“New bold” tattoo artist Anshin Anshin creates striking tattoos in blackwork and colour from Blue Dragon Tattoo Studio in Brighton!

Inspired by regular visits to Japan and his many guest spots around the world, Anshin’s work is filled with vivid colours and his own take on pop culture symbols.

We spoke to Anshin Anshin about the story behind his name, how he picks his colour inks, and his recommendations for staying current in today’s world!

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

The earliest I can remember is wanting to be like Dr. Alan Grant in Jurassic Park. I was around 6 years old at the time and obsessed with dinosaurs (like most kids in the 90s). I grew up in the countryside and was always digging up crap from the garden and surrounding fields, coming home covered in mud and whatever else.

I’m happy I get to draw and tattoo dinosaurs all the time now though! The hard part is catching them…

Is there a particular artist that has inspired you most throughout your career?

When I first started out, I was still heavily influenced by a lot of illustrators that I had been following over the years. I think the first tattoo artist I can remember really admiring was Naoki Okamotov in Osaka. I was (and am) a bit of a Japan nerd, and often looked at artists over there.

Naoki has just always seemed to do his own thing; they’re his own designs through and through. I always wanted people to look at my work and know exactly who did it too. I’m lucky enough to work with him in Japan these days.

Where did the name Anshin Anshin come from?

‘Anshin’ is a Japanese word that basically means peace of mind. It can be said repeatedly as a kind of mantra. It’s also said a number of times by a character in one my favourite movies, Tekkonkinkreet.

Like many, the pandemic took a toll on my mental health and after the long break I wanted to “rebrand” myself and start anew. I batted around a few ideas, but Anshin Anshin just seemed to fit.

How do you describe your tattoo art style?

It’s something I get asked a lot, and something I still have trouble answering. I see a few artists coming up with their own styles and giving them names also. Recently I have simply started calling it “New Bold”.

I’m not saying people have never done such bold linework before, but that it tends to come under a different category like “tribal” or “blackwork”.

If anyone has any ideas my DMs are open!

How long have you worked at Blue Dragon Tattoo Studio?

I have been working at Blue Dragon for about a decade now. I also did my apprenticeship there - the time has gone by crazy fast! I enjoy moving around a bit more these days and hope to do more guest spots, travelling, and perhaps some conventions. The Blue Dragon has always been home though. 

How do you choose the colour inks for your tattoos, especially your glitch-style pieces?

Years ago, I used a much larger variety of colours in my work compared to today. I think I’ve just whittled it down over time to a neat little group out of convenience. I use about 3 or 4 colours which are taken from a Western traditional palette, and 2 colours for the glitch work.

The two glitch colours took some trial and error to get right. I now mix them myself to get the tone that I like. I’ll also adjust them depending on the skin tone I’m dealing with.

Having a cupboard full of inks that need shaking and go out of date isn’t something I have to worry about anymore thankfully!

Do you prefer to work with pop culture themes, or totally original pieces?

I like to work with both for sure! I do love a lot of pop culture themes, especially anything video game related, though that’s just one part of me. I love doing dark blackwork and anything related to the occult or religion too!

I enjoy being given a fresh idea by the customer and then given the freedom to put an Anshin twist on it. It’s a good way to keep things interesting and make some really original pieces that I would have never thought of on my own.

Do you ever work on collaboration pieces? And is there anyone you would like to collaborate with?

I have yet to work on a collaboration with an artist within tattooing, but it’s something I'm definitely interested in. There are a lot of artists that I would like to work with but most of the time it’s just logistically impossible with distance and travelling. I’d like to work on some smaller collaboration pieces that can be done in a single session - I don’t see a lot of that happening but it sounds way more fun to me!

I think whacking some big black outlines around someone else’s realism would be a lot of fun and we could make something really interesting.

I’m certainly open to suggestions if anyone is interested!

How do you find inspiration for your designs?

Finding inspiration can be tricky at times. I try to keep myself busy with a variety of things so I’m not just thinking about tattooing all the time. I find taking time out with my wife and travelling can really help refresh my mind.

We spend a lot of time in Japan and I think it would be difficult not to take at least some inspiration home. I’m grateful to be able to work out there and see things from different artists’ perspectives. You can get buckets of inspiration from guest spots abroad!

I also try to collect as many reference books as possible, though I should probably look at them more often…

Can you tell us about when you tattooed Kiefer Sutherland?

Of course! He was playing a show with his band in Brighton and had booked the studio out for the whole day in advance. We closed the blinds, locked the door, and spent the day tattooing the band members and Kiefer himself.

I figured if I was ever going to mess up a tattoo it would be that day! Once the initial nerves had settled down it was just like chatting to any down-to-earth human being.

The most surreal part was afterwards; simply having a pint with him in the local.

What advice do you give to your clients about healing?

