Blog Entry
Mez Love – Tattoo Artist, San Francisco, CA
December 9, 2010 by admin, under Tattoo Artists.
By the age of 12, Mez Love knew right away that she wanted to be a tattoo artist when she grows up. And when the time came when she can legally pursue her dream, she applied at every single tattoo studio she could find until one finally accepted her. She had to learn piercing at first but it only took a matter of weeks for the studio to finally let her begin her tattoo apprenticeship. And from then on, her true calling and passion came into reality and she has been tattooing since. From realistic, beaming with life portraits to tattoo sleeves that are full of depth and character, Mez’ works are captivating. That’s why, we felt the need to chat with her to find out where all these ingenuity and vision are coming from.
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Where do you draw inspirations for your designs? I mostly draw inspiration from real life. I’m a reference photo junkie. Depending on the design, I also draw a lot of inspiration from Alphonse Mucha and Gil Elvgren.
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Based on your experience, what is the latest tattoo trend nowadays? Is there a particular design or tat theme that people are mostly going for these days? Words, words and more words. I mean, people have always been getting text tattoos, but it seems like instead of just getting the word “love” tattooed on your wrist, folks want three paragraphs from their favorite book tattooed down their spine. It’s a different aesthetic, and I guess it’s one that’s actually grown on me. But I was pretty grumpy about it a couple years ago.
When people ask you for advice on what designs to go for, what do you usually tell them? Make it big, and keep it simple! Don’t try to squish 86 ideas into a two inch design. It just clutters and confuses whatever it is that you’re trying to get across. And the bigger it is, the better it will age and the more striking it will be! It doesn’t matter if it’s a portrait or a mom heart. The rules are the same.
Which body part is be your favorite spot to ink on and why? I LOVE to tattoo arms. Especially from the elbow down. Because the skin is so EASY to tattoo compared to other places, I get to focus entirely on the tattoo itself and almost no technical matters. It’s wonderful! That and, aesthetically, sleeves are my favorite large tattoos. I love a good sleeve.
What are your three most favorite tattoo works? Can you tell us something about them.
The Twin Peaks half sleeve is one of my favorites for sure. I think between the fact that it’s one of my personal favorite shows combined with the fact that I got to do a portrait of coffee and pie, I just love the whole package, quite frankly.
Alphonse Mucha’s “the Moon” is another of my favorites. I always enjoy doing reproductions of his work. This one is one of my favorites by him. I had a lot of fun with the colors in this one.
My other favorite is the Gil Elvgren and classic car sleeve.
My other favorite artist, and I just love doing reproductions. It was really fun to piece this one together, and I love how it turned out. The guy who has the piece is one of my favorite clients, too, which always helps.
7) For those who are interested in working with you, where can they contact you? I moved to San Francisco a few months ago to open Tattoo Boogaloo with two of my best friends. I can be reached at the shop: 415 391 1053 or by email, tattoosbymez@gmail.com. Tattoo Boogaloo is located at 528 Green Street, in the heart of North Beach in San Francisco. Our website is www.tattooboogaloo.com
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