Greek Mythology with intricate details, Realistic portraits and animals are the subjects that the German tattoo artist Kristos Yzellari (Chris Yze) likes to create on skin with a skilful use of black and grey and a lot of details to bring his subjects to life.
Hi Chris welcome to Tattoo Life. Where do you live and work at the moment?
I am currently based out of Germany, and I’m a resident artist at the Pain Game Tattoo Studio.
You are specialized in black and grey and you like to represent Classic Art subjects in your tattoos. Can you tell me something more about your style?
Regarding my tattoo style of black and grey realism, I strive to create lifelike and detailed designs that genuinely capture the subject’s essence. By using various shades of black and grey ink, I can achieve a sense of depth, dimension, and texture in my tattoos.
I choose to do very dark shading in sections of the tattoo and enjoy using the skin to create a contrast. I am also interested in focusing on details. The details complement the shading and the contrast, which I admire.
I put a lot of thought and consideration into these techniques, and I think that’s what makes my pieces unique.
This style allows me to create highly realistic and stunning pieces that stand the test of time. Whether it’s a portrait, an animal, Greek Mythology or any other subject, I focus on capturing every intricate detail to bring the tattoo to life on skin. It’s all about creating a visually striking and emotionally impactful tattoo that my clients can proudly wear.
What steps in your work have led you to become a professional tattoo artist?
Becoming a professional tattoo artist requires dedication, hard work, and a passion for the craft. I have taken several important steps in my journey to become a professional tattoo artist. Firstly, I immersed myself in the world of tattooing by focusing on blending, paying attention to details, and using my techniques.
I also attended tattoo conventions and workshops to expand my knowledge and skills. Next, I focused on building a solid foundation in the art with a lot of time and practice. This helped me better understand composition, shading, and contrast, which are crucial elements in black and grey realism tattoos. To gain hands-on experience, my friend and experienced tattoo artist George taught me how to tattoo when I was 14. This allowed me to learn the technical aspects of tattooing, such as sterilization, proper equipment usage, and hygiene practices.
I also had the opportunity to observe and learn from my mentor’s artistic techniques. Now, with 11 years of tattooing, I appreciate his help in jump-starting my experience in tattooing. Throughout my journey, I continuously pushed myself to improve and refine my skills.
I love to meet fellow artists because I have the mindset to learn, grow, and make new friends along the way who appreciate the art as much as I do. I have also built a successful portfolio of my work to showcase my abilities and style on social media. I’m always motivated to make new content to advertise my work through Instagram and TikTok for potential clients and recognition.
Becoming a professional tattoo artist is an ongoing learning, practicing, and evolving process.
It requires a commitment to excellence, a strong work ethic, and a genuine love for the art form. My love for the challenge grows daily, and I hope to become one of the best tattoo artists out there with my unique style.
What do you consider to be the most difficult element in your style?
The biggest technical challenge of this style is how you focus on where to put significant details because sometimes, too many details could ruin the tattoo by making it overly detailed. Also, I find tattooing toes on angels challenging because the darkness and lightness shading is essential, considering the healing process.
After all, the ink will fade once it is fully healed. Lastly, you have to have a good design because some designs won’t come out nice depending on the skin, so I always try to work around that, but it can be a true technical challenge.
Do you like to travel for your job? Do you do guests or do you attend tattoo convention?
I like to travel for my job because I like to open myself to exploring and learning new things while meeting other talented artists along the way. I also really enjoy meeting new clients around Europe that help challenge my skillset. As I enjoy doing guest spots, I also enjoy participating in conventions/competitions to connect with other artists and have my work noticed and appreciated.
My favourite experience at conventions is when I’m tattooing someone; different people will walk up and look at my work and ask me questions about it, which could potentially be another client. I also like to give more than 100% to my tattoos at conventions because I like to challenge myself to increase my skills. At that moment, I’m not thinking of anything else but the tattoo I’m working on. It keeps me in touch with my passion for tattooing and reminds me why I enjoy doing what I do.
Do you have any particular project for the future you want to share with us?
I look forward to working on a couple of big Greek mythology back pieces, but I’m always looking forward to working on unique designs that come up in the future.
