Uncle Allan

Lisa Jenson : What’s your name and where’s your shop located?
Uncle Allan : My artist name is Uncle Allan. Even though I’m not a real Uncle!
I am from Copenhagen Denmark where I have my shop.

L.J. : How did you get into tattooing? And did you get traditional apprenticeship?
Uncle Allan : I have been interested in tattooing since I was really young. As soon as I started listening to music I got interested in tattoos because I listened to hard rock and Metal and they all had tattoos. So I started to copy their tattoos and drew them on my classmates and on my school book and stuff. 

I apprenticed under a Canadian guy who lived in Denmark at that time. It was an old school apprenticeship where I had to do all the crappy work to get to tattoo. It was hard but I am glad that I got to do it that way. Work to get where I am. You feel you have earned it more that way. Today it is way to easy to start tattooing and everyone just want to be rock stars right away instead of working to get good and make a name for your self. It is sad. I’m not saying that everyone thinks like that but I do hear it a lot, that people don’t feel like apprenticing so they just buy a kit and start to smash people up! That is not the way to do it and there is so many things that you won’t learn by your self.

L.J. : What style of tattooing do you prefer?
Uncle Allan : My favorite style at the moment is a mix of realistic stuff and traditional stuff. A bit of realistic looking things together with the flat things from traditional. A bit from both worlds. Keeps it interesting. some times I prefer to do it super simple with thick lines and heavy shading and few colours and other times I can’t get enough details in the design. So a mix is perfect.

L.J. : What elements in the tattoo are you favorite?
Uncle Allan : I do love to do roses with anything from tools to women. At the moment I throw antlers or horns on all my ladies and slap a few roses in there and it is all good. If I can use some mystical or religious symbols then I am happy.

L.J. : Could you tell us how you get ideas for tattoos? What is your inspiration?
Uncle Allan : I find girls faces everywhere. If I see an interesting face somewhere I save it for when I will need it. That goes for pretty much everything. I google a lot, looking for pictures and sometimes you will find something cool that you can use some other time. I think the ideas to put horns on the girls came from some painting I saw long time ago and then I really liked the Victorian style so that’s how that started. Now I am working on some more erotic ones. More adult. It is harder to figure out when it gets to sexy. So I am trying to find good poses and and lingerie and stuff for inspiration. That is fun. Sexy times yes!! This will lead to the next question. I get inspired by so many different people toooo many to mention but it is everything from photographs to painters to tattooers and jewellery makers and fashion people. 

L.J.: And finally, could say something to our readers?
Uncle Allan : I love that every tattoo you do is special because it is a painting ON someone! It already have an owner and every canvas is different. That is also what I hate about it. You never know what the skin will be like or if the customer bleeds a lot or move a lot. But it is cool to meet fun nice people who really appreciate what you are doing on them and that is amazing! I love to tattoo and there is nothing like it for me.

Uncle Allan, Conspiracy Inc., Copenhagen, Denmark
http://www.uncleallan.com/
http://twitter.com/Uncle_Allan
http://conspiracyinctattoo.blogspot.com/

Interview by Lisa Jenson