wear your heart on your sleeve

WINGING IT

A photo essay following tattoo artist Jake Shroeder of Keith Duggan's Ink Dynasty working on a finch tattoo that was accompanied by a free-hand, thin black line around his long-time client's wrist.

Award-winning Tattoo Artist Jake Schroeder began apprenticing under Keith Duggan at Keith Duggan’s Ink Dynasty in Pismo Beach in 2007. He described the year-long apprenticeship as one of the hardest things he’s ever done, adding that he only had about eight days off through its duration. Renee Periat, CEO and founder of Androgynous Fox clothing line, talks with Tattoo Artist Jake Schroeder on Oct. 11 at Keith Duggan’s Ink Dynasty, to explain final design changes in her tattoo. The finches that she’s showing him are now what she’d like to have tattooed on her wrist, along with a freehand line going around the wrist like a bracelet. Tattoo artists working at Keith Duggan’s Ink Dynasty will work on their designs in this back room. The light table and roll of velum paper seen in the lower right-hand corner allow the artist to rework their own designs or trace reference work that a client brings in. Tattoo Artist Jake Schroeder begins drawing a decorative line under the finch he will tattoo on CEO and founder of Androgynous Fox, Renee Periat, at Keith Duggan’s Ink Dynasty on Oct. 11. Periat said that “about 95 percent” of her tattoos were done by Schroeder, both because she appreciates his style and wants her tattoos to look consistent. Tattoo Artist Jake Schroeder keeps his station at Keith Duggan’s Ink Dynasty clean, but adds a personal touch by hanging photos of his 7-month-old daughter Mavis — who just recently learned how to crawl — on the wall. Tattoo Artist Jake Schroeder begins tattooing a finch on CEO and founder of Androgynous Fox clothing line, Renee Periat on Oct. 11 at Keith Duggan’s Ink Dynasty. Schroeder, originally from Paso Robles, began drawing tattoos in high school for his friends, and said he got “hooked” on them after he got his first tattoo: a pair of revolvers on his chest. The first tattoo he gave another person was a Queen Mary ship on a client’s leg. Renee Periat, CEO and founder of Androgynous Fox clothing line, examines the finalized version of her finch tattoo, created by Tattoo Artist Jake Schroeder on Oct. 11 at Keith Duggan’s Ink Dynasty. The tattoo took under half an hour altogether. The longest Schroeder has ever spent tattooing in one sitting was about eight hours for a back piece.



FRESH CANVAS

A video interview with tattoo artist Danny Derrick, owner of San Luis Tattoo Co., explaining the importance of originallity in tattoos while working on a client's first piece.

UNDER THE SKIN

A series of short interviews asking people about their first tattoos, including where they chose to be inked and why.




INKLING

A quick breakdown of how the up-and-coming millenial generation is approaching body art, including what influences them to get more or fewer tattoos.




A THIN LINE

Are tattoos really a "have it your way" deal? Or should people looking into getting a tattoo have to consider whether their tattoos are culturally appropriative?