In this episode of 'Chats and Tatts,' host Aaron Della Vedova interviews tattoo artist Mads Thill who hails from Denmark and is well known for his large-scale black and grey realism pieces. The artist shares his unconventional start in tattooing at the age of 16, and how he began tattooing at a house party the same night he got his first kit. Despite some initial mishaps, the artist's passion for tattooing has only grown stronger. Aaron reflects on the artist's incredible work and invites listeners who love tattoos to tune in for an inspiring conversation.

The chat breakdown:

[00:01:28] Large format tattooing.

[00:05:38] Beginning of the new generation.

[00:07:20] The tattooing industry in Denmark.

[00:11:00] Tattooing adventures and memories.

[00:13:30] Tattooing used to be like joining a gang.

[00:16:38] Crazy years in tattooing.

[00:18:36] Creativity in tattoo collaborations.

[00:21:12] Balancing client control and trust.

[00:26:00] Oldest tattoo studio in Copenhagen.

[00:27:08] Tattoo artist's wild hustle.

[00:30:30] Tattoos and rebellion.

[00:34:00] The shift to using cartridges.

[00:36:08] Tattooing in the digital age.

[00:39:04] AI-generated creative ideas.

[00:42:06] Fusion with machine learning.

[00:45:08] Tattooers and digital art.

[00:48:30] Remote tattooing and creative retreats.

[00:52:00] Traveling and tattooing in nature.

[00:53:58] Travel and creativity.

[00:56:52] Expanding horizons beyond tattooing.

Quotes:

"Never forget that people, we're nothing without the people who love tattoos."

"I mean some of the best ideas I've ever had in a tattoo were given to me by the client"

"There's this like balance how to earn trust"

"I think a big reason we're seeing better and better illustrations is cause the iPad"

"I mean there's a limit to how many novel ideas you can spit out in a day"

"I think most people won't give a shit as long as it looks rad they're going to want it"

"I just think you'd be a fool not to be a little concerned about what's happened in the last 10 years. The next 10 are gonna be crazy"

Connect with Mads:

IG: https://www.instagram.com/madsthill/

Mads @ Guru Tattoo: https://www.gurutattoo.com/mads-thill