Hi Pavel, thank you for lending us some of your busy time!

What made you first become interested in tattoos and have you always had an artistic background?

Since I can remember I’ve been interested in creating art. The first time I came in touch with tattoos was when I saw a man whose knuckles were tattooed. Since then I thought about tattooing myself – and I actually did when I was 13.

As an incredible artist who has been in the industry a long time, do you look for ways to improve?

Yeah, I guess one of the most important things about art is that you are never fully grown. You can always improve your knowledge, point of view and workflow!

What does tattooing mean to you?

It means a lot to me and I’m always thankful that I’m able to do what I love.

Outside of tattooing, what are your hobbies?

I spend my off time by watching cartoons, playing the Playstation and shopping!

Could you tell us a little bit about your journey and why realism is your preferred style?

I started to work as a graphic designer, and, as I already said earlier, I was always interested in Tattoo Art but I never thought about being able to work as a Tattoo Artist by myself. Realism was always the style I preferred and inspired me the most.

You have done a lot of great tattoos during your career. What would you say is the one that helped get you noticed in the tattoo world?

That’s hard to chose, I guess it’s an accumulation of all the tattoos I did.

You are never shy of doing something different and mixing it up when designing a tattoo. Do you enjoy experimenting with your style?

Absolutely! It would be lame if I’d always do the same!

Everyone knows you as a realistic artist however if you had to choose another style to tattoo what would it be and why?

I guess it would be Neo Tradional, but I’m not quite sure cause I never really thought about it..

Where do you get your inspiration from?

It depends, but I guess I’d say that I get influenced by nearly everything I see.

Can you describe how you go about creating a tattoo, from the concept to the finished design?

At first I get a consultation with my clients, that’s important to get to know each other and to figure out what my client expects and what’s possible for me. To create the concept…when everything’s working out, the client gets his appointment and I’ll start to create their tattoos as soon as the appointment gets closer. When we finally catch up for the appointment we take a look at the whole thing and if both of us are fine with the result, we’ll start.

Who are your favourite tattoo artists?

They are; Den Yakovlev, Alex Pancho, Domantas Parvainis and Denis Sivak.

What is your favourite and least favourite places to tattoo?

My favourite places are definitely the upper or lower arm – my least favourite is probably the ribs.

What is the best advice that you have ever received?

It may sound funny but it’s the typical “never give up” thing. I’ve learned that nothing’s more important than to believe in yourself – no matter what.

Is there anything that annoys you about being a tattoo artist?

Nah, not really, it’s just the same stuff that annoys everyone who is self-employed, like canceled appointments, especially on the same day.

Is there anything you would like to tattoo more of?

I’m always interested in dark stuff like skulls.

Do you have any goals or challenges?

Getting better should always be a goal – and every tattoo should be a challenge.

What’s the best advice you could give to others wanting to pursue this career?

Always keep going. Work on yourself to receive your goal and get your own style!

Finally, have you got anything else you would like to say?

Thank you for having me and being interested in my work – if you want to see more of my work check my Instagram @krimtattoo and if you’re interested in getting tattooed feel free to contact ArtFaktors at artfaktors@googlemail.com

Interview for TattooFan Magazine UK by Tim Drummond

Photos used in this article were made available by Pavel Krim’s social media.

Pavel Krim fanpage: https://www.facebook.com/krimtattoo

Pavel Krim profile: https://www.instagram.com/krimtattoo/?hl=pl