interview with Jose Perez jpj - tattoo | Dark Water Studio 11/04/2016
Q: What made you to become a tattoo artist? How long have
you been tattooing?
A: 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 professional
equipment and to check out a tattoo party. 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, but don’t do that! I enjoy the art aspect most and how you
could accomplish such beautiful art on skin, it intrigued me. Now, 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, It's why I work so much. A lot of things inspire me.
Mainly I am self-inspired and 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 you
can to meet and surpass goals.
Q: Your black & gray style is amazing.
Something that really impress me is your ability to pay extra
attention on details, can you give me a little description of your
style?
A: First off, thank you and thank you 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 and 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: Dark motives and portraits are basically the most
eye-catching designs in your portfolio. Would you say that those
designs are you specialty?
A: I guess my specialty is realism. I post and do a lot of the same
stuff. I did a skull then I did them for a year, same with animals
and women’s faces. Seemed like that was what my followers wanted. I
try to switch up my designs to offer new images for viewers and
potential clients. This year, I have bigger projects I’m working on
and I and really excited post and share with you guys so stay tuned!
Now I am only accepting new and fresh ideas and much bigger pieces.
Q: Being talented gives you more creative freedom for sure.
Have you ever thought to work on something completely different, or
you like to keep it "simple" and give your style a signature?
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: You're also a good drawer. Every tattoo
piece is unique, that means you draw sketches for each of your
clients? Tell me more about the creative process of tattooing.
A: I don’t really sketch anymore; I have in the past but its very
time consuming. Now, I use high-resolution stock images or I do my
own photo shoots. I also do a lot of freehand with pieces. It’s a
combination of everything really, I will stencil and freehand in the
same piece, 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 different ways depending on the body part, concept and
detail. Defiantly 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 pieces that some of my better or even
best pieces have been freehand.
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 been self taught along
the way and I just wanted to give back in a way that was beneficial
to 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.
- Did you feel that there should be more tattoo artists
sharing great stuff on the net so people can educate themselves or
at least get inspired by someone's work and tattoo story?
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 from all of the fantastic artists together.
Q: Tattooing is not an easy job, it
requires a lot of dedication, time and passion. I guess you have a
very busy schedule all the time. Do you feel a bit overwhelmed at
times? How do you cheep up yourself when inspiration goes down? Do
you have any (creative) 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 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 that, but are still in working condition. I chose showcase
that in my studio to show more of myself. So far I’ve heard a lot of
good things about my collection so far when they walk in and see the
place, some people ask who my designer but it’s just pieces from me
collecting from over the years.
Q: Where are you located now?
A: Dark Water Studio 501 Willow Blvd. Suite #100 Willow Springs, IL
60480
708.598.0999
- How can my readers make an appointment? What's the
procedure?
It all starts with an email submission of the piece to
Jose@darkwaterstudio.com
Q: Do you have 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 with updating videos,
we have a lot of guest artists coming into 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!