Today we want to share our conversation with a very interesting person and tattoo artist, who went through a very difficult path from the destructive abyss of drug addiction to international recognition in the tattoo industry, from selfish self-destruction to the most open help to people who need support in restoring a full life and self-esteem. With a person who proves by deed that the seemingly impossible becomes possible with diligence and a clear plan!
Meet Dmitriy Palkin.
Let's start from our traditional questions: what led you to the tattoo? and what did you do before?
- I was born in the small town of Murmansk, on the Kola Peninsula in Russia. I lived most of my life there. Tattoos have fascinated me since childhood.
At the age of 13, I designed a homemade tattoo machine and got my first tattoo. It was a hieroglyph that I saw on the pillowcase of my pillow. It was terrible! Then I tried again and again, doing tattoos for classmates, and guys from my district. Guys, sorry! But when the moment when I needed to choose a profession came, I hesitated for a long time, because the city was very small and the tattoo was not very popular and developed... and my parents insisted on the education of an economist. Which, by the way, I don't regret. Because at the university I got great skills in sales and marketing, which helps me in my work to this day.
Ter se mudado para viver na cidade maravilhosa de São Petersburgo, decidi retornar ao meu sonho - tornar-me artista de tatuagem profissional.
Trabalhei muito! Além disso, dediquei tempo não apenas para melhorar a qualidade da tatuagem, mas também para a qualidade do serviço e para a formação de uma marca pessoal.
E comecei a notar! Comecei a crescer exponencialmente. E meu crescimento continua até hoje.
O que o termo "tatuagem" significa para você?
- Para mim, uma tatuagem é algo fundamental, permanece com a pessoa por toda a vida. Quando eu era jovem, costumava desenhar grafite todo o tempo. E às vezes fui confrontado com o fato de que meu trabalho, no qual trabalhei por uma semana, foi coberto. E senti muito raiva e ressentimento, porque tanto esforço foi perdido.
Com uma tatuagem, é diferente. Ela permanece com a pessoa por toda a vida. E para mim é muito valioso que os clientes escolham-me e me confiem.
Is a tattoo artist a job or creativity, or something else?
- Great question!
Para mim, a tatuarura é uma arte que pode ser dominada ao trabalhar duro e aprimorar suas habilidades todos os dias. Claro, há um lugar para a criatividade nela, por exemplo, criar um esboço ou criar conteúdo para redes sociais. Mas em maior escala, um tatuarura é um trabalho que exige grande auto-disciplina, grande dedicação e amor pelo seu trabalho.
What goals do you set for yourself?
- By the way! I love setting goals! And with great pleasure I achieve them.
No início da minha jornada, havia um objetivo de abrir um grande estúdio, e consegui alcançá-lo em 2 anos.
Depois, havia um objetivo de trabalhar no exterior, depois ganhar a primeira milhão em um mês. Graças à minha ambição, dedicação e sociabilidade, consegui.
Agora meu objetivo é tornar-me um artista de tatuarura famoso e tatuar Kanye West. E estou no caminho para alcançar esse objetivo!
Quem ou o que você é inspirado?
- Claro, sou inspirado por artistas de tatuagem que são mais cool do que eu! Eu realmente gosto do trabalho de Dima Troshin, Sasha Tattooing, Nissaco, Fredao Oliveira. Eu gosto de olhar para seu trabalho e tentar entender suas decisões no trabalho e aprender algo comigo mesmo. Eu também sou inspirado pela arte contemporânea, carros americanos e viagens.
Você tem tatuagens incríveis na interseção entre ornamental e o que chamamos há muito tempo de gráficos. Como você chegou a essa escolha de estilo?
- Obrigado, é bom ouvir isso! Sempre gostei de gráficos, então o que é limpo e contrastante com linhas fortes. Um dia, fui enfrentar a tarefa difícil de combinar várias tatuagens em uma manga. E o ornamental se tornou a solução ideal. Gostei do resultado! Então comecei a incluir ornamentação em meus trabalhos gráficos.
Quais características do seu trabalho você poderia destacar sozinho?
- Provavelmente, a particularidade e o valor do meu trabalho é que sempre faço linhas perfeitas (risca). Mas seriamente, eu faço coberturas de cicatrizes profissionalmente, algo que outros tattooistas não tentam. É vital para muitas pessoas esconder suas cicatrizes, então pessoas vêm de todo o Russia apenas para coberturas de tatuagem. Faço isso com cuidado e qualidade.
Tem algum projeto de tatuagem favorito?
- Sim, meus projetos favoritos são as coberturas. A foto mostra mulheres que tinham doenças na infância que causaram uma defeito na pele, e elas viviam com esse problema por muito tempo. Há também mulheres com queimaduras e operações de emergência, após as quais ficaram com cicatrizes.
Esses são meus projetos favoritos, porque após trabalhar com esses clientes, seus olhos estavam cheios de lágrimas e felicidade, porque sua vida melhorou desde aquele dia. E eu ajudei com isso.
Conte-nos sobre sua experiência de tatuagem mais inusitada.
- Eu tenho algo para contar! Quando eu recebi a máquina sem fio, fiquei tão impressionado com ela que me perguntei por que não fazer uma tatuagem fora do estúdio!
