Wes – Tough Love Tattoo Studio

Wes learned tattooing through an apprenticeship in Essex and initially, took an interest in illustrative style tattooing, based on his drawings that merge animals with objects. Over the last year he became drawn to traditional work using big lines, bold colour and heavy blackwork. Inspired by artists such as Dali, Hieronymus Bosch and Alex Pardee, he creates vastly, colourful worlds and stories on skin, reminiscent to a New School-Surrealism style.

Growing up in Scarborough, Wes studied Art at Westwood College. He then went on to study Art and Design in Essex and achieve a First-Class Degree. He pushed himself in different directions and experimented with painting, sculpture and illusion but found himself working mostly with pen and ink. After a few years he found himself a studio for his apprenticeship, where he worked primarily as a walk in tattooist but wanted to push himself into bespoke, custom work and build a client base with interesting and unique ideas.

He returned to Scarborough to escape the hustle and bustle of city life and joined the team at Tough Love Tattoo Studio. Wes loves to create his own designs, but also enjoys working with people on custom work to create the perfect blend of the client needs and his own style and ideas. There is no such thing as too weird or wonderful as far as he is concerned and wont shy away from a design challenge.