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Sep 28, 2023

'I quit my job of 17 years and now tattoo celebs on people's bodies'

Elvis, Michael Jackson and Del Boy from Only Fools and Horses among the subjects

Elvis, Michael Jackson and Del Boy from Only Fools and Horses among the subjects Craig James has inked onto clients

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Sitting below a small fraction of Craig James's awards on a wall, it is easy to see why he is a favourite in the tattooing community. His art work adorns the tattoo studio he owns in Wolverhampton - and the level of detail is first class.

The artist is well-known for his tattoo portraits of celebrities and loved ones adorned on hundreds of people across the country. But this wasn't always Craig's career path. The dad-of-two worked for British Steel for 17 years after his love of art was quashed at school by teachers who said he could never make a career of it.

Craig decided to pick up a pencil again when he was around 30 after not doing so for a decade. He began drawing portraits to sell - but realised he would never make enough to support his young family.

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It was only after seeing American tattoo artist Kat Von D on television that Craig realised he could draw portraits on people in the form of tattoos. He spent a year reading up before completing his first piece on a friend - a portrait of his two children.

Craig said: "It came out really well and I'm still proud of it - my friend still talks to me so it must be OK!"

The self-taught tattoo artist now owns New Ink tattoo studio in Wolverhampton. Speaking about his start in the industry, the 45-year-old told BlackCountryLive: "I'm self-taught so I sat and read books about the technical side of it for a year. I didn't want to end up causing someone damage to their skin.

"I was always seen as the best at drawing in my school but then it was never seen as a good career choice. My art teacher wanted me to do an art GCSE early but the headteacher didn't allow it. I wasn't that academic and it was made out that a career in art would never make money."

Craig decided to make a change when he had a slight falling out with someone at work. "At the time he really annoyed me but looking back now he gave me the kick up the bum to do something else," he said.

"I wanted to do something I knew I was good at and that I enjoyed and that pointed me straight back to art. So I started drawing portraits again. It took me twice the amount of time it should have done because I was so out of practice.

"I started to enjoy it but I realised it took me so long to do that it wouldn't make any money. I had a wife and child to support so I needed a good income.

"I was watching TV one day and saw a show with Kat Von D. She was doing a portrait tattoo and I thought 'no way I didn't know you could do portrait tattoos.' So I decided to try that."

Craig said his wife, Donna, supported his decision to make such a huge career change. "The first award I won was a thank you to Donna for supporting me through such a big change. It was for a Robin I tattooed on her in memory of my mom," he said.

"Awards don't necessarily make you something special but you get competitive with them. I won best of show at a big London show and that made my legs wobble!

"People look at the awards and know you are good at what you're doing. Everyone has to do something different to stand out and competitions are what I feel most comfortable doing."

Someone once asked Craig to tattoo "your name" on their backside - but he now sticks to portraits. Some of his favourites include Michael Jackson and Del Boy from Only Fools and Horses.

The average portrait tattoo takes Craig around five to six hours. And he has tattooed one on himself, inking Elvis Presley on his thigh upside down.

Covid took a toll on the business, and energy bills have quadrupled as the cost-of-living crisis rumbles on. But Craig says he loves his job regardless.

"Costs are ludicrous at the moment. Our energy bills have quadrupled. It has made it difficult to be fair, you have to increase prices which I don't like doing. But I love getting to do a job that is so different everyday and so enjoyable.

"I will never tell my kids they just need to get a job, you need to do something you enjoy."

He added that the tattoo industry as a whole needs more regulation. "You could set up a tattoo studio tomorrow as long as you knew about cross contamination, " he said. "The government really dismisses tattooing and it is looked at a bit like a rogue business."

You can view Craig's work on Instagram here.

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