Uruguayan tattoo artist Leo Valverde, now living in Germany, talks to Inkers about his background and his particular affection for the new-school style. It allows him to maintain his passion for cartoons and pop culture in general.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself, Leo?
I was born in Uruguay 45 years ago, where I opened my first tattoo shop in 1999. I became deeply involved in the tattoo scene, organizing conventions and working for the healthy growth of the tattoo industry. I moved to Spain in 2008. Now I work at the tattoo parlour Hautdesign in Hannover, Germany, and I am regularly invited to other cities in Germany and the Netherlands.
Obviously, the world of cartoons and video games has had a great influence on you...
As far as cartoons and video games are concerned, as an old man I always go for the classics, without losing sight of the new ones. Action and adventure games are my first choice.
Have you always drawn?
Yes, drawing has always been there. I started when I was a kid to draw my favourite characters by watching them on TV on Sunday mornings. And creating my own too, hahaha.
How did you get into tattooing?
I became interested in it as a teenager. At the age of 18, I became a tattoo artist until, four years later, this trade that I love became my profession.
Have you always done newschool?
When I started out, as well as being a versatile tattoo artist, I tried to transfer my passion for comics into tattooing, which led me to cartoons. It was around 2004 that I took my first steps in the new school style.
What is the most important thing for you in this style?
More than the creative freedom, new-school gives me the opportunity to explore and create to represent an idea or a story. When I start a new piece, the ideal for me is that all the important aspects of the composition - such as dynamics, movement, expressions - complement each other in a way that fully explains the story behind the piece.
Do you work free-hand?
It depends on the pieces, some require more preparation and others come with great ease, but yes, I like to have everything clearly prepared in my head at least.
Beyond cartoons, the themes you touch on include pop culture in general.
I'm the kind of guy who quotes movies and TV shows every day and I consider everything related to pop culture worthy of being applied in the new school style. I've taken great pleasure in drawing famous characters in my own way, exploding their most representative characteristics and making them my humble tribute.
Customers are increasingly demanding more inventive pieces. Is this challenging for you?
Fortunately, all clients come with at least a good starting point for their idea and an open mind so that we can make the best of it together. Bringing my creative inspiration into each piece is what pushes me to go further. All thanks to my amazing clients.
How do you stay fresh and creative with this daily challenge?
That's the hardest part. It's always an internal battle. I guess the satisfaction I get from seeing the result of a finished piece gives me the drive to push myself for the next one.
How do you maintain your drawing?
I am now at a stage where I draw exclusively for my next appointment. But I consider creative and personal exploration and continued development of my drawings to be imperative in order to build a strong enough foundation to tackle any project.
In addition to new school, you do realism. Why do you do this?
The colour and painting techniques for realism match my tattooing techniques, which makes it a style I can appreciate. I don't like to call what I do realism though, it's more of an approach to painting in colour from real references.
Are these two seemingly opposing styles actually complementary?
The exploration and reproduction of textures, but also of real forms, in a realistic piece gives me the knowledge to apply them in a new-school piece. The latter requires a readability of the elements of the composition and what they should look like.
Do you have other passions besides drawing and tattooing?
Mostly geek stuff, TV, movies, video games. I also like working in the garden and anything that involves repairing or improving. As a former musician, music is an important part of my daily life. I use it to set the mood for each tattoo session, listening to a wide variety of styles, from 80's pop hits to hardcore and metal. + IG : @leotattoons Hautdesign Tattoo Walsroder Strasse 178a 30853 Langenhagen www.hautdesign-tattoo.de
