Interview with Levi Hilton | Unique Tattoo Style | USA 07/01/2022
Hello Levi Hilton! Thank you for taking the time to answer some questions for our readers. I really appreciate and I hope our conversation will inspire many young people to learn more about the tattoo scene today.
Please start by
telling us something about yourself and your background. What made
you to start tattooing? Growing up I was always coloring and drawing ninja turtles. I think that’s what really made me interested in drawing. As I got older I got more into drawing dragon ball characters and more anime style stuff. From there I found out about hentai and that held my attention for the last few decades! I don’t think I was a stand out artist, growing up, although. I had a lot of friends that I felt drew way better than I did. I don’t think I took drawing seriously until I started tattooing and then realized I needed to really focus on getting better.
Q: What made you to start tattooing? Was it hard to learn
the basics?
A: I wish I could say I knew exactly what I was getting into when I
decided I wanted to learn how to tattoo. I just thought it’d be a
fun job. I thought it’d let me sleep in late and even if it was just
doing lettering all day, I still saw it as art and that seemed
better than working at Sears. It was hard to learn the basics. I
feel like I’m still learning the basics. I think one way you can
divide tattooers is by art-minded or technically-minded and I’m
definitely art-minded. I’ve worked around technically-minded people
and their tattoos are always so clean and solid and achieving that
is what they love about tattooing. I’m definitely more interested in
the drawing, color palette, and achieving a certain look or emotion.
The technical aspects of tattooing have always been something I’ve
had to be very mindful of because my brain doesn’t focus on that
sort of stuff naturally.
Q: I like your style today, very cool, vibrant,
cartoonish... not boring for sure! Love it! But what type of tattoos
you use to do as a beginner? How has your style developed over time?
A: Thank you! I definitely started out thinking I’d be doing more of
a neo trad kinda thing. But pretty early on I saw some new school
tattoos and knew that’s what I wanted to try to get into. All the
things I’d drawn my whole life fit more into that style and it came
way more naturally to me.
Q: Do you think that is better for one artist to stick to
one style and master it as much as possible, get recognised and
thrive, instead of trying to do all kinds of stuff at once?
A: I personally try to see the merits of any choice you can make.
There are as many ways to live as there are people on the planet, so
I try not to get too opinionated on things like this, as far as what
is ‘better’. I think different people benefit from different things
and each person has to find their own balance. The more you look at
other styles outside of your own, the more things you’ll be aware
of, as far as drawing or rendering goes. Being exposed to different
styles of tattooing will help give you options when you’re
approaching a design. Sometimes you may wanna do a rose more
realistically rendered, but in another design it may be better to
approach it more simply and traditionally. I personally try to focus
on my own style, but I’m always looking at and studying other types
of tattooing. I have my favorite tattooers in every style, so if I’m
struggling with an element I can refer to someone better than me in
a different style and try to problem solve an answer for what’s best
for my design. Long story short, there is no right way or wrong way,
you just have to put in an honest effort at getting better and
learning more. That seems to be the only thing that truly matters.
Q: What do you like the most about your style? Do you feel
like this type of designs give you more creative freedom, unlike
let's say, doing tattoo realism when detailed "perfection" is a
"minimum" requirement?
A: I don’t know that I feel any sense of freedom. I wish I did. I
feel very free and creative when I’m sketching...that’s my favorite
part of the process, the sketching. Once the sketch is done and all
my values are laid out, I put a lot of energy into color decisions
and trying to render everything out. It’s a very involved process
for me and gives me a lot of anxiety and stress. I’m making
everything up on the fly but trying to approach things in a way the
seems a little true to nature. Exaggerated, but based on my shallow
understanding of how colors actually act in real life. I’m sweating
just thinking about it! But the thing I like most about my style in
particular is the drawing. I think I’m good at adapting different
hand-drawn styles into my own work. You can see the obvious anime
influences, as well as western animation styles and specific artists
such as Bruce Timm.
Q: The new school style is like a cool, funny upgrade to the
well know old school style, but it's so much liberating. In a way
like a satirical way of expression. At least that's how I see it,
what's your opinion?
