Slinging Ink
by Sarah Sumler
Issue date: 5/4/09 Section: Arts & Entertainment
"I like tattoos that remind me of my childhood," she says. "I just get things that make me happy."
When she decided to get a large color piece on her forearm, Pabon contacted tattoo artist Josh Woods and put herself on a year long waiting list. Woods is the owner of Black 13 Tattoo Parlor in Nashville, Tennessee and he is famous for his use of color realism, a tattooing style that combines ultra bright colors with photographic detail. When the time came, she flew to Atlanta, Georgia, to meet with the artist at All or Nothing Tattoo and Arts Studio, the shop he worked at prior to opening Black 13. Eleven hours later, Pabon was sporting a large color portrait on her right forearm of a little girl with huge blue eyes wielding a tattoo machine on her hand.
"I'm ecstatic about this tattoo," she says.
Although almost any design can be tattooed, skin presents some unique challenges as a canvas.
"If you can draw it on paper, you can do it on skin but that's only after you have learned the technique," Pabon says. For instance, the artist must know how use a light hand to avoid driving the needle too deep into the skin, which can cause scarring.
Pabon feels it is important to take into account the location of the tattoo on the body as well as the condition of the client's skin.
"You definitely have to know your materials and know your canvas," she says. "Like if I have a person who has really dry skin, I will run my machine a little softer," she says. "It might take me a little longer to do the tattoo but I am going to do that because I don't want to overwork the skin."
In order to keep abreast with, as well as to share new techniques, tattoo artists attend numerous conventions nationwide. Conventions are a large part of the industry because they give the artists opportunities to travel around the country and showcase their talents. Pabon has attended many of these conventions including the Massachusetts Tattoo and Arts Festival and the Daytona Tattoo Expo in Florida. In February, Pabon attended Philadelphia Tattoo Arts Convention and took home the award for "Best Large Female Color Tattoo" for a Buddha themed design featuring lotus flowers.
When she isn't tattooing, Pabon enjoys playing video games and watching documentaries on the History Channel. Art is a constant in her life and she likes experimenting with different media such as color pencils, oils and acrylics. She also loves to draw portraits and her portfolio features everyone from Bill Cosby to Frankenstein rendered in eye-popping color.
Pabon's advice to someone who is interested in learning to tattoo is to first learn the basic principles of drawing and then find an apprenticeship where you can learn from other artists. Although she has gathered an impressive body of work, including the cover of the popular tattoo magazine Skin Art, Pabon is always looking for ways to push her art to the next level. She spends a lot time with other artists and is always interested in picking up new techniques.
"We are very tight knit community and people are always willing to help or answer questions," she says. "You never stop learning."
When she decided to get a large color piece on her forearm, Pabon contacted tattoo artist Josh Woods and put herself on a year long waiting list. Woods is the owner of Black 13 Tattoo Parlor in Nashville, Tennessee and he is famous for his use of color realism, a tattooing style that combines ultra bright colors with photographic detail. When the time came, she flew to Atlanta, Georgia, to meet with the artist at All or Nothing Tattoo and Arts Studio, the shop he worked at prior to opening Black 13. Eleven hours later, Pabon was sporting a large color portrait on her right forearm of a little girl with huge blue eyes wielding a tattoo machine on her hand.
"I'm ecstatic about this tattoo," she says.
Although almost any design can be tattooed, skin presents some unique challenges as a canvas.
"If you can draw it on paper, you can do it on skin but that's only after you have learned the technique," Pabon says. For instance, the artist must know how use a light hand to avoid driving the needle too deep into the skin, which can cause scarring.
Pabon feels it is important to take into account the location of the tattoo on the body as well as the condition of the client's skin.
"You definitely have to know your materials and know your canvas," she says. "Like if I have a person who has really dry skin, I will run my machine a little softer," she says. "It might take me a little longer to do the tattoo but I am going to do that because I don't want to overwork the skin."
In order to keep abreast with, as well as to share new techniques, tattoo artists attend numerous conventions nationwide. Conventions are a large part of the industry because they give the artists opportunities to travel around the country and showcase their talents. Pabon has attended many of these conventions including the Massachusetts Tattoo and Arts Festival and the Daytona Tattoo Expo in Florida. In February, Pabon attended Philadelphia Tattoo Arts Convention and took home the award for "Best Large Female Color Tattoo" for a Buddha themed design featuring lotus flowers.
When she isn't tattooing, Pabon enjoys playing video games and watching documentaries on the History Channel. Art is a constant in her life and she likes experimenting with different media such as color pencils, oils and acrylics. She also loves to draw portraits and her portfolio features everyone from Bill Cosby to Frankenstein rendered in eye-popping color.
Pabon's advice to someone who is interested in learning to tattoo is to first learn the basic principles of drawing and then find an apprenticeship where you can learn from other artists. Although she has gathered an impressive body of work, including the cover of the popular tattoo magazine Skin Art, Pabon is always looking for ways to push her art to the next level. She spends a lot time with other artists and is always interested in picking up new techniques.
"We are very tight knit community and people are always willing to help or answer questions," she says. "You never stop learning."
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