68 • SKIN DEEP MAGAZINE
horned ghost who is mischievous and unpredictable (his
name borrowed from the horned god of the forest Herne
the Hunter). Hana was somehow a friend of Hern, more
human in nature (when designing the character I kept
having feelings that in the future I might have a daughter
who would fall in love with her design). They are forest
siblings who protect the nature and ecosystem of the for-
est. I would eventually like to make a book about them, a
task I hope to achieve when I have a bit more time. Octo-
bunny was inspired from when I started to be interested
in the protection of water life and oceans. I would like it
to be a superhero that could teach readers about the im-
portance of water and how it serves an important role in
our daily existence and the life force of our planet.How do you balance keeping a career in tattooing
with working on illustrations outside of work?
Strangely working as an illustrator mixed with tattooing
is no challenge for me. In my case it’s particularly diffi-
cult combining the work of a professional artist with be-
ing a parent. I have to constantly share my time, which
is sometimes difficult doing everything and somehow
meeting tight deadlines. This is particularly ampli-
fied when my kids might get sick for example, meaning
that I can’t take care of my personal work and have
enough time to meet my clients’ demands. I can’t
complain, my job is amazing and gives me lots of
positive energy. My kids also give me a lot of inspi-
ration regarding my creature designs, bringing to
life something that they would like to look at.Could you describe a little bit about how your
clients come to you to be tattooed? Do you
work with them to create their own unique
creature?
Due to the fact that I draw something almost every
day my clients have a large selection of ready-made
projects. There are of course some clients who send me
references from my works or provide me with a descrip-
tion, topic or theme, with many of them allowing me to
follow my own imagination. I am grateful to them for
their trust and willingness to let me be creative with
my designs. Recently I had a client from the UK, who
only wanted something from me freehand; it was won-
derful to see the smile on the client’s face when it came
to life on his body. It’s those little gestures which make it
all worth it.What techniques do you use to create your tattoos?
I typically start from sketching – first pencil, then fine-
liners, ink and watercolours. Then I scan and clean and
sharpen the shapes in Adobe Photoshop. Sometimes atten years ago these characters were
definitely more childish, but now they are
growing together with me