Brian has been drawing and painting all of his life. As a kid, he would “help” his father with drawing house plans. Later on, he swapped the house plans for comic books and Mortal Kombat characters. Brian didn’t exactly have a passion for ink from the get-go. He grew up with the old stigmata that tattoos were for criminals and sailors. It wasn’t until he was about 20, after joining the US Navy that he got his first tattoo, and lit a spark.

As far as his career, Brian says that tattooing sort of “found him”. He wanted to have some work done while stationed in Japan. He had drawn a piece that he wanted on his ribcage, and took it to a shop to have it priced. There, the artist asked if he drew the tattoo, and if he was an artist. Taking credit for the drawing, but not being an artist, he was offered to start an apprenticeship that night. Brian started his apprenticeship under Hori Fumi at the Magic Needle in Misawa, Japan in February 2009, and was tattooing full time by December.

Color pieces with realism are definitely Brian’s cup of tea. The amount of depth that is achieved through contrast and tones makes for an always expanding challenge. To achieve the look he wants for his work, he uses Fusion ink 100%! He loves to try any machines he can get his hands on, but his daily drivers are Orphan Irons. The fact that the maker, Dewey puts time into each machine, and uses them means a lot to Brian, considering several machine builders aren’t artists. He is a huge fan of the Stymi 2, which he claims is worth the investment!

Brian gets his inspiration for almost everyone. Whether it’s design, technique, or composition, everyone has their own style. He tries to learn from everyone and study as much as possible. He hasn’t won any awards, due to lack of ability to travel, but he has been published in mags like ‘Tattoo You’, ‘Skin Artists’, ‘Rebel Ink’, ‘Skin Shots’, and ‘Slingin Ink’. Brian has yet to ink anyone famous, but has had the privilege to tattoo several fellow active military. He says he clients have always been a lot more interesting than anyone “famous”. He would like to work with anyone who walks in his door and expresses interest in his work. He doesn’t mind what the client wants tattooed, as long as they are satisfied with the piece in the end.

Word of advice from Brian: “Leave your egos at home! There are so many rock stars out there these days. My teacher told me when I first started, ‘The day you start to think you are so good is the day you stop growing.’ There are far too many out there that think they are amazing artists, and if they ever took the time to step back, they would realize they have a lot of room left to grow, just like the rest of us. The best artists in the industry have been the most humble, pleasant people I have met. To me that speaks volumes!”