Meet Kevin Fleming

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kevin Fleming a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Kevin with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?

From my parents. They both worked extremely hard to provide a great life for our family. I learned early on that if there was something I wanted to achieve, I was going to have to put the work in. One of the main reasons I’ve been able to succeed as an artist is because of the work ethic and drive my parents instilled in me.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I’m a tattooer and painter based out of Anaheim, California. With a background in fine-arts, I specialize in portraits and large-scale, black and grey realism. I started getting tattooed pretty early on, and have always loved it, but I never considered tattooing as a possibility for myself until later in life.
Drawing has been in my blood from day one, so naturally I wanted to pursue some type of career that was based around that. For a long time I thought animation would be the path for me, but once I started school for it, I realized during that first year that it wasn’t what I was looking for. I ended up taking some graphic design classes to try something new. At first I was terrible at it, and didn’t know the first thing about using a computer for anything other than writing, but eventually I found my lane and started to enjoy it. Junior year I ended up getting my first full-time design job working on dirt bike graphics and eventually magazine ads, and I was off and running after that. I was there for a few years before getting another position at a small ad agency owned by Andy Taylor in Huntington Beach. I thought my work was pretty legit and I was used to a fast-paced environment, but I had no clue. For the next 5 years I worked alongside some extremely skilled designers and photographers, learning skills and concepts that I lean on heavily to this day. I’ve always had confidence in my artistic abilities, but that place really helped take that to a new level. While that job was exactly what I needed at that point in my life, I knew a few years in that it wasn’t going to be a long term thing for me.
Even though drawing has always been a constant in my life, I definitely got away from it and didn’t view it as anything more than a hobby for a long time while my design career was speeding up. It wasn’t until my last few years at the ad agency that I really started to focus on it and dedicate the majority of my free time to getting better. As my confidence as an artist was growing, the biggest hurdle I faced was what path to take next. It was pretty clear to me that drawing for a couple hours at night wasn’t enough anymore. I wanted to create art full-time.
For years I had been getting tattooed by my friend Eric Evans of Oak & Poppy in LA. Eric is one of my favorite artists, and I’ve gotten so much inspiration from him. Watching him draw and tattoo, and just being in the shop was incredible. Part of me knew that was something I would love to do, but, whether it was anxiety or the fear of failure, I just didn’t have the confidence in myself to take that leap. For years my decisions were based around avoiding that anxiety and fear.
But, eventually that desire to try something new was stronger than the fear of not being good at it. That didn’t just happen by accident, though. My wife, Diana was a huge catalyst in me stepping outside of my comfort zone. It really wasn’t until I met her that I sat down and took an honest look at what I actually wanted out of life, and how to make that happen. With her constant support, I started taking my portfolio to shops trying to get my foot in the door. It was a long, humbling process, but I knew that I had to stick with it and learn from those rejections.
Later that year I met John Caleb of Chapter X Tattoo, in Orange, CA. I got tattooed by John, and a short while later I started hanging around the shop, sweeping floors and cleaning toilets. I worked as a shop help at night for a while before John took me on as an apprentice. John taught me so much about the foundation of tattooing, running a clean shop, how to talk to clients, and eventually how to make a tattoo. Those first few months of tattooing were rough. I got humbled real quick, but I was hooked immediately.
Throughout my apprenticeship I worked part-time at the ad agency and would come to the shop in the evening. I did this for a minute until it was time to go 100% with tattooing or nothing at all. That was obviously a super-intense time, as I just had a couple of tattoos under my belt, but it was exactly what I needed to do, as this career isn’t something you can go half-speed with. As a designer, I had a pretty solid path in front of me with very little risk, but, for whatever reason I felt I had to lean into doing the thing that made me uncomfortable. John always treated me with respect, but challenged and pushed me in ways that I needed. My apprenticeship was one of the most humbling experiences, but I’m so thankful that I was given that opportunity.
For the next 6 years I worked at CXT with John and learned so much. The technical aspects of tattooing are obviously so critical, but one of my biggest takeaways from those early years is just how important clients and those relationships are. The tattoos we make are clearly forever, and so is the memory of that experience. Fast-forward to today, I’ve been in my own studio for a few years now, and a huge portion of my clientele are people I’ve been tattooing since the beginning. When I first started I could never imagine doing a whole sleeve, or crazy stuff like that. So, to have people keep coming back and trusting me with these big projects is just the coolest thing.
As I approach my 10th year of tattooing, life is a bit different than those early days. My wife and I have two amazing kids, who are our whole world. Between family life and tattooing, there isn’t much time for anything else. While I’m very proud about the work I’ve been able to create thus far, I still have so much to learn. Tattooing is still the hardest thing I’ve ever done, and this career certainly has it’s challenges, but at the end of the day, I’m very fortunate to have something that I care so much about.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

My biggest foundation has to be drawing. When I started tattooing, I was taught how to create traditional, color tattoos. After a few years I gravitated towards black and grey realism, and then things really started to click. Once I started doing realism, it was very clear that my background in drawing was going to be super helpful. I’ve always loved sketching from life, and studying light and shadows on an object or model. That skill is something I rely on every day.

Whether I had the ability to draw or not, I would not be in this position if it weren’t for the work that I put in. Being able to keep moving forward when things were tough or not going my way is everything. During any tattoo, there is always something that doesn’t go the way you expect it to go. Whether its a technical issue, or the client, whatever. All that matters is how we respond and figure out the best possible way to solve the problem.

My advice for any young artist, is the same as what I tell myself. Always be a student, and try to focus on the positive. We are always learning, and can always improve. Tattooing is one of those things where the longer I do it, the more I understand and value the things I was taught early on.

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?

This is a great question. I wish I had an answer that worked every time, but it’s a work in progress. With two young kids and trying to grow as an artist, life certainly gets overwhelming. This past year I’ve started taking better care of myself and I’ve definitely noticed a difference with that. For me, I have to be active and get moving. It’s so easy for me to worry about tomorrow and all the things I stress about as a parent, but all I can really control is what I do today, so I’m really just working on trying to stay in the moment and be present.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kevinflemingtattoo.com
• Instagram: @kevinflemingtattoo
• Other: Just wanted to say thank you for this opportunity. Appreciate you guys!