Today we’d like to introduce you to David Dettloff.
Hi David, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I grew up in Maison, WI and got my BFA in Drawing and Painting at UW Madison, and my MFA in painting at Northwestern University in Chicago. Shortly after graduating I moved back to Madison and started my apprenticeship under Steve Gold at Steve’s tattoo. After a couple of years, I decided to branch out on my own, and I moved to Minneapolis to open my own shop, The Ink Lab, in the fall of 1995. I’ve been tattooing now for close to 30 years and still love every minute of it.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Nothing is ever as smooth as we would like, but the struggles and challenges along the way seem minimal over such a long period of operating.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I specialize in realistic tattooing in either color or black and grey, and I am mostly known for my large-scale work (sleeves, back pieces, leg sleeves, etc.). My work is very detailed and precise, and backed up with decades of experience. I am most proud of being able to consistently maintain a base of dedicated customers that have kept me busy over the years. I also pride myself in continuing to grow and progress as an artist over the years. I am always pushing myself and always striving to do better work today than I did yesterday, and to be able to see the results of that growth over time is a wonderful thing.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
When working in a medium like tattooing, every time an artist pushes their own boundaries, they are taking risks. Tattoos are permanent and need to go through a healing process, and you always want a happy client. Being comfortable with experimenting in terms of style, design, and the actual techniques used in the application of a tattoo is important – if you don’t take any risk, then you can’t grow and progress as an artist, but the more experience you have, the easier it is to push your boundaries without the fear of screwing up.
Pricing:
- $200 per hour with a minimum of $1000
Contact Info:
- Website: www.inklab.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daviddettloff/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/David-Dettloff/100063520868885/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/DavidDettloff
