to work in an environment where we’re all
creating together is incredible.”
As a tattoo artist, the dynamic of Serpanchy’s
creativity was forced to shift in order to
accommodate a whole new world of client
relations. “I would compare tattooing and the
tattoo industry more to being something along
the lines of a graphic designer,” he said. Unlike
painting, tattoo designs are more likely to be
limited to the “confines” of a client’s vision;
“Ideally I’m interpreting their idea in the style that
I’m comfortable tattooing in.” However, when a
client gives him the personal freedom to tattoo
something on their body of his choosing, that
honour outweighs even the most demanding
clients. “Sometimes people will say, ‘I love your
work, just do your thing’, and it’s incredible to
have that trust,” admits Serpanchy.
Due to the popularization of tattoos in
recent years, clients are more likely to research
and pursue artists based on their prior work,
enabling the client and artist to “build a piece
together”, as opposed to the client dictating
their desire. Through social media platforms
like Instagram, tattoo artists are able to
conveniently showcase their work and the
styles they’re interested in pursuing, which
tends to attract clients of a shared calibre.
“I remember when I got my first tattoo, you
just showed up at a non-specific tattoo shop
and hoped for the best,” Serpanchy recalled.
Now, however, social media has enabled users
to follow “the players” of the tattoo industry,
which enables artists to “focus and specialize”
in preferred styles.
“Tattoos really tie into logo work, where
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