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HOBBYIST CORNER
SPOTLIGHT ON
INSTAGRAM VAPE STAR
Nik - Shotz
His stunning designs have won him a worldwide following and
everyone wants to know how he gets blood to look so realistic
Instagram has long been one of the best places to show creativity
within the vaping community and some people take things to
the next level. One of our favourite creators over the last year
has been Nik_Shotz, who produces surreal, highly stylised edits. We
thought it was about time we learned a little more about him.
Q: How did you first learn about vaping?
When I went into my local tattoo studio in 2012, the guys there all had
these Totally Wicked devices and were raving about the Patriot range
of flavours. I had a little toot and was impressed, as the Strawberry
Kiwi flavour instantly tasted way better than my Lambert & Butler, a
taste I never enjoyed despite smoking since I was 13. As soon as my
new ink was wrapped up, I headed to the Totally Wicked shop across
the street, got myself a starter kit and never smoked again.
Q: How long have you been creating digital art?
I have been using Photoshop for around 20 years now. I studied
Graphic Design at college and went on to be a graphic designer and
illustrator. Back then there were no tutorials on YouTube, so you just
had to try out different techniques and ideas to see what worked. I
think that’s how my art got so weird.
Q: What equipment and software do you tend to use?
I have a late 2013 iMac 27 inch and I use Adobe Creative Cloud. I use
Photoshop for the main bulk of the edits, then put them into Adobe
Lightroom for finishing touches on lighting and colour. You wouldn’t
believe how many people ask: “What button do you press to make
blood bro?”!
Q: What inspired you to apply your skills to the world of vaping?
Although I’d been vaping for years, I had no idea there was such a
community on Instagram until early 2018. I was launching an e-liquid
brand (Vüdü Juice - R.I.P) with a friend and had the bright idea of
starting a vape account. That way I could create edits with some of
my favourite e-liquid brands, hopefully building a bit of a following
in order to promote our brand once it launched. Sadly, our brand
wasn't exactly a success, but I got to know some great people and
was blown away by the community spirit on Instagram, so after Vüdü
Juice sadly perished, Nik_Shotz lived on.
Q: Many of your edits have a horror aesthetic, why is this?
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