Tattooing as a Master Oil Painter | David Cheifetz | EP 301
Tattooing as a Master Oil Painter | David Cheifetz | EP 301
You know what gets me fired up? When someone takes everything they know about one art form and has the balls to completely flip it on its head for tattooing. David Cheifetz is doing exactly that - this absolute legend has been painting for decades, and now he's diving headfirst into the tattoo world with an apprenticeship that's breaking all the traditional rules. We're talking about a guy who's already mastered light, shadow, and composition on canvas, and now he's figuring out how to make all that magic work on human skin.
Trust me, this conversation is packed with insights that'll make you rethink everything you thought you knew about translating fine art techniques into tattoos.
This episode was made possible thanks to:
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This episode ALSO was made possible thanks to:
Interview by By Jake Meeks —
Writing By Daniel Pushcarich
Topics: tattooing, painting, mentorship, art community, tattoo techniques, creative process, oil painting, tattoo apprenticeship, artistic transition, collaboration
“There's a spirit of collaboration and community that was so inspiring; it's amazing when you're together with other artists.”
— David Cheifitz
David Cheifetz (@davidcheifetz) David is an internationally acclaimed and collected artist who continues to push the limits of contemporary realist oil painting. - David’s Personal bio
David is based in Tumwater, Washington and tattoos at The Copper Wolf.
Please enjoy!
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INTERVIEW LINKS, MENTIONS, AND SHOW NOTES BELOW…
SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE
Connect with David Cheifetz:
DavidCheifetz.com | IG | LINKTREE
SHOW NOTES
[01:00] Background on David Cheifetz Journey into Tattooing
[01:38] David's Unique Tattoo Apprenticeship
[07:20] Challenges of Adapting Painting Techniques to Tattooing
[08:31] Approach to Painting and Tattooing
[09:40] Direct Painting Technique
[13:15] Composition Strategy in Still Life
[16:50] Connection to Tattooing
[17:47] Tattooing with a Painting Palette
[19:20] The Challenge of Transitioning Techniques
[23:21] Learning the Limits of Skin
[25:53] Unique Journey into Tattooing
[31:04] The Importance of Community and Collaboration
[33:46] Balancing Artistic Focus with the Human Canvas
[34:54] Drawing with a Vantage Point
[36:32] Tattooing Practice and Learning Structure
[38:00] Balancing Multiple Art Forms
[43:06] Community Engagement Through Technique Talks
From Canvas to Skin: The Technical Challenges of Cross-Medium Artistry
David's transition from oil painting to tattooing reveals the fundamental differences between working on canvas versus human skin. His established painting process, which relies heavily on building up layers and achieving soft, glowing edges, requires complete restructuring when applied to tattoo work. The technical limitations of tattooing - from the restricted value range without true whites and blacks to the unforgiving nature of permanent ink application - force even accomplished artists to rethink their entire approach.
What makes David's apprenticeship particularly noteworthy is how he's systematically addressing each medium-specific challenge through deliberate practice and tool selection. He's experimenting with curved mag needles that mimic the versatility of his preferred filbert brushes, while learning to work within the constraints of skin's healing process and ink saturation limits. The structured "chunked" learning approach he's getting is a little unorthodox, but combined with his mentor Colt's understanding of fine art principles, it creates a framework for translating high-level artistic concepts into tattoo application without losing the essence of what makes his original work compelling.
MORE David QUOTES FROM THIS INTERVIEW
Approach to Painting and Tattooing
[08:31] "I have to get the darks in first because when I found out during my apprenticeship that if I do the lights first, I'll stain the lights."
— David Cheifetz
Composition Strategy in Still Life
[13:15] "When I'm setting up a still life, I'm not thinking about the whole thing yet. I just want to find one thing as my focus."
— David Cheifetz
Balancing Artistic Focus with the Human Canvas
[33:46] "I'm trying to think about how I will balance the focus between the tattoo design and the body itself."
— David Cheifetz
PEOPLE MENTIONED
Gallery Of David Cheifetz
This episode was made possible thanks to:
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This episode ALSO was made possible thanks to:
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