2 minute read
Ermir Beka Queens, NY
DRAPER
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I am Brandon, and I was originally born in Waterbury, Connecticut, into a family of artists. It seems like growing up being an artist was already laid out for me and that it would take a few years to discover that. After moving to California in 2018 with a solid portfolio, I had the opportunity to apprentice at a couple of shops and ultimately worked at Sunstone Tattoo in American Canyon, CA, alongside some phenomenal artists before relocating to Huntington Beach, where I currently reside as an independent artist ⸺ What advice would you give to
someone about getting his or her first tattoo? (A tattoo virgin)
EAT! Coffee, three tik tacs, and a stick of juicy fruit are NOT BREAKFAST, LUNCH, OR DINNER! Being nervous is completely normal, and you are definitely overthinking the pain (to an extent), but food is a must. It’s all fun and games until that blood sugar leaves the chat, and you wake up on the floor from an unexpected nap, seeing my beautiful mug and asking what happened. Eat, please ⸺ What was it that initially sparked your interest in tattooing? At the time, I was 25, and I had about ten years of drawing under my belt. Some close friends and family loved what I drew and sort of pressured me into getting a machine and trying it on them. So I bought the cheapest machine kit I could find and straight sent it. I had absolutely no idea what I was doing, but after that first tattoo, I just fell in love with having another avenue to express myself through my art, which is lifelong ⸺ Who and what influences you to create your work? There are definitely a few artists who influenced me heavily from the start, such as Lil B, Chris Rigoni, Dillon Forte, and Francesco Rossetti, to name a few. There are just so many amazing tattooers popping up left and right that make it easy to learn and draw inspiration from. Aside from people, many times it’s from nature, street art, a simple thought, but primarily music. Music just always has a way of setting the vibe and the feel of what I’m about to do and helps me visualize it without overthinking. ✕
