Tattoo Techniques: Paul Booth Venetian Tattoo Gathering EP 104

Paul Booth | Venetian Tattoo Gathering | EP 104

Tattoo legends like Paul Booth are ew and far between. If you know his work it doesn’t take much to understand the impact he’s had on tattooing at large. Another thing that sets Paul apart from other tattooers is the care, clear goals, and dedication to longevity he has for every piece that he does.

In this episode Jake talks to Paul about mainly tattoos over time, his forays into the fine art world with his galleries, and collaborations.

In this short write-up we’re going to focus on one of those important topics, looking back at previous work. We’ll attempt to get some ideas and concrete thoughts about what you might NOT be doing in your process.

This episode was made possible thanks to:

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Interview by By Jake Meeks —

Writing By Daniel Pushcarich —

Topics: Art Gallery, Free-Hand Tattooing, Tattoo Collaboration, Paul Booth Tattoos, Odd Nerdrum, Fine Art

“Every tattoo I do, I'm thinking about 10 years down the road while I'm doing it. My tattoos don't even look right until they're like a year old. Or at least three months.”

— Paul Booth

Paul Booth (@paulbooth) A fine artist, tattooist, filmmaker, sculptor and musician, Booth has become synonymous with transgressive and provocative work which spans a vast range of expressive forms. This variety, and continually developing style, has generated a fanbase comprising both the counterculture and the mainstream.

Booth’s early creative projects came as a result of a desire to express complex and, often challenging, subject matter. Mental illness, psychosis, torment and abuse are often dealt with in his work; the results of which have made him a permanent fixture in the realm of alternative culture. Booth has also been recognized and inducted by the National Arts Club - the oldest and one of the most respected art institutions in the United States today.

Booth’s flagship project, Last Rites Tattoo Theatre & Gallery, occupied three-stories in Manhattan and was a testament to the creativity and drive of the artist’s vision, with each room adorned with a multimedia installation of unforgettable resonance.

Paul Booth is based in New York City, New York, and owns Last Rites Tattoo Theatre.

Please enjoy!

INTERVIEW LINKS, MENTIONS, AND SHOW NOTES BELOW…

SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE

Connect with Paul Booth:

Paul Booth | Last Rites Tattoo Theatre | Booth Gallery | IG | Link Tree

Forum Gallery

SHOW NOTES

[00:01] Intro
[00:50] Enter Paul Booth
[01:29] Tattooing with Longevity in mind
[03:39] Taking time to look back on previous work
[04:36] With Old Tattoos It's Never a "Touch-up"
[05:17] That's Enough About Tattoos, Let's Get To The Cool Stuff
[07:51] Different Feels For Different artists
[08:45] Handling The Goods, Gushing about Nerdrum & Influences
[11:03] Making A Splash On The Scene
[13:21] Balancing Act Of Coming into Painting From Tattooing
[16:14] Collaboration Station! The Worst they Can Say Is No
[18:16] Sometimes It's Alright To Touch the Dirty Pigeon-Hole
[21:55] Pushing Boundaries & Working Free-Hand
[23:31] Outro!

Taking Time to Reflect on Tattoos

Importance of Examining Aged Tattoos:

It’s not always easy to keep in touch with past clients, but it’s probably more crucial than you might realize. When was the last time you looked at any of your first 30 tattoos? How’re they holding up? Did that one experiment with the weird color palette work out? Or that one time you tried to mix color realism, traditional, and new school pan out well? You know exactly which ones I’m talking about.

The gradual process of learning from one's own work over time is such a key aspect to tattooing. Observing healed work and aged tattoos gives you the opportunity to look at techniques you’ve tried, which colors have held up, and where you might need to rethink your approach. Some tattooers say you don’t really even know if a tattoo worked well until 1-3 years later! That’s a long time…maybe you should try to get in touch with Kim to see how that pet portrait is doing.

Even after decades in the industry, examining your aged work offers valuable lessons and gives you the foresight not to repeat mistakes and the understanding of the long-term impact of your tattoos. You’ve got to be proactive in seeking out old pieces to study and reflect upon. This dedication to self-improvement underscores the commitment artists have to honing their skills and delivering high-quality work to clients. So, yeah it might be time to give Jimmy a call to get some pictures of your first backpiece ever.

chains tenticles and a face full back tattoo

Revisiting Old Work for Refinement:

Paul goes on to talk briefly about going back into previous work, typically around 10 to 15 years old. He always considers the possibility of enhancing these pieces by deepening blacks and sharpening edges, but notes that unless necessary, he prefers to let the tattoos age naturally.

However, if you do need to go back into a tattoo, acknowledge that pieces that old often require a reworking rather than simple touch-ups. Oftentimes, the techniques, skills, and process you had 15 years ago are going to be completely different from what you wield today. So when the time comes to revisit that faded and sun-touched piece you may just find that you not only give it back some life, but increase the longevity of that tattoo far beyond the next 20 years. This balance between client service and personal artistic growth shows a dedication to delivering quality work and maintaining a high standard of craftsmanship.

MORE Paul Booth QUOTES FROM THIS INTERVIEW

Taking time to look back on previous work

[03:39] “It's hard to learn that lesson without seeing aged work. That wisdom comes with age because you see your work 10, 15, 20 years old and you see what it does, you know, and then you make mental notes and say, okay, well, let's not do that anymore. But chances are, you're not doing that anymore because it's 20 years old anyway [hahaha]. But, It's important to look back at the work and see how it's healed.”

— Paul Booth

Balancing Act Of Coming into Painting From Tattooing

[13:21] “ Tattooers that are learning to paint, even if they're good, tend to be graphic and illustrative in their design. It's almost like they're painting flash, thinking inside the box or that piece of real estate they're given. Whereas fine art is more discussionary and conceptual at times. But, there's tattoo artists that are fantastic painters that I show. They've bridged that, they've made it across from the typical tattoo painting kind of thing.”

— Paul Booth

Sometimes It's Alright To Touch the Dirty Pigeon-Hole

[18:16] “All of a sudden I'm in demand. Everyone wants to see my work. You only want to show them your best stuff. But, more importantly, I only wanted to show them the stuff I enjoyed doing, because I knew if I showed versatility, They wouldn't be able to pigeonhole me and they need to pigeonhole me to remember me.”

— Paul Booth

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Tattoo Techniques

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