Hello Jose Perez! Thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview. Please start by telling us something about yourself, how it all started? How long have you been tattooing? To be honest I fell into tattooing after I got laid off from my job doing counter tops as a master fabricator. I was on unemployment for about 3 or 4 months, during that whole time I was dabbling with tattooing, nothing serious. My friend recommended I get a professional equipment and to check out a tattoo studio. I just started messing around and never stopped. As I do with everything, I set my goal that if I was going to do this I was going to give it my all and I did. I was exposed to tattooing when I was 16 years old. I goofed around and built my own machine out of a Walkman motor and guitar strings. Now I enjoy the creative aspect and the technical process intrigues me the most. I have been tattooing almost 14 years and have never looked back.

Q: Did you feel inspired by someone?
A: My family, my mom, my kids and my girl. I want to make them proud of me. That is why I work so much. A lot of things inspire me. Mainly I am self inspired and I try to motivate myself and look at the positives. I strive to be better and push myself as much as I can. I call it “the hunger from within” just wanting to succeed. I want to be the hardest working person in the room and push as hard as I can to meet and surpass goals.

Q: Tell me more about your style, it is amazing!
A: First off, thank you and thanks to everyone that continues to follow and support me. If it weren’t for you guys, I wouldn’t be where I am currently. My style pushes the limit on texture and detail. People have told me not to, but I want push the limit and stand out. It’s all about getting the right reference photo, I have always been a very visual person. I wanted to achieve something that other artists weren’t doing at the time. Now I feel bad sometimes that I don’t add enough detail. My style is tiring to achieve, with different depth and textures in a piece, which makes it feel like the image is really there. I like to play with a lot of that stuff but my style is black and grey realism.

Q: Have you ever thought to do something completely different?
A: I’ve been keeping it simple and working with clients and taking their ideas and running with those, but this year I’m focusing on more custom and new concepts, larger scale custom pieces for the upcoming year. For example, storyline back pieces and full sides of the body, that’s what really gets me pumped.

Q: Every tattoo is unique, that means you draw sketches for each clients?
A: I don’t really sketch anymore, I have in the past but it is very time consuming. Now, I use high-resolution stock images or I do my own photoshoots. I also do a lot of freehand tattoos. It’s a combination of everything really, I will stencil and freehand at the same time, freehand is great for riding the curves in the body or adding more dimension when you have the client there with you and you’re moving body parts.

Everything is custom, to fit the specific client I am working with. I do it all in different ways depending on the body part, concept and detail. Defiantly I use my stencils for the heavy detail. Freehand, if the client lets me rough draw it on and trust me enough to do my thing. Personally, I believe it makes that piece more dope and I am generally happier with those tattoos.

Q: I love the fact that you put extra energy on sharing great tattoo tips on your social media. I love your YouTube channel, looks awesome and very professional.
A: I started my own youtube channel and teaching seminars because I wanted to give back to the industry that has been so good to me throughout my career. I have been pretty much self taught along the way and I just wanted to give back in a way that was beneficial to the young artists today because now, the industry is growing at a lot faster pace and there is a lot more that goes into it now then when I started.

Q: Do you feel there should be more tattoo artists sharing great tips on the internet so people can educate themselves or at least get inspired by someone's work and tattoo story?
A: Honestly, that would be great if more artists would, we could all learn so much from everyone and make this industry into something really great.

Q: I guess you have a very busy schedule all the time. Do you feel overwhelmed at times? How do you cheep up yourself? Do you have any hobbies?
A: You hit the nail on the head. Yes, a lot of times I’m overwhelmed and I even feel like it's too much to handle all at once but I have a great team that’s helping me now and things are going great. You have to be very passionate and dedicated to setting your goals and working very hard to accomplishing them. Putting your head down and working hard. Really wanting it and getting up and going for it, that’s what it’s all about. Spare time is scarce in my life, I juggle a lot. Currently my team is working hard to try and restructure how my time is divided. I’ve worked so hard for 14 years and now it's time to balance things out a little better now that I’ve gotten so far. Now I tattoo a little less and can make time for me to keep my head straight. Spend time with my family and sometimes take a little me time too. Understanding that balance, I’m very extreme and I sacrificed a lot to get where I am (friends, family and loved ones). I set my eye on the prize and worked to get there and will continue to do so. I won’t stop because I want to succeed, but most of all it keeps me motivated. Sometimes I look at the stars to remind myself how small my problems really are and how we make them bigger. I think about my kids and their future and wanting to change my bloodline, a new way of being and living. I want to give my kids a better life and education then what I had, like any parent does. It’s hard, but I try to balance and I am constantly looking back at what is driving me to be better. In the down times when you feel overwhelmed is when you have to look back at what drives you most. And most importantly always remember don’t give up and keep pushing. “Always be the hardest working man in the room”, like The Rock always says.

For fun, I like to fish, it really relaxes me, and all that matters there are the fish. When I’m fishing it’s all I’m thinking about and it really becomes just some me time. Only thing that sucks is that I can’t do it as often as I’d like to. It’s been close to 3 years since I’ve gone seriously, besides the time I was with my kids and caught a tiny little bass. So I would like to schedule in some more time for fishing for my mental health. I also really like sport shooting and going to the gun range, that also makes me focus on something else and changes my mindset. I like watching movies with my family too of course. Lately, I have been helping my friend Trouble, whom I have known for years, record an album. It’s a good time and a good distraction that I really enjoy. I also enjoy bow and arrow targets and dancing midgets. Something that might surprise you, I do collect antiques avidly which decorate my new studio and gallery. I really like collecting old quality things that are 100 years old, but are still in working condition. I showcase that in my studio.

Q: Where are you located now?
A: Dark Water Studio 501 Willow Blvd. Suite #100 Willow Springs, IL 60480
708.598.0999

Q: How we can book an appointment?
A: Email me at Jose@darkwaterstudio.com

Q: Any plans for the near feature?
A: Yes, we are working on getting an instructional DVD in the works and a portfolio book coming out. Keep an eye on my website JPJTattoos.com. We’ll have my 1st Sullen t-shirt coming out next year. Sorry it took so long Uncle Jeremy! I will be traveling to New York a few more times this year, doing more instructional seminars, working on my YouTube channel more regularly, we have a lot of guest artists coming in the studio, interchanging our art gallery every few months and really focusing on my art myself. As a side project, I’ve been helping out a good friend of mine making an album. When it’s done, I will be sure to let guys know!