Could you tell me a little bit about how you got started in tattooing?

I have always been interested in art for as long as I can remember. Throughout school it was all I enjoyed, I took it further and went to study art at college and from there I did an apprenticeship with a tattoo artist called Tony Davis who mentored and taught me the trade.

Do you have any regrets from your ‘learning’ years?

I don’t really have any regrets, no.

I saw you recently announce that you’re opening a new studio, congratulations! How long have you been planning on opening up your own studio and how does it feel to have it so close?

Thanks guys, I’m super excited to be opening my own studio!

I’ve been thinking about it for a while, but now I feel it’s the perfect time for me to to go out and do it.

Another congratulations would be on winning E4’s Tattoo Artist of the Year!
Tattoo TV shows are no stranger to criticism in the industry and usually get a bad rep in the way they present the art of tattooing, at least in the UK, but this is one that seems to have had a good response by all. What was the whole experience like for you?

Thank you! For me it was a really great experience and pushed me out of my comfort zone. It really helped my confidence and I met a lot of great people itn the process. There were a lot of amazing artists involved and even tattoo enthusiasts in the making of the show which I think helped portray it really well.

What hobbies do you have outside of work?

In the free time I manage to get I like to spend it with my wife and son doing trips and adventures!

I remember one of your dotwork drawings, “Swinging from the Jaws of Death”, it was absolutely huge and the amount of detail was incredible! How long did it take you to complete?

All in all it took me around 85 hours which was over a few weeks, many late nights. I really enjoy dot drawings and my plan is to dedicate some more time in the future to create more.

Has your style changed much since you began tattooing?

My style has changed so much since the start, I never thought I’d head down the realism route until I tried it. I started out tattooing a lot of lined pieces and stylized images, slowly built up adding realistic textures into them. I do really like doing a different styles and constantly trying new things so that I can improve.

What has been the hardest moment in your career thus far, and what has been your favourite?

I think the two could be combined with doing the tv show, there was so much pressure and very difficult tattoos to do but I absolutely loved the experience and learned so much of all the artists that I worked with which helped me grow as an artist and person. Going back to the amount of detail you put into your art, the same can be said for your tattoos. They always have such an amazing amount of depth to them. Do you always try to capture the obscure details? My favorite part of the tattoo process is the little details. I love intricate images and challenging designs.

Do you have any favourite Tattoo Artists?

Loads but a few would be Carlos Torres, Eliot Kohek, Tommy Lee Wendtner, Sandy Riffard, Jak Connolly.

Who are your biggest inspirations?

A lot of my inspiration comes from photography and artists that I find traveling to conventions and it inspires me so much with my tattooing

Do you have any plans in the coming months?

Next year I plan on doing as many conventions as I can fit in. I love seeing new places and traveling around

Finally, How would someone go about trying to get a tattoo from yourself?

At the moment I take bookings through my shop page on Facebook “Luke Sayer Tattoo Studio”

Interview for TattooFan Magazine UK by Tim Drummond

Photographs used in this article are from the social media profiles of Luke Sayer.

Luke Sayer fanpage: https://www.facebook.com/luke.sayer.54

Luke Sayer profile: https://www.instagram.com/lukesayertattoo/