Interview with London-based professional tattoo artist Marie Terry

Marie Terry is London-based professional tattoo artist. In this interview she discusses her passion for art and tattoos.

Voicu Mihnea Simandan: Art and tattoos are your passions. How did it all start?

Marie Terry: I’ve always been drawing, I was the kid in the back of the classroom not doing my work but drawing Dragon Ball Z characters all day. And I come from a very alternative family with my dad playing in various rock and roll bands so I have seen tattoos and was interested in them from an early age, so it all just fit together that I should be a tattoo artist.

VMS: At your London tattoo studio you work with both your own designs and your customers’. Which do you prefer?

MT: I like it when it’s a good balance. It’s better when the customer has a clear idea of the subject matter they want otherwise I would be guessing for ages with drawing designs. But I like when they give me a lot of leeway and breathing space with how the design is executed. For example, if they want a tiger tattoo, I prefer it if they let me find the photo to work from and pick the background that works best, etc.

VMS: What makes a good tattoo? What are some of its most important features?

MT: Tattoos should be bold and clear. Especially with realistic tattoos. I always say a good tattoo is one you can see what it is from across the street! Large and clear tattoos will look good when they are 20 plus years old.

VMS: Your online portfolio contains many old school, realistic and portrait tattoos. How much do you influence your customers when it comes to choosing the tattoo style?

MT: I don’t usually influence the style they get unless they are completely undecided. As old school and realistic styles are miles apart, people usually have at least that part figured out when they come to me. Though a lot of my old school work  is coming out very neo-traditional since I can’t help but adding a little detail to my designs.

VMS: What is your philosophy as an artist and who influenced you the most?

MT: To do my best no matter what tattoo I am doing. Even if it is something very small and maybe something I wouldn’t choose to have tattooed on myself it should still be treated as if I am doing something I love because it is important to the person getting it. My favourite non-tattoo artist is Paul Kidby who illustrates the Terry Pratchet books. He has a funny way of illustrating and the characters really come to life and make you laugh when you look at them. My favourite tattoo artist is probably Mike Devries. I love a lot of other tattoo artists too but he was the first one I was following since my apprenticeship and have been blown away by what he does with super realism and he has influenced me a lot.

VMS: What are some of the major tattoo festivals you have attended (or people can attend) in your area?

MT: There are a lot of tattoo conventions around London and England. I think the most famous and best one is the London Tattoo Convention followed closely by Tattoo Jam. There’s also the Brighton Tattoo Convention and a lot of smaller ones like the one in Croydon on the outskirts of London.

VMS: How long does it usually take you to finish a medium size tattoo and what are the costs involved?

MT: This is a question that gets asked a lot but is difficult to answer directly because different styles take different amount of time. Tattoos can take longer if they have more detail or colour etc. Also I never know what size a medium size tattoo is… Medium could mean a different thing to different people. Costs also vary a lot depending on what part of the UK you are in. My advice though is to never choose a tattoo artist based on price, there should be no shopping around when it comes to having something permanently etched onto your body, it’s not like buying shoes where they will be the same in each shop. A cheap tattoo is usually a bad one and you should be looking for quality not quantity.

Here are some samples of Marie Terry’s work:

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