Inked Mag Staff

March 1st, 2017

Mike Rubendall: Made in the ’90s

World-class tattoo artist, Mike Rubendall, came up in the ’90s era of tattooing, where things like the Internet weren’t available and Photoshop had still not made its way into tattoo shops.…

World-class tattoo artist, Mike Rubendall, came up in the ’90s era of tattooing, where things like the Internet weren’t available and Photoshop had still not made its way into tattoo shops. Every design Rubendall and other artists of that time created were done through “real” research, like scouring newsstands and library book shelves for reference material. Although it was a difficult time to come up in, it gave the Kings Avenue Tattoo artist the opportunity to expand his portfolio, transcending various styles of tattooing. You see, back in those days, you took whatever tattoo request came through the door—Japanese, black and grey, lettering—whatever it took to get that work in. All of which made Rubendall the exemplary artist that he is today.

We checked in with Rubendall to get some insight on his early days in tattooing, his process when working on complex tattoos like large-scale pieces and Japanese work, his thoughts on tattoo reality shows, as well as get the scoop on his upcoming book publishing project.

Flip through the slideshow to see what Rubendall had to say in our exclusive interview by Yallzee.

One example of this would be the first tattoo you did on me, where you freehanded a perfect dark imagery around some work by Toxyc, Robert Hernandez and Victor Portugal. Overall, how was it for you as an artist going that far from your preferred style?
It’s not always easy, but it is always challenging. In that particular case, I was challenged with making something work with a very unique and limited space. I needed to create something that worked with your existing tattoos. A piece that will be interesting enough on its own, but that could hopefully compliment your other tattoos, and ultimately maximize the space. I wanted to make sure the tattoo did not stand out in a negative way, which can easily happen when you’re tattooing next to beautiful work. It’s funny how things work, in a sea of beautiful tattoos it’s natural for the shitty one to stand out [laughs]. My ultimate goal was to not to be the shitty one [laughs].

Large-scale tattoos are a whole lot of work when you are creating custom designs. You need to consider things like placement, body flow, composition and actually draw. Not to mention choosing color palette and the use of light and shadow on your own for being a custom design without the use of any reference (most times). How is your creative process when designing a tattoo like this? What do you feel is the hardest, challenging and more satisfactory part of the process?
It’s taken me many years of trial and error when it comes to designing large-scale tattoos. I do not use computers or Photoshop—everything is hand drawn. I’m not discrediting the people that use Photoshop or computer program methods to design tattoos—it’s just something I’m not familiar with. Hand drawing is how I’ve always done it and, to be honest, I’m hooked on the whole handmade thing. It’s fulfilling to me to know that I’ve created something by hand and put a part of me into it on some level. I design one-of-a-kind tattoos, tailored for each individual. I do still reference and research many of the subjects I’m working on. I’m still learning new things every day and every body shape/part is unique in its own way so it’s always different, always challenging.

I will typically take a photo of the part of the body that I will be designing for and enlarge it on the photocopier to fit inside the dimensions of a small sized sheet of paper. This gives me a lot of freedom to do multiple rough thumbnails fast and figure out shapes and flow for the area on a small scale. Once I decide on a direction I’m comfortable with, I will enlarge the copy once again to a sufficient size and work on the main images. At this stage I concentrate on the main subjects in regard to proportion, detail and movement with the body. I keep building onto the design—refining the drawing after the draft, each one getting closer to the final product. I will sometimes enlarge the photo a few more times during this process. Once I’m satisfied with all aspects of the design, and I have finalized the drawing, I’m ready to stencil. With every tattoo I make, I will only stencil the main images and freehand all of the background onto the body. This is a method that I feel is so crucial when tailoring a design for a tattoo. For me it needs to look like that person was born with that piece, it looks natural with every movement and that the space is maximized. Obviously some cases are more successful than others but each time should be better than the last. I need to draw the background on the client to be certain it works with the contour of the client’s body and there is continuity throughout the work on the body. This technique gives a very natural flow and is what, in my opinion, gives the piece that gracefulness and yet has that raw power that I constantly strive to achieve in my work. Some things just simply don’t look as good when they are stenciled, it really could potentially limit the overall look and create a lot of compositional tension.

