We asked the artists to show the piece they are most proud of and also a little bit about themselves.
Photos from each respective artist.
5. Callum Porter @inkbyporter
Age 25 from Springtown Road."I chose this piece because it is the piece I am most proud of and I think it shows the direction in where I want to push my work, in a Neo Traditional style.I started my apprenticeship just over a year ago now, and I’ve been tattooing people since February.Since finishing my Graphic Design & Illustration degree at university I felt a bit lost on where I wanted to start my art career. Even though tattooing always lingered at the back of my mind I never thought I could do it. But thanks to Andy and everyone at Tattoo House 76, I have been able to pursue tattooing and ever since starting my apprenticeship my love for it has just grown more and more into an obsession." Photo: Callum Porter
6. Ethan Deery @ethandeerytattoos
Age 21 from Grangemore. Ethan has been tattooing now for just over a year. "I decided to go with this piece as I think it shows best the style of work I most prefer to do. It’s always a test tattooing portraits but when it’s of one of the greatest footballers of all time Maradona, I couldn’t say no.I have always had a love for design but this grew some years ago when I began to create digital illustrations and animations. As I got more experience I became increasingly interested in the art of tattooing specifically. I was drawn to the creativity involved in designing unique tattoos for people, and has allowed me to use my art to help people decorate their bodies with meaningful designs that become part of their life." Photo: Ethan Deery
7. Samantha Clancy @samanthaclancy_tattoo
Age 22 I’m from Limavady. "I picked this piece because It was my first piece from my flash that I ever got to tattoo. It made me realise how cool this job actually is, It’s honestly surreal to me that someone would want something I designed on their body.I’ve been an apprentice for 9 months but I’ve only been tattooing since January. It had always been in my head, but I was always too scared to take the leap. I loved drawing, creating. I even started an animation degree at Ulster but dropped out within the year. It made me realise that tattooing was what I really wanted to do with my life." Photo: Samantha Clancy @samanthaclancy_tattoo
8. Marty Green @_blackswantattoo
Aged 28 from Killea Donegal."This particular piece stands out for me due to its simplicity, using only two subjects, a limited colour palette, basic yet strong line work reinforced by a dark background which helps make the piece flow, complementing the area of the body. I love how this piece finishes 3/4 of the way down the arm, I’ve always thought there was something very appealing and classy about traditional Japanese style tattoos, especially how they’re finished at the edges. My client Lee gave me a loose brief and a lot of freedom with design, which made the whole process a breeze. When creating a tattoo I ask myself “how will this tattoo look in 10 years?”, with longevity in mind I remove anything that may not age well, so I hope this piece stands the test of time! I’ve been a tattoo artist for about 7 years, I started my apprenticeship in Studio 76 right after graduating in product design at University of Ulster, Belfast.Black Swan Tattoo.Having an art background I always toyed with the idea of being a tattoo artist since I started getting tattooed at 18, but only decided to bite the bullet and go for it after a tattoo session with Andy Moore, which lead to an opportunity to start an apprenticeship, I graduated a few weeks prior so the timing was perfect. I’ve loved tattooing ever since!" Photo: Marty Green