Today we’d like to introduce you to Damian Reign.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I knew I wanted to be a tattoo artist the second I walked into a tattoo studio for the first time. The environment, people, and atmosphere were unlike anything I’d ever seen. I’d been around tattoos my whole life; My dad was in a band, and tattoo sessions on the couch weren’t uncommon, but this was different. When I got my first taste of what a professional tattoo setting was, I decided right there what my dream was. The journey there, however, proved to be a long one.
To pay for college, I worked on deep-sea fishing boats in the Gulf of Mexico, sometimes at sea for days at a time. One day on land, I went with my captain while he got his back tattoo done. The artists there liked some of the work I had in my sketchbook and offered me an opportunity for an apprenticeship. The timing wasn’t right though; I wasn’t on land enough and still needed to return to college. I declined.
After coming back to Dallas, I started getting tattoos at a little shop in Haslet with a collection of uniquely talented artists. The owner gave me another opportunity to take an apprenticeship. I didn’t want to miss another chance. I worked for a year with no pay picking up coffees and running errands until I finally got to wield my first tattoo machine. I worked at that shop for a few months before I wound up being sought after by a shop in Dallas.
Since coming to Dallas Tattoo and Arts, I have been meeting so many cool people and have had so many amazing experiences. As my career has progressed, there’s so much to look forward to that I just feel really blessed to have been welcomed into the tattoo world. I’ve got a lot of love for a lot of people here.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My life before tattooing was anything but smooth sailing (quite literally in some cases). There were hardships and plans that didn’t work out, Not to mention that working for free for a year is not for the faint of heart. I feel like the rewards of hard work would go unrecognized without all the suffering.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a tattoo/body artist and painter. I specialize in a blend of old-school American traditional and neotrad/ new school elements, or what I like to call it New Old School
What are your plans for the future?
I’m planning on doing quite a bit of traveling so that I can learn from amazingly talented artists from around the world
Pricing:
- Minimum price is $100
- Hourly rate is $200
Contact Info:
