At some point, the team at the studio realized it was time to share the knowledge we’ve accumulated over years of work. We had gathered enough experience to structure it properly into a masterclass format. Preparing for teaching also forces you to organize your own experience and explain familiar techniques in a new way, which is useful for the instructors as well.
We chose a dynamic format: several artists work simultaneously while participants move freely between workstations, observe, ask questions, and watch the process in real time. The masterclass features @markd_tattoo for Micro-realism, @dparamonov for Colour realism, and myself, @rinattattarin for Greywash. Each of us demonstrates our approach and emphasis, and participants can switch between different styles and techniques.
My area of focus is Black and Grey. I cover placement of elements in a tattoo, working with smooth gradients, creating depth, and organizing main and secondary objects within a composition. It’s not just about showing the hand movements — I explain the reasoning behind them: why a shadow is denser here, softer there, and how the composition is structured on the body.
It’s especially rewarding that the masterclass attracted not only beginners but also experienced tattoo artists from Los Angeles who have been in the profession for years. This adds a sense of responsibility and shows that what we do is interesting not just to newcomers, but also to fellow professionals. For us as instructors, it’s also revealing: even when explaining familiar techniques, you emphasize key details and reinforce your own understanding of the process.
The plan is to continue these masterclasses and further develop the educational direction. It’s a mutually beneficial setup: participants gain techniques and insights, while instructors get a fresh perspective on their own methods and live feedback from the professional community.