Hello Yomico Moreno! Thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview. It really means a lot having you here. Please start by telling us something about yourself and your beginnings. How long have you been tattooing? It's been about 13 years since I started, I never really imagined that I was going to be a tattoo artist, but I always knew that I would live from art. When I was a kid I always had an interest in drawing, painting, but I remember on my way home from high school there was a small tattoo shop and I stopped there every day to check out their magazines, listen to the machine and ask questions. There began my curiosity for this art.

Q: Did you have any guidance from someone while you were starting?
A: Unfortunately no, 13 years ago the tattoo industry was very closed off in my country, it was very difficult to get someone to give you a tip. I used to buy magazines and read interviews to see what tattoo artists were using at the time.

Q: You do mostly realistic tattoos, they all look amazing! Would you say that this type of work is something you enjoy the most?
A: Well I’ve had to do all kinds of tattoos, from letters, tribal, japanese, traditional, let's say all these styles helped me find my identity and understand what style I wanted to do and felt more comfortable with. Realism is one of the newest tattoo styles compared to japanese, letters or traditional. I love doing realism, but I feel that we have become monotonous and at this time feel the need to create good compositions beyond copying a face with a template. I feel that it’s part of the evolution, always looking for something beyond and it’s what I am focusing on today.

Q: Nowadays, tattoos are no longer a simple image from the internet, but a lot cooler and more personalized. Do you accept reference images, do you suggest your clients some ideas?
A: Yes, I always like to start with the main idea from my ​​clients. One of the things I try to make clear before starting a project, is that I need complete freedom when designing the tattoo. I explain that what I do is an interpretation of their idea with my style. I think that's the beauty of tattooing today. I remember that before clients would go to a studio, look at a book and they would choose a tattoo as if they were buying shoes, it's interesting to see that changing. Today people are looking for a tattoo artist, much like an art collector, who looks for work and style of a specific artist and with this in mind, I try to get my clients to understand my work method when they decide to contact me. They aren’t just getting a tattoo, they are collecting an art piece.

Q: Realistic tattoos, especially the portraits require a very precise touch, lots of time and patience. What details are the most difficult to work on?
A: Yes, you have to be very detail oriented, in portraits any detail, even a small can change the overall outcome and make it look like someone else. Especially the eyes, a misplaced highlight on the eyes can change the expression completely, every detail counts, every detail can give you a better or worse result.

Q: You do a lot of collaborations with many artists, including Steve Butcher and Sam Barber. How the team work helps you to grow as an artist?
A: You missed to mention is Jak Conolly, they are not only amazing artists whom I admire and respect very much, they are my best friends, almost like my second family. When we consider going to conventions and doing collabs, we always approach it as good friends who will have fun doing what we love. Is not only artistic but human growth, most of the time we rent a house where we live together for days, we talk about art, we design together, we talk about life and it's nice because we do it as a team and undoubtedly we grow. We inspire each other in every way, we give constructive criticism and advise each other on ideas and when designing, we help each other out. I owe everything in my life to tattooing and will always be thankful for it, for giving me brothers like them. It is always good to surround yourself with people who inspire you as an artist and as a human being.

Q: I really love the Edgar Alla Poe tattoo! Was that your idea or your client's?
A: I'm focusing on re-interpreting my realism, maybe something more surreal. For many years I enjoyed copying the portrait of a photo, but there comes a time where you feel monotonous and you need to push further, where you risk re-inventing yourself, to make sure the portrait does not lose its essence, but also reflects your own artistic work. More or less that’s what I did with the Allan Poe tattoo.

Q: Tattoo conventions are a great way to meet a lot of tattoo artists and learn. How often do you visit this type of events? Do you have any favorite?
A: Conventions are food and knowledge for the soul, I travel a lot. I like to go to many conventions around the world. I’ve shook hands from colleague to colleague to artists that I have admired throughout my career, not only that, to be able to share a beer and chat with so many tattoo artists is undoubtedly an experience that nurtures and feeds that desire to grow and be better. I have been lucky to be able to participate in the best conventions in the world, from London, Milan, Paris, but I also like attending smaller conventions, for example in South America, where I have encountered incredible people. The truth is, it doesn’t matter how big or small the convention is, because I know I will see my good friends and colleagues and this always makes for a good weekend and a great experience.

Q: Where are you located now?
A: I am currently in New York. Working at Last Rites Tattoo, with Paul Booth for two years now.

Q: Any advice for the new artists?
A: Today thanks to Tv, tattooers have gone from the bad guys in films, to being protagonists, and with reality Tv and social networks, doing tattoos has become cool. Nowadays everyone wants to do tattoos because they believe that they will make easy money, that they will travel the world and that they will live like rockstars, but this goes beyond that. You have to feel true passion for this, you have to sacrifice a lot, it is not only picking up a tattoo machine and making a straight line, I’ve always said that there is a big difference between being a tattooist and being a tattoo artist. Anyone with a machine can be a tattooist and draw a line on the skin and make a tattoo, but the difference is, you have to study what we will be doing tomorrow and every day. There is no tattoo university, you will never graduate as a tattoo artist, but still we study every day, we learn every day, we learn from our own mistakes, it is not a question of being a tattooist, it is about being an artist and to achieve it, we need to study a lot, to understand the art, to draw, paint, design, to make many mistakes, recognize them and correct them. Even then we may die unsatisfied with what we do, because that is to be a tattoo artist. Ask yourself this question, How much am I willing to sacrifice for this? Only in your answer will you know where and how far you can go.