Lights Shares Her Best Work From Her Side Gig As A Tattoo Artist

The Canadian pop artist shares a number of the greatest tattoos she has given buddies

Printed Oct 07, 2020

Canadian pop artist Lights has a number of outstanding tattoos, and, as a talented illustrator in her personal proper, it is a pure extension of her pursuits for her to launch her personal facet gig as a tattoo artist. She’s not an expert — not but, anyway — however she’s been tattooing buddies without cost, and he or she has massive plans for the place she would possibly take this interest sooner or later.

Having not too long ago launched her high-energy, dance-oriented Lifeless Finish EP — produced by metal-turned-EDM artist MYTH and impressed by a 2019 stint touring with deadmau5 — Exclaim! caught up with Lights to find out about her budding tattoo biz and see a few of her work.

What first received you interested by tattoos and impressed you to get your personal?

I received my first tattoo the 12 months I moved out alone, at 18. It felt like a logo of freedom, of doing what I wished with my life. I drew up some sparrows as a result of they represented that, irrespective of how far you wander from dwelling, you at all times know find out how to get again. I additionally did not know that you do not have to attract up your personal tattoos! I walked right into a hole-in-the-wall place on Queen Avenue in Toronto and received a very botch job for affordable. They’re sort of ugly however I like them.

How did you are taking up giving tattoos to others? How does one get a Lights tattoo — are you open to the general public?

I felt like I used to be a reasonably first rate visible artist and love tattoos and the way they increase a physique, so I figured it could be simple. I used to be mistaken — it is vitally arduous — however as soon as I began I could not hand over. I requested my predominant tattooer, Derek Lewis, to show me all the things he is aware of, and he has been a fantastic mentor. Up to now I am solely giving tattoos to folks I do know and never charging till I really feel like I can ship a depraved product. Sometime I might like to open a store.

What are your favorite kinds of tattoos to provide?

I am nonetheless discovering my area of interest, so I am not absolutely positive what I am able to but, however my private artwork fashion could be very comic-esque, so a lot of the stuff I’ve given has been line artwork.

What’s your course of?

Often we’ll textual content about some concepts and my “shopper” (pal) sends me reference footage and I will mess with some designs until we resolve on one thing they love and I can do. Then I print on stencil paper, we place the stencil, I arrange my sanitized station, and we zap!

Have you ever ever had any tattooing mishaps?

I nonetheless snicker in regards to the first tattoo I ever gave as a result of I actually did not know what I used to be doing. I stored wiping with alcohol pads (you usually use paper towel, alcohol burns the hell out of uncooked pores and skin!). It was his first tattoo as nicely so did not understand it was hurting far more than it ought to’ve. I’ve by no means made that mistake once more. It positively healed like a jail tattoo.

May you share pictures of some of the favorite tattoos you’ve gotten given?

It is a Carl Sagan quote on my sister, a few of my cleanest textual content!

Right here is an elk on my buddy’s leg, he introduced me a deer cranium (discovered within the forest) as a present for this. A few of my first shading work.