Discovering this brilliant tattoo artist specialized in Old School and Blackwork who spreads art at “Crown of Thorns” in Chester: read our full interview!
Hi Will, can you tell me the main steps that led you to become a professional tattoo artist?
Hi, I feel lucky because I decided to tattoo at a pretty early stage of my life. I look back on it now and I was simply a kid before I was a real tattooer. My main steps? Painting warhammer and drawing monsters, which I did a lot during childhood. I was a cool kid, you know…
Later what happened?
For a while I was clambering to get a job in a shop after a short and weird apprenticeship that I finished when I was 19. Then once I had become a “professional” I spent a few years trying to convince normal country folks in the area I worked to get some weird goblin instead of that sick pocket watch they wanted… (laughs)
Many describe your style using definitions such as “Old School” and “Blackwork” of course. Are they right or do you think your works express much more in terms of influences?
Yeah I wouldn’t say they are wrong… I mean I definitely started with a very strong Traditional influence and most tattoos I do are black! (laughs) But one thing makes me different from most Old School artists: I don’t redraw flash. To be honest I don’t like when most Blackwork artists ask customers if they want black or colour before makin’ tattoos.
Why?
Well, Tattooing did giant steps so and an amount of artists developed such unique styles so far, so it’s easier not to pin things down with genres. Answering your question I think my style sits somewhere in the collective pool of modern tattooers.
Do you think you have had mentors during your career or all come naturally from your imagination?
To be honest I don’t really view anyone as a mentor or teacher although I’ve had a few people help me get where I am along the way. I’m trying not to sound too big headed but I worked very hard for a long time to develop my style into something I feel really authentic to me. Nothing comes too naturally to anyone so I would have a lot of influences to thank… (smiles)
Do you sometimes get lost in your intricate creations or always manage to find a way out?
(laughs) Well I don’t get lost myself as I know the piece too well from the start!
I’ve ask you because your tattoos (both the sketches and the complete work on skin) are really mysterious and labyrinthine…
Yeah, I love to hear that you as the viewer find it that way. I’ve always been drawn to art that is really busy, and I love to get lost in the details.
Last question: what adjectives or keywords would best describe your colleagues (Ash Boss, Rose Price, Ant Bate and Ashton Alexandr) at the private studio “Crown Of Thorns” in Chester?
I work with artists like Saralouie and George Geary too. And believe me: they’re all legends!