I’ve seen so many large-scale works from you lately—full arm/leg sleeves, back pieces, ribs, chest pieces—which is really amazing since not many people have the commitment to get these kinds of large-scale work and many just go for a one sitting piece. Is that what you are focused on these days? Are you currently working or looking to work on any full-body suit?
Large-scale tattooing is something I’ve been drawn to, and I’m very fortunate to have practiced most of my career. It’s not a recent focus, it’s something I’ve always worked hard at and tried to figure out what makes it all work. Bodysuits and large-scale tattooing have always been so fascinating for me because it’s a tremendously difficult task to achieve a readable well-executed tattoo. A piece that’s clear when looking at it from across the room. There are so many variables to take into consideration. There are technical aspects, artistic aspects, design, layout, composition, color theory, proportion, etc., etc.

Now consider all of this is going to be applied on a living/breathing person. That person’s skin—could be “good skin” or “bad skin”—they could be moving around during the session. There are so many variables when dealing with a moving/living canvas. Once all is complete, you then hope that tattoo will stand the test of time. It’s a lot to juggle—it’s fucking insane! Tattooing is an extremely difficult medium and it’s a heavy obligation for tattooers if you think about it. To do something so permanent, on a massive scale, juggling all of the things I’ve just mentioned on someone that chose you amongst many others, and to make it perfect, nothing less. With the risk of sounding sappy, I take that pretty serious, and I’m grateful to be in the position I’m in. I’ve been tattooing now for 20 years, and I still try really hard to make people happy.

Like many who love Japanese tattoos and art, I love finger waves. There is something about it that is just powerful, beautiful and gives me a feeling of freedom at the same time. Your finger waves are not only great, but also, one of my favorites. Also, they have something that you can tell they are Rubendall’s waves. What is it that’s so intriguing about finger waves?
Well, I must say it’s one of my favorite things to do. If I had to choose only one thing to tattoo for the rest of my life, it would have to be finger waves. They intrigue me as well. They lend themselves so well to tattooing and can really compliment the human figure. Most of the other Japanese backgrounds do as well, but waves in particular have something a little bit more special about them. Finger waves were one of the first elements I was hell-bent on figuring out when I first became interested in Japanese work. I think it was because I was really, really bad at drawing them, to the point where I was embarrassed. It was very early in my career so I was in fact embarrassed with a lot of my work. Thankfully so, because it forced me to figure a lot of things out early on that I still utilize today. Back then my level of drawing was lacking a lot to say the least. I had this theory, if I can figure out the Japanese background thing and get good at it, I can rely on that alone to strengthen the tattoo. I had hopes that if I had drawn a piece that wasn’t so good, and I did some killer background around it, then the background could potentially pull the piece out of the fire and it could end up being a good tattoo. Background alone is very appealing to the eye when it’s done nicely. Again, relying on having background work with the shapes of the body to create a certain energy and flow will make or break a tattoo. This was and is my theory; people might disagree however this was the idea that worked well for me to create as you call “Rubendall’s Waves.”

Not only in Japanese inspired tattoos, but in any large scale flow, composition and good harmony between the subject(s) and the element(s) are the most important thing to take into consideration. What advice would you give to those artists who are looking to enter into this field of back piece, sleeve, etc.?
Study the ones you admire or aspire to be like one day. Take baby steps. Tattoos aren’t something you want to take a giant swing at and fall flat on your face. Obviously for your own sake, but most of all the sake of the clients. Yes, failing is good at times and very necessary to grow, but you need to be honest with yourself and stretch yourself within good reason. It’s like anything and everything, start small, work at it, and build up to what you desire to do or be. There’s no magic pill. It takes thousands of hours of deliberate practice to master anything. If you want it, you’ll need to work your ass off for it and make it happen. None of this was easy for me. It’s been a long, hard road to get where I am, and I do not have any natural talent that took me here. It’s all been worth the heartache, sacrifice and failures because I love tattooing and tattooing has helped shape me to be who I am today. Unfortunately, people have the misconception that people’s success was “God-given,” they are “lucky” or “gifted” or they got an easy break somewhere along their journey. Those are the people that only see the end of the movie and not the middle or beginning chapters where you’re shoveling shit against the tides year after year. It’s simple, there’s no substitute for hard work. It took me ages to realize that. I mean I grasped the concept at a young age and through my upbringing, the important relationship between effort and reward. But I never realized the impact of truly working hard. I just thought, yeah, everyone works hard, so what? Nope, that’s not the case at all. A good friend of mine told me something so valuable one time. He said, “People don’t always recognize opportunity because it’s dressed up as hard work.” That was it for me—things were much clearer after that. Working hard is something I can do. Now, it’s just a matter of what I should focus on and where to direct that energy.

Artists not only get inspired by other artists, many would also find inspiration in places, nature, photography, music, even in every day people. What or who inspired you as an artist back when you started tattooing, and what/who inspires you today?
The list of inspirational people that have influenced me over the years is endless. Generally speaking, I try to stay surrounded with good quality people that in a lot of ways, on many different levels, subsequently make me a better person. I’m attracted to and admire people that are highly motivated and have achieved success on some level with hard work and tenacity. That’s what inspires me, seeing people that have a lot of positive qualities, which are capable of anything they put their mind to and actually achieve the goals they set out to achieve. That alone inspires me to work on qualities or skills that might not necessarily be my strong points. I might catch some shit for this, but believe it or not, I’ve found a lot of really helpful information and insightful ideas in some personal development books/seminars that I’ve come across. They have given me a lot of inspiration as well as tools that I am able to use and implement in my every day life.

What are your thoughts on tattoo TV shows?
This is a question I hear a lot, however, I don’t often voice my opinion. I get mixed views on this topic when it is brought up. I personally have both negative and positive feelings about the issue as well. The reality is that it is a part of today’s tattoo industry. It happened without our control and, at times, unfortunately, without proper guidance. It’s happening whether I like it or not. It has many pros and many cons. At the end of the day, no matter how you slice it, there are a lot of very busy tattooers out there today because of tattoo shows. Despite what people like to believe, the exposure of tattooing on TV has helped increase tattoo popularity and make them more “accepted” to the general public. As a result, more people are getting tattooed. I hear artists constantly complain about it, not realizing they would be sitting around waiting for tattoos to walk through the door like the old days if tattooing wasn’t so popular. Not to mention the new generation of tattooers who bash the TV thing. They’ve only been tattooing for a few years and do not recognize the fact that they most likely would have never thought of the idea of becoming a tattooer if tattoos weren’t so popular and accepted. I feel like it’s one of those things that are a necessary evil. You have to get involved if you want to make a difference. If you don’t like something or are so strongly against it, then do something about it to change it. If you’re not involved in some capacity, then you can never change it, therefore don’t complain about it, just accept it and be thankful for what you have.

Listen, did I love coming up and tattooing in the tattoo world how it was in the ’90s? Yes! Absolutely! And, I’m happy to have experienced that time, but as sad as it is, those times have passed. That time is a great part of history that we can’t ever get back. We can learn from the past for sure, but we can’t turn back time. You don’t have to agree with tattoo TV, but by crossing your arms and stomping your feet it isn’t going to change or stop anything. Fellow tattooers and I have done some consulting for one show in particular. Our goal is to influence the production enough to hopefully shift things in a positive direction and shed the proper light that the tattoo industry deserves. It doesn’t need to be a fucking circus to be a good show. We are sincerely trying to get the right messages out there, but only time will tell if we are succeeding. If tattooers that actually care aren’t involved then there is no chance for the right guidance and therefore there will be no change. Tattooing is bigger than it’s ever been. It’s now being recognized in the high art world as a legitimate art form. There have been major tattoo exhibits in fine art galleries and museums throughout the world. It’s amazing how far this art form has come. Finally, its potential is being realized.

How often are you working on other art mediums? Are there any new projects you’d like to tell us about?

It is rare that I work on art for myself these days. At most, twice a year, as tattooing and drawing for my clients consumes my time. I still tattoo five full days a week, and I luckily manage to spend some time with my wife and three kids, which is very important to me.

There is a new project I am currently working on. I’m in the process of publishing a book on tattoo symbology called Cor Mysterium. My co-worker, Matt Beckerich, and I have created a publishing company called NeverSleepNYC in hopes to fulfill our vision of what we would want to see in a tattoo book, and then to publish it accordingly. It will involve 200-plus one-of-a-kind creations from some of our closest friends and artists that we have tremendous respect for. We are honored to have legendary Mike McCabe and Don Ed Hardy involved with the editing and writings for the book, as well as contributing an original piece of art. This was all built on the idea that it is our responsibility as tattooers to continue nurturing this forever-evolving art form that we love, otherwise it will eventually die. Our goal is to pass along the great stories we all have, the art, the meaning behind it all and why we do what we do to generations to come. In addition, we hope to help steer tattooing as a whole, in a direction towards higher cultural value, in a more educated and meaningful approach to the craft. We are guided by relentless focus on the core values and passion that shaped us into the tattooers that we are today. As always, we will strive to implement the critical initiatives required to achieve our vision and give to the world something we truly believe in.

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