I don’t think I say anything different to most tattooists. Clean and cream. My tattoos are put together in the same way as most traditional tattoos are, I don’t use any particularly large needle groupings like some people expect and there’s no extra trauma to the skin in any way.

I have also recently started using Dermalize which I would recommend clients get for themselves as it can really speed up the healing process. 

Do you have any words of wisdom for the apprentice tattoo artists out there?

I thought the tattoo industry was difficult to crack when I started, so I can’t imagine what it’s like starting out now!I just assume everyone I meet is a tattooist until they tell me otherwise. Sure the equipment is far more accessible than it ever has been, but at the same time it means everybody is at it!

I think keeping up with the tech and doing something different are both key - like iPads, wireless tattoo pens, social media etc. Don’t be afraid to try the new stuff; it’s never been easier to fall behind.

What is your favourite tattoo that you’ve done in the last year?

My favourite tattoo was a huge, traditional heart and dagger with some of the biggest lines I’ve ever done. The simple fun in my work is just doing something way bigger than it “should” be. I’d like to do more work like that. Not just oversized lines but just generally oversized pieces.

What would your ideal tattoo session be like?

I guess it really depends on how I’m feeling from day to day. Most of the time I just need some good hip-hop, video game chat and bold lines. I like to keep things as simple and stress-free as possible, so I always send the design to the client in advance. I prefer it if we both know exactly what’s being done on the day and we can just get straight down to it. I know every tattooist is different but personally I’m not a fan of drawing and redesigning directly before the appointment.

Which tattoo artists are doing amazing work right now?

Such a difficult question to answer! I think we are in a super exciting period of tattooing right now with so many new and incredible tattoo artists popping up every day! I also feel artists are switching up styles more than ever these days, so someone could be doing something completely different next year.  

Judging from my own social media feeds, a few of my favourite tattoo artists right now are Ujin, Bastian Blau, Aleksandra Voziakova and Guy Le Tattooer. Some incredible creative freedom in all of their work!

Can you talk us through your workstation please?

This probably would have been a much more interesting answer in the first 10 years of my career. My entire workstation has gotten smaller and smaller over the years and I’m happy to keep going with the flow!

Currently I use a Dragonhawk Fold Pro tattoo pen. It’s lightweight with an adjustable throw, meaning I can switch it up on the fly without losing time. No laugh out loud prices either. For some reason I move around quite a lot when tattooing so going completely wireless just made sense and I haven’t looked back once.

The guys over at Pepax are nice enough to hook me up with real nice, high quality Lance cartridges too, really can’t fault them.

Panthera for lining, Panthera XXX for solid black with Eternal/Fusion colours. I wouldn’t want to give too much away, but most experienced tattoo artists already know what I use, and it isn’t anything extraordinary at all!

How many tattoos do you have, and which is your favourite?

I’d guess I’m around 70% covered at the moment. Still plenty of space for new pieces!

I didn’t get tattooed at all for a couple of years on the run up to and throughout the pandemic. Since things have opened up again, I’ve been trying to be more active about getting new pieces and finishing others.

My favourite at the moment is my most recent. I was fortunate enough to get a full head piece from Francesco Capro. It was quite a long, painful day, but it was 100% worth it.

It’s based on traditional Croatian tattoos from as early as the 1500s and has some really interesting history behind it. Aside from that, I’ve just really admired this style since I saw some of Francesco’s previous pieces from a while back.

Do you have any conventions or guest spots lined up for 2024?

I did a lot of traveling in 2023 and I think I’m still taking a breather. I will be using this month to book and organize the rest of 2024 including some European and US dates.

I’ll be posting dates on my socials as soon as possible!

What do you enjoy doing outside of tattooing?

When you’re doing custom pieces every day, there isn’t much time left outside of drawing designs and working I use that time to listen to hours and hours of music, podcasts and audiobooks though. I’m always listening to someone talking or singing throughout the day.

Free time will be spent with my wife either playing video games or getting away from it all in nature with a few days camping here and there.

I think it’s difficult for most full-time tattoo artists to completely switch off, but it’s important to get away from it sometimes.

What does the future hold for Anshin Anshin?

I’m just going to keep my head down and keep trusting myself, just keep on doing what I’m doing. People often tell me to do “this” and do “that” and nothing ever seems to come of it. Since rebranding myself I’ve been keeping an open mind about doing what makes me happy, and my career and general state of mind has been infinitely healthier.

I want to develop and evolve this “New Bold” style further and keep the ball rolling as much as possible. I feel like this is still just the first stage of it and there’s a lot more that can be done.

I’m sure 2024 holds some new and exciting changes and I’m genuinely looking forward to it!

We hope you’ve enjoyed our chat with Anshin Anshin – check out more of his work on Instagram or Facebook, or look at who else is working alongside him at Blue Dragon Tattoo Studio in Brighton!