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

Tyler, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

It was June 2019, I had been out of my apprenticeship for a bit at this point. Work was slow and progress seemed to be even slower; things weren’t moving along the way it felt they should. I was working two other jobs and it felt like they were taking away crucial time and energy I could be spending on my craft. I wasn’t fully committed, and it was out of fear. I knew winter was coming, and that’s always a hard time for the industry. My first winter as an apprentice was brutal, I went almost a month without work. That’s a scary thing to put your faith in.

I knew in the back of my head that something had to change if I wanted to move forward. I had to fully bet on myself and just make this work. That’s what I had done the year prior when I took on tattooing, this was just the next step I had to take. So I made the decision to quit both jobs and start tattooing full time. I had little savings and no guarantee I could get this thing off the ground, but I had to do it.

I leaned into my work harder than I had up to that point, and never looked back. I built up my clientele, powered through the pandemic, and kept moving along. I’m now almost 7 years in and still going strong. Risk-taking is a part of this life; if you’re sitting still, you’ll be left behind. If I hadn’t forced myself between a rock and a hard place, I’m not sure I ever would’ve made it. That first step was all I needed.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’ve been creating art since I was a kid. Whether it was drawing cartoons or the world around me, putting something onto paper always itched a part of my brain that nothing else could. It was a way I could disconnect from things or filter the world through a different lens – one that made sense to me. It wasn’t until just before high school that I began to view art as more than a hobby, it’s a core part of me.

I was taught to be more of a traditional artist in the sense that I used pencils, paints, things of that nature. In recent years I’ve embraced more modern ways of creating art, especially with the inclusion of the iPad in my design process. Growing up my favorite style was realism, whether it be black and gray or color. That’s still a key focus of mine, but with tattooing I’ve branched out into other styles like neo-traditional, which combines elements of realism and traditional tattoos in a way that I love. I’ve recently picked painting back up when working on tattoo designs, and hope to explore other subjects like I had in the past. Landscapes are a personal favorite of mine.

In regards to tattooing, I had no plans on ever approaching anything resembling a career. I loved tattoos and the rich history surrounding it, but the medium of tattooing was way just outside of anything I’d ever done or felt comfortable with. Obviously things changed, and here we are.

I met my mentor through getting tattooed. It was the first time I’d met him and we got talking a bit. We discovered we both went to the same high school and went through the same art program. He asked to see my portfolio, I showed him my most recent work and he followed that up with an apprenticeship offer. At first I didn’t know what to say, I asked if I could think it over for a few days. He gave me a week. When I walked out of the shop that day I knew what my answer was, but I still wanted to sleep on it. I started a few weeks later once everything was lined up.

The main reason I redirected my whole life and followed this path is because it gave me a way to channel my creative energy that I couldn’t anywhere else. I create something people carry with them until they die, that reflects a bit of who they are, and I get paid for it! I think that’s pretty awesome.

When it comes to what I do, I want to get it right every time. When people come to me, I know they’re putting a large amount of trust in someone they’ve probably just met to do something permanent as perfect as possible. It’s my job to make sure they feel comfortable and respected the whole way through, and I try to make that the focus when working with me. All too often I hear about terrible experiences clients have had with other artists, I don’t want to be one of those stories.

I tend to prefer in-person consultations, especially for bigger projects, to get a feel for the client and what they’re looking for, making sure every detail is ironed out. Once I get what I need, I prefer a bit of solitude when getting things together. My drawing process can be a little erratic, I usually jump all over the place before finally landing on something I can work with. This is where trust in the artist and their process is key. You may not hear from me a ton until your appointment, but if I’ve done my job right, you’ll walk out with something you can wear proudly.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

As obvious as this sounds, other artists. I’m not a social butterfly by any means, so this wasn’t something I took advantage of until recently in my career. My first notion was that tattooers kept to themselves, along with any tricks they may have. But networking is huge in tattooing, and there’s a wealth of knowledge in the communities that exist within it. Getting in the right rooms with the right people can do wonders for your growth as an artist and as a person. There are so many different styles and perspectives in tattooing that I never knew about until after I started to poke my head out and explore a bit. Having that exposure is a major part in what drives an artist to evolve.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I want to keep learning and expanding my horizons. I never thought that tattooing would be viable for me, yet here I am years later. I’m excited to see how far I can go, and what other opportunities come along the way. For right now though, I just want to create awesome art that both me and my clients can be proud of. I’m still figuring a lot of this out, the rest will come with time.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @tbryan_art
• Facebook: Tyler Bryan