interview with Charles Huurman

  Hello Charles Huurman! Thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview. Please start by telling us something about yourself, your background and how you got into tattooing? Hello! Thank you very much for this opportunity. I used to be the type of person that would follow society rules no matter what. Since I was 17 I worked in restaurants, real state agencies, offices, in the port... But nothing felt right. Then I decided to be an entrepreneur and I opened a spa centre and a real state agency at the same time… By that stage I was only 21 and had a house mortgage, two car loans and a couple credit cards. Suddenly it all collapsed and I lost everything. By then I was devastated until one day I realized that, that was one of the best things that ever happened to me. The house, the car, the business… they all felt like a heavy weight on my back and none of them made me happy. So I decided to invest all my time and effort doing things that I really enjoyed no matter the money involved in it, even if that meant being chased by banks forever. Drawing and painting was the only thing I had ever done for fun, but I never thought about it as a career. So I started to believe in it. Once you see the path messages come to you if you listen. A friend made me realize that by getting into tattooing I could draw for a living. Then something clicked on my brain, and since that day my path got clear.

Q: Your color work is amazing. What ink brands do you use, what's the trick?
A: I often get asked about the inks I use. There are many great companies that are all good, Eternal, Intenze, Fussion... For me the trick is laying as many colors in the table as you need. I can have up to 40 cups in the table to play with. My other method is thinking in color as if I was doing an oil painting, so I tattoo in layers.

Q: What are the most important details when doing a realistic piece?
A: The picture comes first. Many clients expect you to do good realistic work with really bad pictures... And preparation, I really like to study how I’m going to do things before I do them.

Q: Any special person you would like to tattoo someone's skin?
Actually many. Any face with an interesting expression and full of contrasts.

Q: Your client's reaction when you are finally done with their tattoo?
A: I’m very lucky because many of my clients trust me so much that one of the reactions is “wow, I didn’t really understand what you were going to do but I love it”.

Q: Where are you located now?
A: After LA I wanted to go somewhere were it was easy to live, and for the moment I found it. Cork in Ireland is a small city with very nice people, looks all good. I’m working now in Smiley Dogg Tattoo and guest spotting around Ireland, Spain and soon Thailand.

 

Q: How do you get inspired? Any hobbies?
A: Definitely oil painting and charcoal. Now I’m preparing an art exhibition. One day I would like to live of it and tattoo only for fun.

Q: Every creative work requires dedication and love, especially tattooing. What's the biggest mistake when it comes progress?
A: The biggest mistake is when I stop looking at others instead of learning from them. You always learn something new out of every artist you see, even beginners. I don’t usually stop doing this. But I might forget some times.

Q: Would you change something about your style?
A: I always feel like I need to improve a lot. The day I don’t feel that, I should stop.

Q: Do you still enjoy tattooing? How do you cheer up yourself when you feel stuck?
A: Yes, I have a lot of fun. Sometimes you have to force yourself to disconnect. Looking for a guest spot works for me. Look at other artists' work and say “I want to do that!”

Q: What is the best lesson that you've learned from your journey?
A: Let go and listen to your spirit. Simple to understand but difficult to do.

Q: Any tips for the new artists?
A: Work very hard, very hard and keep looking for new ways to learn.