Source: Ink Butter

Here’s an interview with the New York street artist Never written by Global Street Art, creators of the Walls Project: paint the city you love!

If you walk around New York for long enough you’re bound to bump into large crying owls, the hallmark
of Never’s work. Never is a talented and prolific artist with a flair for characters and text work. The more you see his work the more you get the sense that at some point something somewhere went deeply wrong and painting became an outlet. We catch up with Never to find out more.

There’s a City Full of Walls You Can Post Complaints At

I started drawing comic book characters when I was 7 or so. When I hit my punk rock skater days I quit drawing. After I was done going through puberty I started taking notice to graffiti art. Being involved in the skate culture exposed me to graffiti spots and after I permanently jacked up my knee from skating I had to quit. I had to channel that energy into something so graffiti it was!

‘Never’ had no meaning at first, but I grew into the name. I gained the nick-name “Mr. Never Satisfied” from my friends for how overly critical I am of my own work. The name stuck.

My key influences are everything that goes wrong in my life. There were periods in the past where I was trying to make political statements with my work by painting portraits of corporate criminals who were always overlooked by the media. Nowadays my painting is just a form of self-exorcism. I just completely quit caring. I paint for myself and I paint what is true to myself. Whenever something shitty happens to me, I channel it out onto walls. That’s probably the best way that I can explain it.

Why crying owls? It’s a long story… I’ve been in a bit of a slump for the past year; I’ll just leave it at that.
Why the $1.28 price tag appears on a lot of my work? I’ll just state that I have always had a really nasty habit of selling myself extremely short and I think a lot of genuine artists out there should be able to relate to that. I have always put a lot of energy into painting and never really gotten anything back from it other than self-gratification. Putting so much priority on my personal art in the past turned me in to a stressed out and extremely self-absorbed person. I’m changing that about myself and I guess the price tag is my way of getting that out of my system. As for where it came from, I’d rather leave that bit of info for people who know me on a personal level.

I studied design at a University in my hometown of Atlanta. Luckily I didn’t go to an art school so I’m not paying off student loans for the rest of my life. In the last year I’ve become really obsessed with hand-painted typography. It’s challenging to me because it’s the opposite process from painting graffiti lettering. With my graffiti style, it was more about flow. With typography, it’s more about structure. I felt my graffiti style was getting too redundant as well as my owls. I haven’t been able to motivate to draw other figures, so I started obsessively drawing out phrases that pop in my head as a way to communicate my thoughts and feelings.

My art has developed a lot over the years. It evolves slowly over time. My motives change, my style changes, etc. but the drive to keep doing it never goes away. Sometimes I wish it would though… I’m trying to push my design skills right now more than anything. I’ve been playing the “starving artist” roll for a long time and it’s beyond time I find some stability in my life.

Right now I get no enjoyment from doing work on canvas. I also feel like when you are creating work hoping it will sell, you are dumbing down your work. Not to say I’m one of those bitter pricks who is mad at anyone trying to make a living off of what they love. It’s just not what I enjoy doing and I’m not trying to build hype up around my name, so I rarely do it.

I paint wherever I go, it’s impossible for me to travel anywhere and not have an over-whelming urge to leave something behind. I currently live in Brooklyn, NY. I enjoy it here; there is a lot to be inspired by. Living here makes me feel I am connected to the rest of the world, because I meet people from all over. I love that. In Atlanta, I felt like it was always the same old shit. That’s why I was glad to leave when I did. As for what people think of my work, if me painting my depression onto walls makes people feel better about themselves then great. If they hate it, that’s great too. Makes no difference to me.

As for police, there are a lot of them in NY, and they are assholes. Watch out for them! You’d think they have more important things to do then bust people for painting walls, but apparently they don’t!

I’ve painted in Barcelona, Berlin, Milano, Tuscanny, Venice, San Francisco, Seattle, Miami, St. Louis, and various other cities along the east coast of the US. I really enjoyed Barcelona and Berlin while I was there. The creative community in those two cities is amazing.

I’m not trying to take my art anywhere in particular. I just hope in the future I can make a somewhat steady living and be able to travel more. My personal art will continue to progress as I progress as a person. I don’t really have any expectations.

By the way, my favorite color is black.

Let’s start by who are you and what do you do?

My name is Christian Cortes aka WaqsA3, but you can find me online as CortesNYC. I’m a NY based Visual Artist.

How long have you been an illustrator and painter?

I started my artistic career in 1990, straight out of Art and Design High School. I was already doing graffiti and I had some illustration skills so I started doing logo work for rap groups and record covers. I also began painting graffiti styled canvasses for art loft parties.

What was your influence to become an artist?

I was first inspired by graffiti art along the 7train in Queens during the early 80’s. I saw the full pieces on rooftops and trains and I wanted to try that. Then once I was in high school I started buying records and I started to take notice of the artwork in the record stores in college I learned more about fine artists and commercial illustrators. That’s when I took notice of works by Simon Bisley, Frazetta, Dali and Michelangelo.

How would you describe your style of work?

I’m definitely a graffiti artist at heart. But since I’ve evolved my techniques and done so many different kinds of projects, I’ve kind of outgrown that description. I now consider myself an urban illustrator. I’m very versatile and I work in many mediums, but I still love rocking blackbooks and walls.

Does your style change when you’re painting or doing illustrations?

For 10years now, all of my illustration work has been digital. So now I enjoy taking a break to use paint or markers for my own sketches in blackbooks. My work on a computer is very measured and technical. My work on canvas or a wall is free and spontaneous.

You’ve done commercial work over the years. What kind of work do you typically do?

I mostly have done music promotional art, or web site art. I’m known for my animated music video for Jeru The damaga and also my covers of Strictly The Best reggae compilations 31, 32, 33 & 34. I also spent many years designing for clothing brands. I currently do graphics and video work for Sprayground Bag company.

Who’s art do you find inspirational?

I’m inspired by all kinds of art. There are too many artists to mention. I like the graffiti art I’ve seen in Europe. Back in the 90’s I used to admire Mode2’s artwork.

Have you done any traveling with your art?

Since 2006 I’ve been doing graffiti painting trips around the world. I started a youtube series documenting my trips called “GraffTours”. I’ve painted in Japan, Germany, France, Spain, Ecuador and Puerto Rico. Also locally I’ve painted in miami, New Jersey and Seattle.

Where would you like to visit in the future?

I’d like to go to Africa, Italy, Colombia, Peru and Brazil.

Do you have a favourite project you’ve worked on over the years?

My Favorite project was a graffiti wall at 5pointz called “UpHigh3″ it’s a Cortes piece blended with skulls that runs up the side of the building facing Manhattan. That was a big challenge and a personal achievement to complete in 3nights. I definitely left a piece of myself up on that building, and I see it every time I ride to and from work.

What can we expect to see from you in the future?

I have a lot of new BlackBook art videos to make, and I have two webcomic series that I’ve been meaning to get back on and complete.

Do you have any last words for the Senses Lost readers?

I hope everyone keeps graff art close to their hearts, keep evolving ideas, and I hope to paint with some of you all soon. -C

www.cortescreates.com