We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jacob Danhi a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Jacob, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?
Ever since I started tattooing I’ve always kept an open mind and influence for all styles of art. That’s the greatest part of being in my industry is you never stop learning and once you do it just becomes a job. I try to switch up my style as often as I can and not do the same thing everyday.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I am a Tattooer from Los Angeles, California. I am a resident at two shops in redondo beach and Venice beach. I have been an artist and tattooer for 10 years. I got my start at black diamond tattoo as a shop helper and not having hardly any art experience before hand took me a little longer to get my start in it but slowly built a love for everything. I apprenticed for 2 years practicing on friends and myself before tattooing walk in clients. About a year or so out of my apprenticeship I got an opportunity to work with my friends in Hermosa beach at third street tattoo and they have been my second tattoo family ever since. 4 years ago we opened a second location called deep seas tattoo in redondo beach where I am today. I can’t thank both deep seas and black diamond for welcoming me into there families and keeping me creative everyday. At this point in my career I love tattooing mainly traditional and illustrative art. Anything from simple bold designs to delicate fineline work.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
To be a solid respected Tattooer in my opinion you have to be humble, creative and willing to learn. I’ve noticed a lot in the last few years that apprentices and upcoming tattooers don’t have the patience to learn fully as much as they should and go through the rough parts of learning. It takes time, just like school to earn privilege to tattoo. We aren’t an essential industry, it’s a luxury so it shouldn’t come easy to be able to practice it. There are so many private studios popping up everywhere from tattooers learning on their own with no guidance and it’s going to have a negative future for tattooing that I hope never happens. I love tattooing so much and hate to see it turn out a certain way more than it has.
Tell us what your ideal client would be like?
Always a client that willing to work with you on creating a design that you’re both happy with is always ideal. They are wearing the art on them forever but they came to you for the style you like to create so it’s a collaboration that needs to be perfect. Also being open minded and letting your artists do what they feel is best for the tattoo is how you’re always going to get the best work out of someone.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @jacobdanhitattoos
- Facebook: Facebook.com/jacobdanhi
- Yelp: Deep seas tattoo
Image Credits
Julie Nguyen
