American tattooist Adrian Novo is a follower of the New School style, to which he adds a particular attention to detail. From his home town of Dover in New Hampshire, between Portland and Boston, he gives us some news about the popularity of the style across the Atlantic.
Can you tell us a bit about your background please?
I was born and raised in Miami, Florida. I have always been driven by making art. I’ve been tattooing for around 15 years. During my time I have had the opportunity to work all over the US and abroad alongside a bunch of the artists I look up to.
How did you become a tattooer ?
I attended my first tattoo convention in high school out of curiosity. That experience was a core memory for me and pivotal moment in my life. A couple years later, I joined the Marine Corps where friends and I started to get our first tattoos. I was still very drawn to the idea of tattooing but I was unsuccessful getting an apprenticeship. Eventually, I had got my hands on some tattoo equipment and I did everything I could to learn on my own.
Comics, video games, film, music... can you tell us about some of the cult works that have shaped your graphic culture and to which you return regularly?
Miami was filled with graffiti- that definitely was the first art culture that captivated my interest. I also I grew up with 80’s/90’s cartoons, music and movies. I loved the retro synthwave music from the 80’s, along with the super bright neon colors and shapes you would see around that time leading into the 90’s. I believe that was the catalyst to my “high contrast” palette and “exaggerated” style.
Have you always done New School?
At the beginning of my career I did whatever the client wanted to gain experience. Back then it was a lot of tribal, koi fish and dragons. Eventually, I had seen New School tattoos in magazines and I realized the artwork that was in my sketch books were more New School than any other style - so I started to lean more in that direction.
This style is particularly demanding technically, did you study art?
I’ve been drawing as far back as I can remember. I attended a high school that was geared towards visual arts. I have also attended different painting and sculpting courses throughout my life.
The number of Americans with tattoos is constantly increasing every year. What role does the New School style play in the range of tattoo artists on offer? How popular is it?
New School has not always been the most popular- however, it seems as though more and more people are seeing the unique nature of it. There almost seems to be a resurgence, which is refreshing because there are so many different layers to New School, it’s not being as misunderstood and just classified as “cartoony”.
The colours in your tattoos are particularly vibrant. How have you put together your palette, and how do you go about combining colours?
I like using as many colors possibly and try to make it look good. My color study prior to starting a piece usually looks like a kid’s coloring book, haha. I get the general idea of what I want to do, but it’s not really anything refined. I like to mix my colors and figure things out as I go to really connect with the piece by allowing myself to create in the moment.
What worlds do you like to draw on for the subjects of your tattoos?
Video games, movies, futuristic/cyberpunk and monsters.
Small, medium or large?
I really enjoy doing large scale tattoos. Between creating movement around someone’s body and the detail that you can achieve with the design is what draws me in. There is room for more colors and texture details that are hard to accomplish in a small tattoo.
In a post on Instagram you mentioned the lack of recognition for a tattooist, and I imagine New School in particular, who doesn't do realism. Can you expand on this idea?
I believe New School does not get the recognition it deserves honestly, most people don’t understand fully what goes into creating that original image completely from scratch, along with coming up with the color palette on top of it all.
A few years ago you had a hand accident that prevented you from working for two months. How do you deal with this kind of situation when you're a freelance tattooist whose income comes from working with your hands?
That was a very stressful time and I learned a lot from that moment. I realized how fragile my existence was. It taught me to stop selling myself short and to stand firmly with charging what I knew I was worth.
The arrival of artificial intelligence is one of the hottest topics among creative professionals. Do you see this as an opportunity or a danger?
I see it as both. Tattooers that don’t draw as much now have a tool to help them create in a way that wasn’t possible before. However, tattooers that do draw are now going up against an AI which cultivates its art from thousands of artists and endless refined references. Hopefully clients see the personal touch and signature elements of an artist that creates their design from the base up.
You live in Denver, what's the dynamic there compared to other cities in the US?
I recently moved from Denver, Colorado to Dover, New Hampshire. Denver is known to be a very welcoming place for art. Dover is an older New England town that isn’t quite there with street art but it’s close enough to cities like Boston and Portland whom have that same appreciation.
In Europe, a lot of studios are suffering from the increase in the number of tattoo artists and the rising cost of living. What's it like where you live?
The cost of living is absolutely frustrating, even in a small town like Dover it still has city prices it seems. There is not a tattoo shop on every corner where I am at now and I’m thankful to have created a style that’s unique enough to draw in clients. I am always welcome to any idea and I do my best to create a tattoo I would be proud to wear.
Apart from tattooing, how do you like to spend your free time?
Spending time with my fiancé and our family. Creating other types of art like sculpting, playing video games, hanging out with my dog Grimmy and watching movies. + IG @adriannovoart www.adriannovotattoo.com
