Black and Grey Realism Artist Pepper interivew!

Interview with Portrait Tattoo Specialist Pepper
 

What was your first experience with tattoos?
My first experience was probably my uncle. I had seen it when I was a child and I did not understand what it was. I just thought he had dirty arms because his tattoos were all very old. I think he had a panther and an anchor. But, I just remember a blob.

From there, do you remember when you first started getting interested in tattooing?
Yeah. I started to get interested around the age of 14. At that point, of course, I had grasped the concept. I thought it was fascinating. I thought it was really cool that people could travel with their art and it was just something that you could never have stolen. It was something you could always have with you.

Do you remember the first tattoo you ever did?
I do. It was terrifying. [Laughs] I can’t remember what it stood for but, it was a rune and I had done it on my mentor’s forearm.

So, that was how you started. When was that?
I started apprenticing my senior year of high school. Half the day I would go to school and then I had enough credits to leave so, I would go to the shop to learn.

What was it like to start tattooing as a female in a male dominated industry?
A lot more difficult then than it is now. I can’t even imagine how much more difficult it would be twenty or thirty years ago. I feel sometimes people look at you and they think you either got into the industry because you’re dating somebody or just another pretty face and you have to prove that you earned it through hard work and skill and dedication and drive.

You mentioned you were into tattooing because you got to travel with your art. How often do you get to travel?
It really varies. Last year I did a considerable amount of traveling and it was great. Of course I’d like to travel every weekend but, with my life that’s just not feasible at this point.

What do you like about traveling?
In different parts of the country people are the same but, different. You think you’ve seen it all and then you go to another place and you see something entirely different and it’s just awesome. It is an awesome learning experience.



Stay tuned! We will be releasing part 2 of the interview later this week!
Pepper is getting her website redesigned with us which will be launching before the end of the month! In the meantime you can check out her portfolio on the current website:PepperTattoos.com
 
For Part 2 Click Here!

Interview by Ian Winship