Tattoo Creepers: James Tran

 This weeks featured artist is James Tran from Full Circle Tattoo in San Diego, CA. James customized the Black & White TUKskin™ 3-Buckle Pointed Creeper Boots.

To check out more of his work head to his Instagram 

Tell me about yourself-

Hello, my name is James Tran, I go as Visualamor on Instagram, originally from the suburbs of Los Angeles, I now live and work in San Diego at Full Circle Tattoo.

How long have you been tattooing for?

A little over 10 years now, I had a lengthy apprenticeship with Bill Canales, another contributor here with TUK and still work with him at Full Circle Tattoo.

What made you want to become a tattoo artist?

It was on a long list of things that would upset my mother, but honestly, it’s one of the most amazing jobs ever and surprises me every day.

Why did you decide to customize the boots the way you did?

I respect and appreciate all forms of tattooing, but my work mostly comprises floral themes and pop culture reference, mostly towards Japanese manga and anime. I decided to recreate Junji Ito’s Uzamaki imagery on the white part of the shoes because of the contrast and impact the imagery has with the white floral on black subtle but all over the shoe. 

How was working on this project for you?

It was fun, I rarely do things like this and have never worked on that material before. An interesting challenge, I’m sure I can figure out a better way to do this if given the opportunity.

Are you currently working on any other projects?

I had recently done a set of semi-temporary tattoos with another company @inkbox and from time to time release new shirts and merchandise, especially since tattooing has been put on halt for the time being because of Covid-19.

How long have you been an artist for?

I realized at a young age that demonstrating some sort of value or ability gets you friends, I just never thought of it as a way to make a living because of all the stigma associated with being a professional artist. I even attended SDSU for the painting and printmaking program. Tattooing is just the biggest part of my professional artistic career. 

What’s your favorite tattoo that you have & why?

I couldn't even begin to answer that. It's like asking who your favorite child is. 

Are you from San Diego? If not, why did you move here?

I was raised in the outskirts of Los Angeles county, and left immediately for the US Navy upon graduating high school. I fell in love with San Diego and made a lot of great friends here, this is home now.

How have you been keeping busy during quarantine?

Not as busy as I should be, but I am trying to take advantage of the situation, I will never have this much time off again. But my pets keep my girlfriend Alexis and I busy and on our toes, if anything its more hectic now than when things were normal, whatever that means.