Our interview with Evgenii Antsupov, a highly talented tattoo artist known for his black and grey style and distinctive use of whip shading.
1. Do you remember the first tattoo you ever did? How did it go?
Yes, of course I remember that piece. It was something like a ship and a compass. I had planned to do it in two sessions: the first one for the outlines, and the second one for the shading. But after I did the outlines, all the ink spread under the skin and it basically filled itself in, so there was no need for a second session 🤣. It looked absolutely terrible, crooked lines, ink blowouts under the skin. That was the moment I started to realize that even doing outlines properly is a skill in itself.
2. Is there anything you would absolutely refuse to tattoo?
The one thing I would definitely refuse to tattoo is realistic animals with long fur. I just feel like they don’t really fit compositionally within my style. It’s also not something I specialize in. There are some truly amazing artists out there who focus only on tattooing animals, and they do it incredibly well.
3. How much creative freedom do you give your clients in the process?
The main elements of a tattoo usually come from the client’s idea. The only exception is when I feel that the shape of a statue, for example, doesn’t work well for a specific area of the body. In that case, I might explore different angles of the statue or suggest a similar one with a shape that fits the placement better. As for the background and the way all the elements are connected, that’s mostly up to me.
4. If your style were music, what genre would it be?
I’m absolutely in love with electronic music, especially deep house and progressive house. It’s the kind of music you can listen to anywhere. It doesn’t pull all your attention away, so you can stay focused on what really matters to you and what genuinely interests you.
5. How often do you travel and work in different countries?
I used to travel a lot. Sometimes in one month I could work in three different countries and live out of a suitcase for five or six months. I enjoy meeting new people and observing how they work. But now I have started to realize that constant moving is exhausting and affects my concentration. So for now, I have paused all travel and focused more on the quality of my work and my projects.
6. What would you like to change in the tattoo industry?
I thought about this question for a long time. I think the biggest shift would happen if no tattoo studio provided clients to artists. That would mean every tattoo artist would have to find clients independently, and from there only two outcomes are possible: either the tattoo artist develops their social media platforms on their own, improves the quality of their work dramatically, and thinks through every design down to the smallest detail, or the tattoo artist stops tattooing and goes to work somewhere else. I think the market as a whole would improve, and we would see fewer bad tattoos out on the street. For me, that is one of the most important things in the tattoo industry.
7. What advice would you give to a beginner tattoo artist?
This probably applies not only to tattooing, but to any field in general. The main thing is to believe in yourself, even after many failures, setbacks, and lack of support from friends or family. If you truly feel that you are moving in the right direction, just keep pushing forward. In the end, the most important thing is to be honest with yourself first.
8. Thank you for your time. We are sure you will continue to inspire tattoo artists with your work and amaze clients with new incredible pieces.
Thank you very much as well. I never stand still, I only keep moving forward. Thank you.