A: Yea, in a way it is much more light-hearted and joking. But I
don’t really try to approach it that way. I want my tattoos to be
very dramatic and dynamic. Exaggerated and impactful. A lot of
clients do come in and want more “playful” or “cartoony” images and
of course I’m happy to accommodate that, but I think when it comes
to the things I want to make, I imagine things to be more muted and
melancholy.
- You're so talented, I think you should do like a comic
book with some crazy characters and cool story lines : )
Thanks! I’ve actually thought about doing a Batman comic, once or
twice, but I doubt I’ll ever make that happen.
Q: Having new styles, new ways of working, from a technical
point of view, a lot things have changed. Remember the early 2000
and the damn tribal tattoos? The cross and a rose designs oh I think
that was 2010... yup! Hah and now we have a whole new generation of
young, really creative people, digital painting, drawings on pen
tablets... I love the progress. It's like a tattoo renaissance...
what are your thoughts?
A: I love it. I love to see new things and I love the energy that
has been brought into tattooing. Some of it is a little misguided,
some styles are just fads that’ll disappear in a year or two. But
overall, I think it’s all good. The more variety you have, the more
healthy things are and the harder you have to work to be average,
let alone rise above. A lot has changed since I started tattooing
and it’s all ended up for the better, I think. Machines and ink
brands have come and gone, but the best things rise to the top and
seem to be the things that last. I know a lot of people worry about
change and have a more cynical outlook towards younger tattooers but
I hate gatekeeping and I definitely don’t feel like I’d be in any
position to be a gatekeeper of tattooing. I’m just grateful to be
here and have people make me feel like I belong.
Q: I think having good drawing skills is a "must" in
tattooing, even though tattooing on its own it's a technique that
must be learned but still, I believe drawing is like that first
stepping stone. Do you agree?
A: I agree with that for myself. My drawings are really the
foundation and everything else is just icing on the cake. But some
people are great at rendering values and others are great at
designing shapes that flow on the body. Some people do digital mock
ups of everything they tattoo and they don’t really “draw” at all.
It’s all valid. I draw a lot. I learn things through drawing. I
would like if I was thought of as a good illustrator. But everyone’s
process is their own and I like that we’re all so different. I love
seeing how other people go about designing things. I feel like I can
learn so much about a person by seeing their process for coming up
with a design and I’m here for it.
Q: I saw really cool drawings I your portfolio, I don't have
a favorite, I simply love them all. Do you draw for each client? Do
you use some reference images?
A: Thank you! Yeah, I try and draw every thing I tattoo. Again, I
believe a lot of my style is in the drawing so I want to make sure
I’m able to leave my mark. I appreciate any references my clients
send so that I can know where their head is at with what they’re
wanting, but as much as I can, I try to draw things out of my head.
I try to rough sketch my layout and shapes and then use reference to
dial things in and make adjustments as I need them. Like, if I’m
drawing a wolf, but for some reason it’s giving off more of a fox
vibe, I’ll look up wolves and try to see what exactly I got out of
proportion. That’s how I go about it.
Q: I bet you hear crazy stories every day from your clients,
what's like the weirdest/funniest tattoo idea you have heard of? Hah
A: A long, long time ago I did a tattoo of sushi on a girl, right
above her vagina, and it had a banner that said, “eat it raw”! I
still think about that tattoo a lot. I wish I could redo it now. I
know so much more about drawing, tattooing, and sushi.
- What would be the funniest tattoo you would like to do on
your best friend?
I don’t know. I’ve never really thought about it. Again, I’m always
imagining tattooing sad girls or pin ups. I’m not so clever at
coming up with funny tattoos.
Q: How important is to be open minded with your clients when
it comes to tattoo ideas? Have you ever turned down someone?
