We recently connected with Dayne Silveira and have shared our conversation below.

Dayne , appreciate you joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

I grew up in Hong Kong but moved to Toronto to pursue a future in the creative arts.

I had a few different art related jobs as an illustrator, graphic designer and vfx artist. At one point I was even drafting for an architectural firm and although these were great jobs, I just wasn’t fulfilled.

I remember feeling completely lost because I spent so much time in school setting myself up for success only to feel miserable with where I ended up.

After a few months of soul searching. I stumbled upon a tattoo shop where I hit it off with the owner and artists that worked there. I applied soon after with a portfolio, they hired me and thus started my tattoo journey at 27.

To be honest I feel like tattooing found me. It was like a relationship that happened very organically where you meet someone at a coffee shop. I remember telling people I wanted to pursue tattooing and they responded with confusion. I was told it was shady, risky and not a lucrative path to take.

Funny enough, taking that risk was the best thing I’ve ever done. At the start, the apprenticeship was a long gruelling process but powering through it was worth it. Every day I feel more motivated, inspired and fulfilled. I’m able to travel as well and I’ve honestly never felt so financially stable.

10/10 would risk again.

Dayne , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Hi I’m Dayne and I’m a Toronto based tattooist!

I found my love of art and music growing up in Hong Kong where a balance of concrete and nature always provided creative stimulation. I was heavily inspired by traditional asian artwork from Hong kong, Japan and even India.

I started off as an illustrator and branched off into a variety of other art-related jobs before discovering tattooing. Tattooing has blessed me with the opportunity of working on so many meaningful projects with so many incredible people, it’s truly fulfilling.

I’ve been in the tattoo industry for 6 years and can safely say it’s the best career choice I’ve made. High-contrast fineline illustrative is the style I enjoy tattooing, with subject matter such as animals, florals and anything mythology-based.

In my time of being an artist, I’ve worked hard to perfect my customer service, attention to detail and quality of tattooing in which my clients feel safe, comfortable and eager to return to work with me.

I’ve made it my mission to show people the true beauty behind the art of tattooing and to destroy the stigma behind tattoos. By creating pieces that empower my clients, I feel my work has purpose.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Instagram and tiktok is essentially the way I built up a following. Of course working at a professional studio contributed massively to a platform set up for success as well but it was the aid of social media that helped skyrocket my network.

I constantly posted work of tattoo projects both finished and unfinished to stay relevant and interesting for my followers.

Now days followers want the personality behind the instagram handle and although not everyone wants to publicize their work or personal life, it can be beneficial.

Tattoo giveaways to show my appreciation for my followers was something I hosted quite often as well

Traveling on tattoo tours has also helped me gain traction as networking in other cities can ways aid business growth.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

I think the best thing society can do is to value honesty and respect artist intellectual property.

I’ve seen plenty of concerning things in the industry in regards to art theft. I understand that time is money, but copying someone else’s work completely devalues everything we as an industry have worked so hard for. It boggles my mind because most tattooists have a background in some sort of art field so they have the ability to create from scratch.

I am thankful for social media in a the sense that it provides a vast network of artists to work with, as well as a platform in which we can work together to help the artist community thrive.

The introduction of AI in the art industry has mostly caused a concerning amount of issues as well. Not only have digital creators had a dip in their clientele but have also suffered a high degree of art theft.

I simply hope we as a society can stay true to the uniqueness of tattoo art. I think the best thing artists can do is to continue to stay inspired and create unique designs true to their own identity.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Raindog_tattooist

Image Credits
Self portrait credits to David Le Instagram – daveed_le