Tattoo Artist of the Week Grant Chapman

Meet our Tattoo Artist of the Week working out of Skullbox and Tattoo Company in Cape Town, Grant Chapman. We talk to him about his career, tattooing style and more.

Full name: Grant Chapman
Nickname: Chapman
Age: 28
Hometown: Table View
Shop: Skullbox and Tattoo Company
Years tattooing: 4
Tattoo style: I prefer colour work
Hourly rate: I charge by design

Give us some insight into your journey of becoming a tattoo artist?
I use to be a hang around at a tattoo shop, Freestylers, where a mate of mine worked. My mate was still busy with his apprenticeship and once he started tattooing they needed a shop assistant, I was offered the job and from there it turned into an apprenticeship. I haven’t looked back since.

What was the hardest thing to grasp through your learning years?
I would say perfecting and the consistency of my line work. Still learning every day, don’t think it’s ever going to stop.

When did you realise that you had an artistic talent?
Well I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember. Art runs in the family, I use to be that kid spraying on the walls in my hometown. I started taking my art seriously at around the age of 13.

Tattoos are becoming more and more normal. What do you think has changed over the years to remove the stigma it had?
I think more and more South Africans are becoming more accustom to tattoos, realising that it’s an art form and self-expression more than the stigma it use to carry back in the day. I’ve definitely seen a change in the customers we deal with on a day to day basis. They have a much more open idea of what tattooing is all about.

Where do you see the world of tattoos and tattooing going in the future?
Well hopefully we don’t get taken over by robots! There’s just something about a human’s hand that makes that piece of art unique to that artist, so I would hope to think tattoos carry on just the way they are now. Let the younger generation learn from the industry and add their skill-set to that, therefore always progressing.

What are some of the crazy experiences you have had in the shop?
There’s too many to talk about. One story, I was still busy with my apprenticeship and this guy came in for his first tattoo. We had an old barber’s chair in the shop and while we were putting the stencil on the guys skin he had obviously worked himself up so much that he fainted whilst this was happening, the poor guy fell forward and knocked his two front teeth out on the metal base. Still one of the craziest moments I’ve witnessed.

What do you do to make sure you keep progressing with your work?
There’s so many talented artist out there, it’s hard to keep up. My thing is to concentrate on my own work and try better myself on each tattoo that I do, as I’m always learning each day I tattoo.

What style of tattoo do you enjoy doing the most?
I really enjoy new school or any tattoos with colour. I just think it’s more challenging having to get the colour pallet right, and also think you have a lot more freedom with new school. You can let your imagination run wild and turn it into a beautiful tattoo at the end of the day.

What’s your response to clients that want tribal tattoos?
We try steering them clear of tribal, it’s such an out dated style. Sometimes you get that hard headed customer but at the end of the day it’s still a customer and we do try accommodate best we can.

Who are some of the local and international artists you look up to?
Well first and foremost, Rudy Sauerman (Sacegold Tattoos), he was the guy that got me into tattooing. Also the east European guys, they on some next level. Other artists include Eddy Perminovas, Rob Richarson, Sivak, Ilya fom, Chris Jones and Russell van Schaick.

Any advice for anyone wanting to get tattooed?
Be one hundred percent sure that’s the tattoo you want, I’m over cover-ups!

SkullBox and Tattoo Company Details

Address: Shop 7 Parklands Centre, Link Road, Cape Town.
Contact number: 072 403 3071
Follow SkullBox and Tattoo Company on Facebook and visit their website for more info.