The Villain Arts Festival became one of the most comfortable and homey conventions I’ve ever attended. This time I didn’t have to fly across half the country with just one suitcase or rent tables, chairs, and lights on site. San Diego is only about an hour and a half to two hours from my home base in Los Angeles. I simply loaded everything I’m used to from the studio into the car, my chair, lamp, lighting, table, and even a massage couch, and arrived fully packed for the convention. This really affects the experience, you’re working in almost studio conditions, just in a festival format.
The model was a familiar client with whom I’ve done large projects before. He already had tattoos, including a rooster on his butt from the cartoon Catch the Wave, military-themed elements on his leg, and motifs tied to locations and maps reflecting his personal history and service. He’s in the military, so all the stories are connected to his life journey.
For Villain Arts Festival I was specifically looking for someone for a three-day large-scale project and openly stated I need someone ready to sit for a full back tattoo for three days. He understood what to expect and was willing to endure the marathon. Over three days we completed a full back with a knight and a cross, a dense, rich Black and Grey project. The guy was very resilient and handled all three days calmly, without any meltdowns or issues.
The tattoo was entered in the XL Black and Grey and Best of Day categories, and we won prizes in both. Two awards for a single large project is a great result for both the convention and the client. He is already planning his vacations around conventions to book more three-day sessions and continue expanding his tattoo composition.
For me, the simple conclusion is when someone can sit under the machine for three consecutive days and still wants more, it shows the tattoo is done gently, carefully, and at a pace comfortable for the body. This is the kind of experience I want to repeat and develop further, both at conventions and in the studio. The takeaway is simple, you can get tattooed at festivals or in the studio, the key is to discuss the idea in advance and prepare for a large project.
The model was a familiar client with whom I’ve done large projects before. He already had tattoos, including a rooster on his butt from the cartoon Catch the Wave, military-themed elements on his leg, and motifs tied to locations and maps reflecting his personal history and service. He’s in the military, so all the stories are connected to his life journey.
For Villain Arts Festival I was specifically looking for someone for a three-day large-scale project and openly stated I need someone ready to sit for a full back tattoo for three days. He understood what to expect and was willing to endure the marathon. Over three days we completed a full back with a knight and a cross, a dense, rich Black and Grey project. The guy was very resilient and handled all three days calmly, without any meltdowns or issues.
The tattoo was entered in the XL Black and Grey and Best of Day categories, and we won prizes in both. Two awards for a single large project is a great result for both the convention and the client. He is already planning his vacations around conventions to book more three-day sessions and continue expanding his tattoo composition.
For me, the simple conclusion is when someone can sit under the machine for three consecutive days and still wants more, it shows the tattoo is done gently, carefully, and at a pace comfortable for the body. This is the kind of experience I want to repeat and develop further, both at conventions and in the studio. The takeaway is simple, you can get tattooed at festivals or in the studio, the key is to discuss the idea in advance and prepare for a large project.