The Tattoo Industry: Issue 24
The Tattoo Industry magazine, Issue 24. April 17, 2024
My name is Angelina, and I am a tattoo artist from Atlanta, GA. Born and raised in Kyiv, Ukraine, I moved to the United States a decade ago, living in Jacksonville, FL, and Seattle, WA, before moving to Atlanta in late 2021. Before tattooing full-time, I studied visual arts in school and worked as a visual artist and an illustrator.
Was it hard getting an apprenticeship? How was yours?
Finding the right mentor and making the apprenticeship commitment work was definitely not easy, but once I found the right artist and had a good plan to make it work, it was smooth sailing. You definitely have to be strategic about who you are going to be learning from and how you are going to make it work. Having a good plan and a support network is crucial in this stage.
Who or where do you get your inspiration from?
Anything around us can give us creative energy. Being outside is accessible and inexpensive and can work wonders. Traveling to new places is another great source of inspiration for me, especially as I switch up mediums and sketch in my notebook as I explore a new city. When I feel particularly low on creativity, I turn back to visual art: I visit art exhibits, galleries, and art museums. I am especially fond of Impressionism and find a lot of inspiration in paintings of that era. As a professional, however, you can't always wait on inspiration: you suit up, show up, and let inspiration catch up with you.
How do you see the tattooing industry evolving in the coming years, and how do you plan to stay relevant and adapt to those changes?
I think that social media has changed the tattoo landscape forever, both in terms of client leads, marketing channels, and reaching new audiences, as well as in what's trending and what customers want today. While it's important to understand the current trends, and while it's important to leverage some of these relatively new tools for outreach, it's just as important to not lose yourself while chasing ever-fleeting relevancy: you must know your style and your niche, have a core base of customers, and innovate within what's true to you as an artist.
What do you enjoy most about tattooing?
I enjoy the process of it all and seeing how a big tattoo comes together after hours of work. I love seeing the finished result and love seeing my tattoos out in the wild.