Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/craigstartattoo/

Craig Startin

I've been a tattooist for 5 years properly before that  I've worked in several tattoo studios bouncing around not taking It seriously until the birth of my son then I decided to open my own studio.

I've always loved drawing from a child growing up on a council estate in the West Midlands drawing on the back of a roll of wallpaper in front of the tv watching Take Art.

When leaving school a long time ago I was told that art won’t get you a job and there wasn’t many jobs around in the early 90s, so I got a position in the local supermarket and over the years worked my way up to store manager until one day in a board meeting I thought what am I doing here!

I Took some time out of work and had chance to take stock of my life and started over again.

I began tattooing purely by accident helping a friend on a busy day in his shop where he had been let down by his apprentice.

He was impressed with how I could create his stencils so well and asked me if I'd like to train as a artist I took him up and worked there every day off from work and when I could afterwork.

I wouldn't call it an apprenticeship but it was some good training and stood me well for when I decided to go it alone as a junior artist.

The type of work I enjoy is colour portraiture I love to watch a tattoo come to life although over the years I think I have at some point done all the different styles of tattoos.