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UNDERDOG TO award winner
Pawandeep
singh
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i won an award at india's biggest tattoo convention in my very first attempt, well, that's something which is certainly a result of right training.
Pawandeep Singh proved to be a very fast and dedicated learner. All he needed was a right mentor because he lacked the foundation and techniques of advanced tattooing. Within his one month of rigorous tattoo training, he made three large realistic tattoos which were astonishing and a big leap in his tattooing career.
His progress was so remarkable that he was officially sponsored at the Biggest Tattoo Convention in India, The Heartwork Tattoo Festival as a student of Aliens Tattoo School by a recently introduced student oriented program - Sponsorship Program. And that wasn't just a participation. Pawandeep gave that opportunity complete justice by bagging an award for Best Portrait Tattoo which is a big thing to achieve and is definitely not easy even for artists who have spent more than 5 years in the industry.
After his great victory and completion of his Artist's Program at Aliens Tattoo School, we did a small group discussion with Pawandeep just to understand how his overall experience was. Following is the brief conversation we had about his experience and journey from a being as a scratcher to an Award winning artist in just one month.
What made you choose art over every other stream?
~ Art has always been something I've enjoyed, I've always loved to draw. Art is my passion.
Were you always an artist?
~ Yes, I was always into art and always wanted to make a career in it.
What is your educational background?
~ I have finished my 12th grade. Post that I practiced tattooing on my own for an year and later pursued a certificate course in tattooing at Aliens Tattoo School.
How does your family respond to this choice of yours?
~ They were super supportive, specially my father. They knew I loved art and that I would do it with all my heart if given a choice to choose it as a career. They never interfered or doubted me throughout my journey. Today, after I've bagged this award and have thorough plans for my studio, they are really proud of this choice of mine.
How did you come across tattooing and what made you choose it?
~ People with tattoos always fascinated me. There was always a story behind them and that drove me towards thinking more about it. As tattooing seemed to be a great medium to take art to another level, I took it up as a full time career.
Who’s your greatest inspiration in the tattoo industry?
~ Now, Without a doubt, Sunny Bhanushali
How did you come to know about Aliens Tattoo school? What brought you here?
~ I came to know about it through advertisement. I saw an ad which showcased student work at Aliens tattoo School and just loved it. The thought that, even their students did such great tattoos just made it more certain that I wanted to learn it from them. Back then when I had started tattooing in a small space in Bhatinda, I didn't even have a tube light and a fan. I tattooed in presence of daylight. That really depressed me and got me thinking that I needed a drastic change which is only possible through right mentoring and thats what brought me here.
How is your overall experience at Aliens tattoo school?
~ That one month at Aliens was really intense. It was power packed with motivational sessions by Sunny Bhanushali, constant observation and one-on-one tattoo training.
Is it any different than what you expected? Were all your expectations met?
~ In fact it was much more than that. I hadn't imagined that I will get a chance to enter a tattoo convention so soon nor did I expect my skills to shoot up this fast. It was a game changer, trust me!
How confident are you about tattooing after finishing this course?
~ I am super confident! Participating in that convention was a huge leap and making it to the award has just brought up my confidence to another level.
What are your plans after finishing the course?
~ I want to grow my existing tattoo studio to an international level, keep participating in tattoo conventions and experiment on different tattoo styles.
Would you happily be tattooing all your life?
~ Yes, of course. It's something that gives me a different rush.
How much scope do you think tattooing has in India?
~ Well, there's a lot of scope considering that it's a style quotient and it just drives the youth crazy. And good tattoo artists are really difficult to find so there's a lot of scope for you to grow in this field.
Why should one choose to tattoo as a career? Please share your thoughts.
~ Tattooing is a great and one of the most practical mediums to turn your passion in art into a serious career option. I believe that it gives you freedom, fame and scope to travel around the world.
What were the struggles you faced while progressing through the course?
~ I didn't have enough funds at first. But I always knew it would be totally worth it. Hence, I saved and waited till I had enough funds to enrol for the course. Now that it has brought me so far, I am proud of my decision to enrol.