Megan Wagner: Sunday Post 10-5-08

Jesse Smith

Smith and his family moved around a lot while growing up since his father was in the military. His father still lives in Germany, where Jesse went to high school. Smith learned to tattoo in Newport News where a scratcher (someone who tattoos out of their house) taught him how to make a tattoo machine, described by Jesse as “ghetto”. Smith enjoyed the idea of putting his art on someone and having it stay with them the rest of their lives, but he did not plan on really becoming a tattoo artist. After doing a lot of free tattoo work, he bought a professional machine, put together a portfolio, and hunted for a job among the local shops. Six months after each and every shop rejected him, he tried again and landed a position. Smith has since won a string of awards from festivals, magazines, and conventions, mostly first and second place. He currently tattoos at Ghostprint Gallery, which has a gallery in the front and a tattoo studio in the back. His work is known for it’s vibrant colors and usually has a cartoon-y style. To have a piece done by Jesse, a non-refundable deposit must be made, and he’s booked months in advance. His artwork always flows with the shape of the body, and he makes sure to find out plenty of background information about his client before designing the tattoo so it can be as personal as possible. He does intricate shading and very fine detail work that makes large pieces so mesmerizing and impossible to ingest without really spending some time looking closely. He pays great attention to lighting, especially in the more dramatic pieces, which is often not evident in other tattoo artists.