Trust and understanding the tattoo artist’s work style is key to a successful tattoo. That’s what Mark Drushchenko (instagram) thinks. Mark spoke with us about his style and his beginnings in photography as well as the uniqueness of his work.
We are interested in your story and history.
Hello, I’m Mark Drushchenko, I’m 27 and I’ve been tattooing for the last 5 years. I was raised in a small Siberian village. I’ve liked drawing since childhood and could spend hours doing this. My parents saw my love for drawing at a young time. I went to an artist school which led me to making tattoos.
What was your journey to discover your style? How did it inspire you? How do you define your style?
At the outset of my career I tried different styles – made traditional tattoos, graphic, sketch, for a while I worked in realism. But I’d been having a gut feeling to make interesting and creative projects so I didn’t really like working in realism in terms of technique: a minimum of freedom, a minimum of emotional engagement, I took it as just copying somebody’s picture to a body. I’d always been drawing surrealist plots, occasionally even with geometry details. I did what I liked, and I was good at these kinds of drawings. They were beautiful and the process was enjoyable. About since 2019 I’ve started to focus on creating my drawings and ideas in tattoos more and more, developing my style. Now I’ve naturally come to this awareness, form and expression. It’s complicated to give a name to the work style because it combines a lot, I think it’s surrealism and abstraction in total.
You really know how to incorporate humans emotions into art and it doesn’t look boring or “already seen” It seems like each piece has a special storyline. It’s fascinating and symbolic. Which are your preferred methods for creating your designs.
Yes, including emotions and meaning into a tattoo is a part of my creative task for each new project and that’s what I like. For me, making a design isn’t just a selection of photos, first of all it’s a creative and intellectual process. Each new work is always a new storyline, new motive and meaning so I can’t give a priority to one thing. I can say that it’s more pleasant with positive meaning and my favorite tattoo is each next one.
What is your best source of inspiration?
According to me, art is the best source of inspiration. Reading literature, visiting exhibitions, museums and watching other tattoo artists’ works, you expand your worldview and you expand your horizons for the creation of something new.
Your work must reflect your artistic side.
Yes, as for me it’s crucial to be an artist. Creative approach is much more important when I’m able to make an experiment with a composition, this work mustn’t be boring after a while. Although when I see a tattoo that was well made, for example, a portrait, I’m always amazed. It’s really cool, just not my thing.
You make unique projects, your approach is creative and we’re interested if you think a tattoo may be a kind of art.
It is greatly appreciated that you have high praise for me and my art. The question should be asked to everyone who is interested. Tattoo has been a part of human culture from long ago and the answer to the question “Tattoo – is it an art or it isn’t?” lies in the boundary of trade and art. In our interests, to overcome this boundary and that’s why we should bring something special into sketches to get not just copying of a picture or a stock picture on a skin but an original and interesting project.
Mark Drushchenko: Instagram
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