Meet Josh Lumley, also known as Teej on Instagram, a tattoo artist whose passion for black ink has evolved into a true lifestyle. He began his journey in a small town in the UK and now works in Philadelphia, creating unique pieces in a brutal blackwork style. In this interview, he shares insights into his career, approach to tattooing, favorite equipment, and interests, as well as his plans for the future.
Let's start with an introduction. Where are you from? Where do you currently work and take appointments?
- I'm originally from a small town called Ilkley, just outside of Leeds, UK. I moved to London in 2014 for my apprenticeship at Prick Tattoos in Shoreditch under the tutelage of Henry Hate. In 2016, I moved to Gothenburg, Sweden, where I spent 7 years. Last year, I moved to Philadelphia, PA, where I currently work at Black Vulture Gallery.
For you, is tattooing an art, a job, or something else?
- All of the above and more. Tattooing, for me, is a lifestyle—not the rockstar bullshit and ego you see too much of—but it's a 24/7 job, never off your mind. Whether at home or the studio, weekend or weekday, there's always something to think about: emails to send, social media to post on, supplies to order, concepts and designs to draw and research, whether for a client or just something to offer. As with any art form, it's continual learning and progression—trying new machines, new techniques, new inks, new needles. There's always room for improvement. I'm always thinking about and criticizing my previous work, looking at it and figuring out how I could do it better or what I can try differently next time. That's why it's a lifestyle for me—it's more than a job; it's my passion.
When did you first think about getting a tattoo, and how did that turn out?
- I wanted tattoos as far back as I can remember. The music I listened to and the guys in those bands were sleeved up, and all the posters on my walls showed them. I don't have a clue what they had, but the aesthetic was what I wanted to emulate. My first tattoo was when I was 17—a red koi fish around an eye on my upper arm. After that, it was a 3/4 Japanese sleeve, and then everything grew from there.
You work in a very brutal blackwork style. What attracted you to this direction? How and when did you come to it?
- The heavy blackwork I'm known for was never a conscious choice; it found me organically. Since early on in my career, I've always preferred to use just black ink. From traditional to a more fine-line illustrative style, people knew that I used black. Over the years, I got asked to do some blackout sleeves. It wasn't until five years ago that it really took off—I did a blackout sleeve, posted it, got a couple of bookings for more, and it just grew from there.
Your blackwork is very dense! What equipment do you use? Are there any technical secrets for achieving such depth of black in your work?
- For my tattooing, I am happily sponsored by Eclipse tattoo ink. Their black is the best I've used—it's black as fuck after healing and so easy to work with. For my machines, I'm a Dan Kubin fan. He builds amazing machines. I got my first one seven years ago and haven't looked back since. I've tried other machines over the years, but none work as well for my hand as the Kubins. There's no right machine, no right technique—it's all about finding what works for you. As with any other style, it's practice and not being scared to try new things. There's no scientific formula for tattooing; every canvas is different, and you need to understand it and have the knowledge to adapt on the fly when things need changing.
How are your projects born? What requests do your clients most often come to you with?
- The majority of requests are straight blackouts to cover up old work that people either don't like or have outgrown and want a fresh start. The concepts I draw and offer out, I like to have flow and patterns to work with the body's shapes.
How many sessions are needed to fully cover an arm or a leg?
- A full arm takes 2 sessions, and legs can take 4-5 sessions for a straight blackout. Once you start adding other elements to the design, it can add more time. It's always hard to give an exact timescale for projects, as many factors can affect the time taken: health, height and weight, diet, lifestyle choices, quality and style of existing tattoos to cover, and a person's pain tolerance on the given day, which can change session to session. For an arm, I prefer 2 sessions—it's much easier to take as a client and less of a physical beating on the body to heal. Clients can't always take a couple of extra days off work to relax and recuperate. As with all clients, you have to take each session as it comes and adjust and adapt.
What is the most important thing in tattooing for you?
- For me, the most important thing in tattooing is to enjoy what you're doing. If you don't, you're never going to put in 100%, and the clients deserve nothing less than that.
Have you had any funny or unusual stories in your career?
- The one that I think will forever be stuck in my mind and still makes me laugh to this day happened a couple of years ago. A client was emailing with questions, and the usual things they ask, but it started taking a little turn when it got a little too personal with their thoughts and information they were sharing. It was obviously a kink of his—the idea of pain and the blackout tattoo style that he'd seen from brutal blackwork videos on the internet. I managed to steer it back to a somewhat normal conversation. As with all clients, I ask for pictures of the body part to see any tattoos to cover, etc. The picture I got was of the man with no tattoos, wearing what I call ‘grannie panties.’ After all that, he never did send a deposit and book in.
You are in the pro team of several major tattoo industry brands. What does this collaboration give you? Are you able to influence the industry and the products these companies produce?
- Currently, I'm sponsored by two amazing companies—Eclipse Tattoo Ink and Bheppo. These companies are fantastic, and I used their products before being sponsored by them. Being asked to be on their Pro Teams was an amazing offer, and I was very honored to be part of their teams. Eclipse Ink is super black and so easy to work with, whether lining or packing, and when the new European regulations came out a couple of years ago, they were compliant with them, which was a giant bonus. Bheppo supplies me with everything I need before, during, and after—green soap, stencil stuff, soothing foams, tattoo glides, and fantastic aftercare creams and butter for my clients.
What about conventions? Share your experience and results.
- Over the years, I've worked at conventions around Europe: Stockholm Ink Bash, Trollhättan Tattoo Meltdown, Umeå Tattoo Fest, Brussels International, and Helsinki Ink. When blackwork really took over my bookings, I took a break from conventions as I was focusing on my studio. I will be working a couple this coming year here in the States. I'll be at The New York Tattoo Convention in October, The All Stars Tattoo Convention in Miami in November, and then the Philadelphia Tattoo Arts Convention by Villain Arts in January.
Do you travel a lot outside of the USA? Where do you like the most? And where are you planning to go next?
- Since moving to Philadelphia, I haven't traveled for work or guest spots. Work is so busy here, and I just haven't had the time to organize any guest spots yet. Hopefully, I’ll be able to get over to the West Coast next year, and I’d love to get back to Sweden to continue some of the projects I have ongoing there.
What else are you interested in besides tattooing?
- After moving to Philadelphia, I really got into yoga. I go twice a week to a studio nearby. It's a great escape mentally, but it also definitely helps the body with all the weird and awkward positions we put ourselves in while working.
What is the main goal of your journey? Share your plans for the future.
- Continual growth and development is my main goal. That's the main reason I moved from Sweden to the US. I'm in a fantastic studio at Black Vulture Gallery, surrounded by amazing artists, and we have so many great guest artists too. I couldn't ask for a better place to be right now.
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