Tattoo Artist of the Week Wanja Velimirov

We go in depth into Wanja Velimirov’s tattooing career in our Tattoo Artist of the Week feature. Hailing from Vienna and now working out of Sins of Style in Cape Town, Wanja has a clear outlook on his skills and ability to bring artwork to life in the form of tattoos.

Full Name: Wanja Velimirov

Nickname: Wanjuschko

Age: 31

Hometown: Vienna

Shop: Sins of Style

Years tattooing: 5

Tattoo Style: I always try to make every tattoo look as good as possible. It has to work as a tattoo. I love Japanese, realistic and traditional styles.

Tattoo hourly rate: R800

Tell us your story of how you got into tattooing?
Like most children that have the opportunity, I drew. I drew a lot. Most children stop after they reach a certain age, but I simply continued. I drew on t-shirts, walls, canvas, paper, anything I could find, but I never found something I wanted to do forever.
One day I was sitting around thinking what I could do for work and a friend of mine said why don’t you become a tattooer? In those days I sometimes visited my grandmother in a home in Carinthia, a four-hour train ride away. I bought a tattoo magazine for the journey and sketched around after I had looked at it. I showed the sketches around and asked a lot of people if they liked them and they all said yes.
I ordered a tattoo machine online, tattooed my leg and from that moment I was certain that tattooing was something I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

When getting into tattooing, what did you find helped the most when learning how to tattoo?
I was at a football stadium one day and was introduced to a tattooer named Calif . He runs a shop in Vienna. He taught me the basic things that are most important. He always said you must utilize contrast and make the tattoo big enough, use black, keep skin areas open… His business partner Mark Schwaiger also helped me a lot. He was there for me day and night for all questions. Those two guys taught me how to tattoo.
I also studied tattoos from the best artists in the world and thought a lot about why and how they do designs and why their designs worked so well as tattoos. A nice pencil drawing does not automatically make for a good tattoo. You must follow different rules when you prepare a drawing for a tattoo that ensures it’s possible to work and survive as a tattoo. You mustn’t forget that it must look good for the rest of the person’s life.
My crazy friend Christian from Vienna helped me a lot because he offered me his whole body to practice on. Brother, if you read this I must tell you again, thank you so much. I cannot give you back what you gave me my friend.

What do you do to progress your tattoo styles, work and career?
I still draw every day of course. Not only to get better, but also because I love to draw. I try to talk to different artists to learn from them. I am my own biggest critic. Some artists are arrogant and already think they are the best. That’s the moment when you stop progressing. There are a lot of very good artists in the world and they all have different secrets on how to make a great tattoo. I am thankful for all the information and ideas that all those artists have imparted onto me. Big thanks to Tyler B. Murphy and Dave Noellert. Sometimes just one sentence helps one develop.

What are your thoughts on the progression of machines and inks? What types do you use?
I still use the machines my teachers from Vienna gave me. I have two Dringenbergs, a Micky Sharpz and a few others, but I want to learn more about machines so that one day I can build my own. As far as inks go, I’ve used Indian Ink, Pelican Ink and Waverly Black, and colours from Eternal and Fusion.

“I feel as I am already on a good path, having clients who allow me to design for them, so we can make a cool piece we enjoy together”

What type of tattoo style do you enjoy doing the most?
I love a lot of styles, so it’s difficult to say. I just like to have a nice, clear tattoo with strong expression, where you can see that it’s well thought out and that the artist did it with love.

What has been your most challenging tattoo to date? Did you enjoy doing it and how did it come out?
[Laughs] I don’t know. If you want to be a good tattooer and love what you do, then I think every tattoo should be a challenge. You should try to make it a big challenge in the design at least. Otherwise I wouldn’t respect the person that gets it. If you just make it without any passion, then it’s never a challenge and it’s not going to be nice in the end.

Where would you like to see your tattoo career go?
I feel as I am already on a good path, having clients who allow me to design for them, so we can make a cool piece we enjoy together. I can develop my style more and more

There seem to be more heavily tattooed people, especially females, in Cape Town. Why do you think that is?
Wow I have no idea, but I think its cool.

Which international shop and what international artists would you like to guest appear with?
Well, that’s another difficult question. I like to work with people who I can laugh with and chill with, tattooers who are open-minded and relaxed. I don’t know them personally, but I totally respect the work of Philip Leu, Claus Furmann, Victor Portugal, Shige, Uncle Allan, Lars Uwe, Calle, the whole East Taiwan crew, and many more.

When you’re not tattooing, what do you get up to?
I love Thai Boxing. I train in a gym across the street from Sins of Style. A place called The Pride Fighting Academy. I like to spend time by the ocean and with my wonderful girlfriend. I put a lot of interest into animals, nature and music. I love watching documentaries, traveling and having a good time with friends over a few drinks.

What’s the deal for anyone wanting to book a session with you?
I think the best is to pop into the shop and ask for me. Then we can sit down together, have a conversation, I’ll make a sketch, make sure what works and what’s nice and we go from there.

Keen to get tattooed by Wanja? Pop into the shop, meet the guy and make a booking.
Sins of Style Address: 22 Hope Street, Gardens, Cape Town.
Shop Number: (021) 461 0854
Visit the Sins of Style Facebook Page to get more info.