interview with Marek Rydzewski

   Hello Marek Rydzewski! Thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview. Please start by telling us something about yourself and your background. How it all started? I was interested in drawing since I remember. Form my early childhood my father was the one who had a big influence on me and I was always watching him sketching. Next was an art high school in Szczecin, where I was mastering my drawing skills and started getting interested in painting.

Q: I love your tattoos! Any favorite artists who inspired your style?
A: Ohh thank you, that's very nice:) Please come to Poland and I will take care of your skin :) When I started, my major inspiration was Giger’s and Beksinski’s artwork and also photographs form dead people autopsies:) I really admire the works of Victor Portugal, Bob Tyrell, A.D.Pancho and of course Samohin’s and many others.

Q: How long took you to better your skills?
A: I spent 8 to10 hours at work every day and that’s how my last two years looked like. It definitely helped my technique. Besides that, changing my tattoo machines from standard to rotation ones. It really opened new horizons for me.

Q: Do you use reference photos?
A: I have a lot of ideas in my head from a long time. I’m also inspired by movies, specially horror flicks but also books and sometimes I even borrow some concepts form other artists.

Q: Will you stick to black and gray tattooing?
A: For me black and gray tattoos are much easier to do then the color ones, which are even more difficult then painting, which I love! Besides that I want to be the best in doing blac and gray and after that I will do color tattooing.

Q: Any ink brands you preffer?
A: The black one is Dynamic and the grey is a from Intenze.

Q: Nowadays, day of death portraits are really popular. Are we constantly inventing new styles?
A: I think that every tattoo artist wants to have their own, original style, which they wants to develop in a unique way and there are lot of tattooist who succeed. Very often you can see a tattoo and instantly you know who’s works is that. One day I also want to accomplish this, but I know there is a lot of work before that happens.

Q: Do you have any "dream" piece?
A: Yeah, I have something some. One day I want to do a “Terminator” theme on full sleeve. I love these movies and those tattoos could be even in color, if only I would get a free hand on the project. I hope that this dream will come true!

Q: What about the tattoos on yourself? Tell me about your collection.
A: I have 9 tattoos, form which 3 are going to be covered by new ones. My favorite one is Terminator’s portrait which was made by my friend Tomek Major Dworniak and on the second place there is portrait of Till Lindermann form Rammstein, made by UGene. The rest is standard, skulls and stuff like that.

Q: Nowadays, people like all kinds of stuff, have you ever changed someone's mind?
A: Sometimes you just have to, because not every idea is a good idea for a tattoo. Not every good looking concept on paper will look good on skin. That’s why now and then you have to make changes in the project, but always with the client's approval.

Q: What are some the funniest experiences with the customers?
A: I’ve had a client who stand two days for 9 hours! During this sessions I’ve made his whole back and after this tattoo got healed I saw that it was really good. Through the whole process he didn’t said anything about the pain and didn’t even twitched, but every two hours we’ve must take a short break, because he needed to take pain pills. He was my toughest client so far.

Q: Where are you located now?
A: Now I’m working in the Warsaw branch of the Rock’n’Roll Tattoo and Piercing studio. There are two more tattoo studios in Poland and 3 more in Scotland, so as you see it's very good and popular brand in Europe. There are working only great tattoo artists and great people:)

Q: What is your biggest challenge?
A: My biggest challenge is to evolve and not to stand in the same spot. In this business if you stop progressing, it can end very badly for you.

Q: What are your plans for the near feature?
A: The plan is to still work on my skills and try to be as good as I can possibly be. Besides that, I will attend as many guest spots I can. Working with others will help me to learn from them and evolve in my work. Of course, it's important is to meet new people, see new places and participate in every tattoo convention I can go to.

Q: Any advice for the new artists?
A: Don’t bother with the failures, ask other tattoo artists for tips, look at them working, go forward and practice your skills, even if it’s drawing or painting, it will help you with tattooing.