At 38 years old, Teodor Milev is now a major figure among tattoo artists specialising in realism in France. However, the Bulgarian-born Lyonnais prefers a pragmatic approach to hyper-realism, less focused on performance than on the lessons learned from his twenty years of experience. The result: detailed pieces inspired by the great currents in the history of painting that age well and last a long time. Tattooist - in his studio 681 Tattoos in Lyon - but also organiser of the Inkfactory tattoo convention in the city of Gônes (nickname for Lyon’s people), the next edition of which will be held next April, Teo gives us a foretaste of what awaits the public for this gathering that has become a must in the tattoo calendar.
Hi Teo, how does tattooing start for you?
It started in Bulgaria in the 2000s, surrounded by clients of the tattoo brothers Stilian and Kaloyan Smokov. I was still a kid, I was 15 years old and I was completely captivated by the vision of the big Japanese pieces they were wearing. I was drawing, I was even taking classes (I wanted to go to art school) and seeing Stilian's and Kaloyan's tattoos motivated me and gave me the desire to go in that direction. So I started to learn the trade in Sofia and made my way from there.
When did you know that you wanted to do this for a living?
I knew from my first tattoos that I wanted to continue doing them.
Did you do realism straight away or did you decide to devote yourself to it at some point?
No, I spent more than ten years doing tattoos in all styles, starting with small tattoos and then a lot of tribal style and a bit of old school, new school, etc. I didn't really have a choice, at that time I had to be versatile to meet the clients' demands. It was then that I turned more towards realism. I found this style more interesting and more difficult to achieve.
Why?
Doing realism today feels easy because the tools have evolved, but when I started out we only had magazine photos and crappy photocopies as a reference. It was much more complicated to make a nice portrait. I'm not saying that one style is easier than another, but to me, realism seemed more complicated and I naturally chose to focus on it.
Is specialisation essential if you want to improve?
Specialising is a good thing, but if you stay in your comfort zone you stagnate, you don't progress. From my point of view, it is important to constantly challenge yourself. Once you reach a certain level, you have to look for something more complicated, something new to challenge yourself and progress again and again.
Can you tell us about your graphic culture?
It is rather classical. I've always been inspired by classical, Surrealist and Renaissance painting... Since I started, I've always admired the great painters and I regularly come back to them for inspiration.
You work almost exclusively in black and grey, why?
Actually, I also work in colour but I don't emphasise it as much. I really like Japanese tattooing, which I do very often in colour. As far as black and grey is concerned, I have spent many years developing my skills and I like the fact that I can achieve a maximum of nuances and textures with a single colour.
In your opinion, can you do everything in realism?
I can't speak for everyone, but I think there is a lot that can be done. However, that doesn't mean that everything will hold up well over time. So I would tend to say that you have to simplify certain designs.
Your compositions are very detailed.
It's true, I do big compositions with a lot of details but I still try to simplify, to purify the motif to ensure a better healing of the skin or to make the tattoo age better. Over the years, I have realised that many elements end up disappearing gradually. Today, I think of my composition in such a way that it can be read from a distance and that it lasts, just like the Japanese tattoo. For this, I favour flat tints, with a lot of black and line. I keep my distance from hyper realism and I favour a composition based on solid foundations.
More detail also means more time and pain for the client. Is this a parameter you take into account?
Details or not, everyone knows that it's not the tattoo that hurts but the paper towel! (Laughs)
Where is the balance between the desire to push the limits and the reality of aging a tattoo?
I think I've achieved that balance. I used to try to make impressive tattoos when I made them and I made mistakes by trying to stick to the photo to the last detail, without realising that with time half the information would disappear. With experience, I realised that going to the essential contributes to the success of the tattoo. The composition must retain the strength of its impact after healing. Whether we are talking about one, two, three years or more. If after all that time the tattoo is as striking, then I consider it a success! With a little over twenty years of experience, I know that we can do realism that lasts.
However, some consider that realism ages less well than other styles, what do you think?
Yes, a thick, clean tribal will age better than a tattoo full of detail, but it's the treatment and structure of each tattoo - regardless of style - that defines its ageing and durability.
What are the rules for a realistic tattoo to last?
In my opinion, the rules are simple: you need black, a half-tone and the skin. You have to achieve the contrasts in the piece with these three shades. Again, it's the technique and structure of the design that counts, and with just pure black you can do wonders. My tattoos may look rougher, less polished when they are first made, but once the healing is complete, it is possible to admire an impeccable final result.
Faces, whether in the form of a skull or a sculpture, are often present. Can we speak of fetish subjects for you?
I don't have any favourite subjects. I like to diversify and that's the beauty of this job. Yesterday I was tattooing a cow, today a sculpture. Then, there are indeed recurring subjects but even if I had to tattoo lions three days in a row, it wouldn't bother me. The question is not the repetition of the motif but to approach it and treat it differently.
Small or large rooms?
Big rooms... always!
You organise the Lyon convention, how did the recovery go last year?
After three cancellations due to Covid, the recovery was very stressful for us. Despite a complicated situation and new restrictions, we were very pleased to see that the public was there (14,000 visitors). The tattoo artists needed to get together and the atmosphere showed it! We had very good feedback from artists and visitors and this is our greatest satisfaction.
How does the next one look like, which will take place on 21, 22 and 23 April 2023?
It will be held like the previous one at the Anciennes Usines Fagor. This year we will have a little more than 250 international artists and many new surprises. We hope that this edition will be as good as the previous one, if not better. + IG : @teomilev 681 Tattoos 158, rue Vendôme 69003 Lyon https://www.681tattoos.com/ https://www.theinkfactory.fr/
