STEVE BUTCHER - PORTRAITS & REALISM

Steve is a tattoo artist from New Zealand who specializes in color portraits and photo realism. When he’s not attending a tattoo convention, Steve tattoos out of Matt Jordan’s Ship Shape Tattoo.

While Steve was attending art school earning his Bachelors of Fine Arts degree, he wasn’t able to create anything just because he liked it or liked the subject matter — there had to be a more theoretical motivation behind every creation. This didn’t quite suit Steve’s interests.

“Tattooing is the ultimate form of self expression, and as an artist I can create pieces that the customer and I both have an interest in, which makes the whole process a lot more enjoyable. I discovered this when I got my first tattoo when I was 19 and since then I knew I wanted to create art on skin.”

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BOB TYRRELL - BLACK & GREY

You don’t have to stretch the imagination to see where Bob Tyrrell draws his influence. Heavy metal and horror movies seem to permeate his work in a very amazing way. Mostly black and gray, often photorealistic, but always distinctively authentic, Bob Tyrrell has turned himself into a legend with his horror style and ability to take dark subject matters and transform them into surreal masterpieces on skin.

Bob was born in Detroit in 1962, but it wasn’t until the early 90’s when he was into his thirties that Bob began tattooing. He was inspired by his artist father who wanted to become an artist in his own right—sketching, drawing, and putting his ideas down in an emerging style. After a hiatus, Bob got back into the art scene with his first tattoo at the age of 30. and the rest, as they say, is history.

Bob has all the prerequisite skills to be an accomplished tattoo artist, but patience, a skill rarely found among his peers, has set him apart. It comes natural to him, and it makes his work extremely detailed as well as prolific.

Professionally, Bob is about as successful as it gets. He’s tattooed artists like Kid Rock, Uncle Dracker, Troy Luccketta, and Pat Lachman. Today he tattoos at large conventions and as a guest at tattoo shops around the world. But through it all he’s still the same humble guy he was when he started. He’s always accessible, always friendly, and always up for sharing the knowledge he’s accumulated throughout his career.

MONI MARINO - REALISM

Moni Marino began tattooing in 1993 in her native Italy at the age of 14. A sewing needle, thread, and Pelikan ink was all she had, but she made it work.

That type of fierce independence has stayed with Moni her entire professional career, and its part of what makes her such a great artist.

After spending only a few months working in a tattoo studio, Moni opened her own. It was a long process, but gradually she developed a style rooted in full-color realism. She also creates amazing Chicano-style work in black and gray. Moni believes that the best tattoos represent life experiences, and throughout her career, she’s never stopped pushing herself. She believes that every tattoo should challenge her, and that she’s never arrived at a destination.

MIKE DEMASI - PORTRAIT

Mike makes some of the most realistic portraits out there, and he has a few keys to creating them. Find the right picture, a good reference, choose the perfect colors, and know where to place them.

After that, place the portrait in the right spot and make sure to pay extra attention to the detail in the eyes. Above all, trust the process. That’s how he’s defined a career that’s taken tattooing realistic portraits to a new level.

Drawing inspiration from Tony Olivas and Mario Barth, Mike is constantly trying to improve himself artistically, mentally, and physically. Mike currently works at Art Junkies Tattoo in Hesperia, CA.

BJ BETTS - BLACK & GREY & LETTERING

From hip-hop to heavy artillery, and tattoos to typography, every element of BJ Betts’ eclectic career is visible in his work. Active within the same Philly rap scene that spawned icons such as Cash Money, Jazzy Jeff, Steady B and a certain Fresh Prince, after taking on a military career that included service world-wide, BJ threw himself into illustration full-time, developing a hugely distinctive art style informed by his life experiences.

BJ Betts has been a tattoo artist for over 20 years and draws inspiration from the shapes and flourishes found in everyday life. Early in his career he realized that he was specifically drawn to the simple yet complex art form of lettering. An art form that he feels “dissipated over the years” and is just recently being resurrected.

With tattooing as his medium, his style utilizes elements from gothic imagery and Japanese folklore with an emphasis on perfecting fonts and unique lettering, even writing four guides on the subject that became instant tattoo industry standards.

IVANA BELAKOVA - ABSTRACT & SURREALISM

Ivana has been tattooing for 13 years with a style and mastery that she’s taught herself ever since graduating from high school and landing her first job in a tattoo shop.

Interestingly, someone whose work is classified as “funky color” started tattooing in black and grey tattoos with only two types of needles—5 liner’s and 14 round shader’s—until she met other influential artists. They told her that she couldn’t do colorful tattoos with those types of needles. She then started using magnums, which helped in elevating her skill to the next level.

It was from those initial pieces that Ivana began to build from, incorporating her love of street art, graffiti, and amazing color. And while her style continues to evolve over time, it’s always distinct, fantasy always plays a central role, and her inspiration never changes. “I take inspiration from every day of my life,” she says. “I’m grateful for every new day and what it offers.”

Today Ivana works with Kari Barba at Outer Limits Tattoo in Long Beach California, and even though she’s already highly regarded and sought after, her career is still blossoming. In addition to tattooing, Ivana is a prolific writer, publishing her book, Narcissistic Rockstar. She’s also a gifted drawer and photographer.

DAVE PAULO - PORTRAITS & REALISM

Dave is a tattoo artist from Portugal who started tattooing in 2013 and who specializes in photorealism and portraits. Since he was young, Dave would spend his school breaks drawing, painting, and airbrush painting. He started off painting helmets, cars, motorcycles, fuel tanks, and acrylic and oil paintings. He has loved art and the tattoo world his whole life.

Dave learned how to tattoo on his own over time, but he actually started with a major in architecture. The security that came with being an architect was appealing, but eventually, Dave's passion for art broke through and he became engulfed in the art of tattooing. In June 2013, Dave bought his first rotary machine and never looked back.

However, it was not just security that made a major in architecture appealing to Dave. His ability to focus and map out greatly detailed designs drew him to the subject, and this ability has become especially important to him in his career as a professional tattoo artist. Dave continually seeks to expand his styles and has achieved a unique photorealistic style that blends realism with graphical and geometric designs.

PAUL BOOTH - BLACK & GREY

Paul Booth is an American tattoo artist who has worked for bands Slipknot, Mudvayne, Slayer, Pantera, Soulfly and Sepultura.

Booth was an entrepreneur at a young age. He began his own sign making shop at the age of fifteen and subsequently learned airbrushing and Repo work. When he got his first tattoo, his daughter’s name, his interest was piqued and he wanted to learn more about what there was to the medium. Booth has now been tattooing for over twenty years, and in that time he has worked on multiple celebrities and rock bands, including Fred Durst, Slayer, Slipknot, Mudvayne, Pantera, The Undertaker (of WWE fame), Superjoint Ritual, Lamb of God, Adrenaline Crew. Booth is widely considered a master of the art form.

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You must be able to travel to Secaucus, New Jersey to be tattooed. Travel costs are not covered. For special hotel rates near the event, please follow this link.