A: I try to be as open as possible. If you go in closed off, you’re
not gonna be able to creatively problem solve, and in my opinion, so
much of designing tattoos is problem solving. So I try to really
understand what they’re looking for so I can get the idea and make
suggestions accordingly to try to lead someone to an image that I
think will be successful. I only turn people down if there’s someone
readily available that could do a better job. I’ve had to turn down
a couple people because we weren’t seeing eye to eye, but over 14
years that’s only happened two or three times. But I just want my
clients to not only get a good tattoo, I want them to have a great
experience with me. I try to accommodate them in anyway I can so
they remember me well. I like knowing my clients are happy with
their tattoos, but when they tell me that they really enjoyed
talking with me and had their best tattoo experience, it means a
lot. I’ve met so many great artists that have been such shitty
people. I have tattoos from people like that, and I honestly would
prefer a subpar tattoo from someone I love than an amazing tattoo
from someone I hate being around. I think about that feeling a lot.
As a tattooer I come and go in peoples lives pretty quickly. I know
they carry the tattoo forever, but I just hope the tattoo is tied to
a pleasant experience. I learned a few years back that it’s pretty
impossible to be the best tattooer on the planet, but it isn’t
impossible to make sure my clients feel appreciated and cared for...
so I try my best to be mindful and focus on that.
Q: To be a tattoo artist is truly amazing. You're giving a
part of yourself with your knowledge and experience in every tattoo.
Then the client has a life "mark" on their skin and also remembers
you. That's a special dynamic in my opinion. Not all professions are
like this. What do you like the most about being a tattoo artist?
A: I wish I had the words, but I feel like I’ll never be able to
express this. What do I love most about tattooing? Everything. I
love how hard it is, even though I also hate how hard it is. I love
that it keeps me struggling because I’ve never felt like I could
just coast through a tattoo. I’m always giving 100%. I love the
feeling of running a line at the perfect depth. I love how you can
feel the vibrations traveling through the skin in the hand I use to
stretch. The sound of coil machines. The smell of bactine and green
soap. Seeing a clients face when they’re beyond stoked. Tattooing
someone and making them feel more comfortable in their own skin.
Covering scars or stretch marks that make them feel self-conscious.
It’s the best. I’m so fortunate to do this.
Q: We live in very uncertain times now with the ongoing
pandemic. Many tattoo artists are struggling with the restrictions
and overall livelihood. How are you? How this whole situation
affects you as a person but also as an artist?
A: *sigh* it’s hard to talk about this, because I’m so aware that I
have it great compared to other people. I’m so fortunate. But
mentally, it’s fucking rough. I just recently relocated to San
Diego, California this summer and being new out here is a little
hard. No clientele yet and it’s hard to build one in this climate. I
mean, America is kind of a shit show right now and the pandemic is
only a part of it. It’s taken a toll on everyone’s mental health and
we all feel it. But we’re all just doing our best to get through it
and provide. It’s hard, but again, I’m getting by.
Q: Are you available for bookings? If so, please write down
your email and studio location.
A: Yes! levihiltonart@gmail.com I work at Guru Tattoo in Pacific
Beach of San Diego, CA!
Q: Any motivational words for the people who want to try
getting into this business?
A: Just work hard. Really apply yourself to learning and be open to
failure. Failure is such a bad word. You’re just learning. You have
to make mistakes to learn from them. It’s part of it and the more
you embrace it and understand how to deal with it, the better off
you’ll be. Take advice. If someone belittles you, try to take the
lesson from it, but don’t take it to heart. Being an artist is so
hard. The harder you push yourself to get better, the more you’re
convincing yourself that you’re not good enough. Be mindful of that
and try to remember to love yourself and be patient with yourself.
If you can remember that and really work hard on learning to draw,
you’ll be ok. Watch art videos on YouTube. How to draw. How to
render. Anatomy. YouTube is such a powerful resource. Work harder
than anyone is asking you to and you’ll do great. I worry about
young people getting into tattooing. As much as I love tattooing,
there’s a lot of toxic and problematic people here. People like to
imagine this industry as the Wild West and you have to be prepared
for that. People are gonna talk shit to you and about you. Try to
break you down and take advantage of you. Set your boundaries and
work your ass off. There are great people in this community who want
to see everyone flourish and reach their full potential. Seek those
people out. Be yourself and again, I can’t say it enough, throw
yourself into it head first and work hard. Give yourself to it. It
pays off.