Draw It On! | Matt Driscoll Technique Talk | EP 297

Get ready for an exclusive Inside Fireside Tattoo Club preview featuring tattoo veteran Matt Driscoll sharing his innovative approach to drawing directly on skin! With twenty years of experience under his belt, Matt breaks down why he prefers freehand techniques over stenciling and how this method allows for spontaneous adaptation during tattoo sessions. 

This Technique Talk episode dives deep into practical applications that both novice and seasoned artists can immediately incorporate into their workflow. Catch conversations like this and other events in the Inside Fireside Tattoo Club where we have veteran tattooers come and talk about their processes every month!

This episode was made possible thanks to:

Interview by By Jake Meeks —

Topics: tattoo techniques, drawing on skin, Matt Driscoll, Fireside Technique Talks, Inside Fireside club, tattoo apprenticeship, freehand tattooing, stenciling alternatives, creative process, tattoo artist challenges, reference usage, layering techniques, line work, rim lighting, black and gray tattoos, color mixing, white ink challenges, equipment preferences, texture creation, earth tones, collaboration, artistic journey, parenthood and art, community engagement

“Style becomes the rules you set for yourself.”

— Matt Driscoll

Matt Driscoll (@raptorlazer) has a pretty unique style all to himself. With over 2 decades of tattooing under his belt and a solid portfolio ranging from full color illustrative, new school, to black and gray realism you can guarantee that you’ll find something to make you go WOW

Matt is based in Salem, MA, and owns/tattoos at 9th Realm Gallery. 

Please enjoy!

INTERVIEW LINKS, MENTIONS, AND SHOW NOTES BELOW…

SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE

• Connect with Matt Driscoll:

@raptorlazer | https://www.9threalmgallery.com/ | @9threalmgallery

SHOW NOTES

• [00:01] Intro

• [03:20] The Artist's Journey and Style

• [06:00] Drawing Directly on Skin

• [08:38] Challenges in the Creative Process

• [09:00] The Importance of Capability in Tattooing

• [11:52] Reference Usage in Tattoo Art

• [17:52] Exploring Artistic Techniques

• [19:22] The Importance of Layering and Textures

• [23:15] The Art of Line Work

• [27:13] The Importance of Rim Lighting in Tattoos

• [28:04] Combining Different Artistic Styles

• [29:00] The Collaborative Tattooing Experience

• [34:24] Unique Approaches to Black and Gray Tattoos

• [36:45] Understanding Color Mixing Techniques

• [37:20] The Challenges of Using White Ink

• [40:52] Equipment Preferences

• [44:25] Techniques for Creating Textures

• [45:34] Building Textures and Experimentation

• [47:19] Approach to Color Mixing

• [50:37] Tips for Using Earth Tones

• [54:38] Engaging with the Audience

• [55:30] The Artist's Journey and Challenges

• [57:30] The Reality of Art Creation

• [01:00:04] The Anticipation of Collaboration

• [01:03:05] Outro

MORE Matt QUOTES FROM THIS INTERVIEW

Drawing Directly on Skin

[06:00] “If I can cut out more steps in between... I'm not also going as elaborate on a drawing.”

— Matt Driscoll

Reference Usage in Tattoo Art

[11:52] “My minimum for any tattoo I'm doing is three references; some I have upwards of 20 to 30 references for a single tattoo.”

— Matt Driscoll

The Collaborative Tattooing Experience

[29:00] “Collabs can be super fun, but you have to find people you think you can work well with.”

— Matt Driscoll

Building Textures and Experimentation

[45:34] “There's no right way to do it. I think whatever you're comfortable with and what your brain tells you will probably be your best option.”

— Matt Driscoll

Gallery Of Matt Driscoll

This episode was made possible thanks to:

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The Fireside Tattoo Network is home to the Fireside podcast, Fireside Technique video series and our Fireside Weekly blog.

The Fireside Tattoo podcast is hosted by veteran tattooer Jake Meeks, check out our episodes where we discuss, argue and wax philosophical, from tips for all levels of artists to trends in the tattoo world. Many guest artists have sat down for interviews and in-depth conversations and many more are planned…check back often!

Our Fireside Tattoo Overview video series offers informative, short, and detailed videos geared towards helping artists understand the science and nuances of tattoos and make more informed decisions to improve their work. We often take some of our more technical topics from our Fireside podcast and film an in-depth, narrated, time-lapse video showing exactly how Jake or our featured artists handle certain issues.

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