Today we’d like to introduce you to John.
Hi John, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My name is John Pagnam. I’m a professional tattooer, painter and illustrator. Long story short, I graduated high school in 2003, got into residential home building and carpentry, got laid off in 2008 during the global financial crisis. In 2009 is when I started my tattoo apprenticeship. From there I got into commission illustration and painting along with my tattoo career. As of this year 2026 that makes 17 years making art for a living.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Of course it wasn’t a smooth road. Being an entrepreneur is not a straight line. There’s a ton of work upfront with the reward coming later. Most of your struggles will be internal. The dedication, discipline, self-belief and avoiding all the temptation that will try and trap you along the way as you reach one milestone after another. The struggle of learning to go with the ebbs and flows of creativity, motivation, and desire and the inevitable burnouts. So many lessons that only time and experience can teach.
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 am a professional tattooer, painter and illustrator. I am known for black and grey illustrative tattoos, color realism oil paintings and black and white illustrations and portraits. I’m most proud to bring the style and subject matter I love to people who share and love the same things. What sets me apart from other artists is probably the social experience for clients. It’s not a must but if you love to laugh and have engaging conversation I’m here for it.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
You can reach me by email at jpagnam15@gmail.com or instagram: jpagnam_art.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://johnpagnam.com
- Instagram: jpagnam_art
- Facebook: John Pagnam
