Venezuelan by birth, tattoo artist Leonardo González has made realism his trademark. We caught up with him in Los Angeles, where he lives, while he was at work as usual at Ganga tattoo in West Hollywood. And we talked to him about colour, shading black and grey and how he makes AI an ally in creating a well-balanced tattoo.
Hi Leonardo, welcome to tattoo Life! Would you like to introduce yourself to our readers?
Hello, my name is Leonardo González, and I am originally from Venezuela. Currently, I am 35 years old and I have been immersed in the exciting world of tattooing for 13 years. Before becoming a tattoo artist, I worked in various places and held jobs that were not related to my passion.
These jobs were a necessity to survive and cover my basic needs. The last one was washing cars at the business of a friend’s uncle, who offered me the opportunity to clean and dry cars. My training in tattooing has been completely empirical and has been based on arduous study, dedication and effort.
Learn the art of tattooing through a variety of sources, including seminars, videos, and plenty of practice with friends.
Additionally, I discovered that I had an innate gift for drawing, painting and understanding all facets of art and its characteristics. This gift was my driving force to continue growing in this field. After my time in Venezuela, I emigrated to Colombia, where I lived for 6 years, and also had the opportunity to travel as a guest artist in Europe. Finally, the opportunity arose to move to the United States, where I continue my journey in the world of tattooing and currently work at Ganga Tattoo in West Hollywood.
Your style is Realistic, you use sometimes just black and sometimes you do very colourful tattoos. How did you develop it?
From the beginning, I was always attracted to working on colour tattoos. However, as I traveled and met more artists and people in the industry, I realized the high demand for shadow tattoos.
This observation motivated me to learn the shading technique to gain versatility in creating tattoos. For me, both colour tattoos and shadow tattoos are the most challenging and captivating styles in the art world. Learning and mastering both techniques has been an enriching and fundamental journey in my career.
Are there any new research that you are carrying over into your tattoos?
No, there is really no research on where I want to take my tattoos. I only do them because I am passionate about them and I like them and I work and live off of them.
Normally, I like to work on them based on artificial intelligence since currently it is a very incredible tool to design and highlight good things. compositions, as well as Procreate and Photoshop, have been my best mentors!
My favorite goals when it comes to tattooing are the finish of a tattoo, how neat the piece is, how clean it is, whether it is hurt, and whether the curing process is effective.
In short, my goal is to make a tattoo that is 100% well executed! My greatest achievements in life have been the happiness of my family, financial stability, the opportunity to travel and meet incredible people, especially other artists.
Furthermore, acquiring sponsors has been a significant achievement in my career, allowing me to continue growing in the art world. And no less important, I have had the satisfaction of fulfilling most of my dreams, which fills me with gratitude and motivation to continue moving forward.
Do you travel for guests or conventions?
Yes, of course I love conventions, I try to go to the biggest conventions possible since I really like to learn and win awards. These opportunities are true sources of inspiration, since they challenge me to give my best and stand out.
At conventions, I put my full potential into each tattoo, with the goal of receiving recognition from the judges and, if possible, winning awards. These experiences are where my passion for tattoo art meets artistic competence and excellence.
Where can our readers find you?
Readers can easily reach me through my social networks or for more information you can find me in Los Angeles California in West Hollywood at Ganga Tattoo LA and I also keep traveling a lot to my place of residence which is also in Medellín Colombia. The studio is called @aureatattoomedellin I will always be grateful to serve you with much care and love. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
