Tattoo Artist Shaun Dean

Working out of The Witch House in Cape Town, we bring you Shaun Dean as our featured Tattoo Artist. Over the years Shaun has developed a Neo Illustrative style that suits him best creating a readable but complex tattoo.
Brought to you by Zappa.

Full name: Shaun Dean

Shop: The Witch House

Years tattooing: 12 years

Tattoo style: Neo Illustrative

Hourly rate: R1200 an hour

Give us some insight into your journey of becoming a full time tattoo artist?
I’ve been drawing and painting as early as I can remember. I was working as a graphic designer and would hang out at a tattoo shop after work and would help out wherever I could. I eventually quit my job and started in a little shop in Westwood Mall. I was thrown in the deep end but learnt a lot.

What first sparked your interest and passion for the trade?
I would take regular trips to Cape Town and hang out at the Body Architects where Tamar and Jon Case had a huge influence on me at the time and helped me tremendously. I knew when I got my first tattoo that this is what I wanted to do the rest of my life.

How would you best explain the experience of tattooing your first ever client?
My first tattoo that I did was on my gran. She was so cool about it. It was a small angel outline and was so nervous, and it took me forever.

Explain the vibe of working out of The Witch House?
Tattooing at The Witch House is pretty laid back. It’s a private studio so we all come and go. It’s tranquil and very professional.

What does a day in your life usually consist of?
I draw in the morning and mostly will do a four to five hour piece a day.

When not working and tattooing, what do you like to do with your downtime?
I mostly skate or surf with my downtime.

How would you best explain the tattoo culture in Cape Town now compared to a few years ago?
I think tattooing has changed dramatically from a few years back. It used to be word of mouth and a coffee book portfolio. I feel tattooing is very influenced by trends coming from Pinterest and Tik Tok. There’s too many shops and too many tattooers that just decided to pick up a machine and learn off YouTube. People these days expect instant gratification and feel entitled. I believe in respecting where tattooing came from and honouring the people that came before us and the hard work they put in.

What style of tattoo do you enjoy creating the most, and why?
Over the years I have worked on developing a style that I think suits me the best. I use a lot of illustrative lines, colour and bold lines that create a readable but complex image.

Where would you like to see you career take you?
For now I don’t have any major plans other than just creating the best tattoo for my clients.

If you could tattoo any one famous person, who would it be and why?
I don’t really have any interest in tattooing a famous person. Whoever wants a tattoo from me is cool and I’m interested in that.

For anyone wanting to book an appointment with you, what’s the next step?
To get in touch for appointments I just require an email with a brief description of the design, size and placement.

The Witch House
Contact: 078 083 5808
Email: info@thewitchhouse.co.za
Address: 34 1st Avenue, Harfield Village, Claremont, Cape Town
Facebook Page | Instagram | Website