This idea captured me so much that I immediately gathered a team and made a tattoo in a pine summer forest! Then there was a tattoo on the roof of an old house in the center of St. Petersburg, and then at the edge of the world in Teriberka on the shores of the Arctic Ocean. And this list will grow. Usually, when I tell this, the question of sterility of the process immediately arises. To which I reply that I follow all possible rules. Plus, this performance is not commercial.
Why do people come to you? Tell me about your clients.
- When I was a teenager, I came to a session with a tattoo artist, it was an underground place that had a very unfriendly atmosphere, where I felt most uncomfortable. The tattooist was silent for the whole session, I was ashamed to ask questions that worried me, I did not return there anymore. And then an amazing insight came to me! I realized that people come to a tattoo studio not only for high-quality tattoos!
Back to the question, who are my clients? My clients are people who are not looking for “cheaper” tattoos, they understand the style, comfort and good service are important for them, they most often want a pleasant conversation. By the way, many of my regular clients have already become my friends!
Do you travel often now? Do you have any favorite countries?
- I can't imagine my life without traveling! This year I visited Venice for the first time. Amazing place!
But since I work a lot, unfortunately I travel less than I would like. In each country I like something different. In Germany freedom of thought and self-expression, in the United Arab Emirates - luxury and security, in America I'm attracted by the spaciousness and variety of locations. By the way, I love Russia too!
We have seen you many times among the participants of conventions abroad. Tell me about your experience.
- Once, I was invited to work in a studio in Berlin, which went to different conventions every weekend. And I began to go to conventions with them! It was a great experience. At conventions, I could work for 10 hours and not get tired. I was energized by loud music, meeting people and the atmosphere around me.
How many awards do you have from tattoo events?
- I definitely have about 10 awards. Basically it's graphics and blackwork.
Why do you think it is important for a modern tattooist to attend such events? And what did it give you?
- For me, this is an opportunity to upgrade myself as a professional. Because at the convention you can approach the tattooists whose work you like and try to make friends and watch their technique. Plus, now there are many lectures and master classes at Russian conventions, which are mandatory for all tattooists to attend in my opinion.
Almost all tattoo artists want to join Pro Team of well-known brands. You are a member of the Emalla Pro Team. Tell us how you got into it, why is it so desirable among tattooists and what does it give an artist?
- A friend-tattooist texted me that Emalla is recruiting a Pro Team, and that I can write to them. They had a requirement of 20k followers on Instagram, and more than 6 years of experience in tattooing. I was 5 years old at the time. And at the first time they told me - no!
But I didn't give up. And they had to look at me one more time. I explained that I have a large audience on Instagram and TikTok, and that we can be useful to each other. And in the end they took me! In addition to free consumables, being a member of the Pro Team is recognition among other tattooists! And it also increases clients loyalty, they trust you more.
You have a very uncovered Instagram in which you are not afraid to talk about your personal problems as well. How did you decide on this?
- I'm not ashamed of my past. And the path that I have traveled for me and for my family is a reason for pride. And if I can share my experience with subscribers and it will help someone change their life for the better, isn't that cool?
Girls often write to me whose husbands or boyfriends suffer from alcohol and drug addiction, they do not know who to turn to for help. I always answer messages and give contacts of people who helped me.
Tell me about your #добрыеделапалкина (Palkin's good deeds). Is this the result of your own healing?
- A few years ago I took a master class with Lena Baski on covering scars. And then something in me turned upside down. I also wanted to help people and make them happier, getting rid of complexes.
I know firsthand about scars and emotional experiences, my wife has big burns on her legs. At first, I covered the scars exclusively on a free basis in order to understand all the nuances and make a portfolio. Now, once a month, I choose from subscribers a person who really needs a free scar cover. And if it is a large project for several sessions, then I do the work with a big discount.
You are very active on social media. media. How do you manage to do everything?
- I do not have time for anything! (laughs)
48 hours in a day wouldn't hurt me! In fact, after I embarked on the path of a sober life, a lot of free time appeared, which I used to spend on nonsense.
Now I spend it on something useful. For example, in the evening, instead of drinking beer with friends, I write a post, make Instagram Reels and think about a script for a new TikTok.
How do you rate your popularity and how can it be measured in your opinion?
- You can measure popularity in the number of subscribers and real coverage. I have 40k followers on Instagram and 218k on TikTok. In the field of tattooing, these are not bad numbers, and most importantly, they are growing.
How do I rate my popularity?
I don’t know (laughs), I evaluate it normally, people recognize me on the street, they come up to me, I like such attention. But I want more. For me, fame and recognition is important.
Share your plans for the near future?
- I have a lot of plans! As I said earlier, I have very ambitious goals - to become a celebrity tattoo artist and get a tattoo for Kanye.
Este objetivo é muito grande! E eu o dividi em subobjetivos. Para começar, para se tornar mais visível, você precisa atingir 100k no Instagram, eu já estou trabalhando nisso: colaboro com blogueiros, compro anúncios.
Você também precisa obter um visto de trabalho nos Estados Unidos. Na verdade, ainda há muitos planos! Inscreva-se no Instagram @palkintattoo, onde eu falo sobre cada passo. E obrigado por essa conversa tão boa, foi prazeroso conversar
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