Dive into the world of Jesus Arellano, a visionary tattoo artist whose 15+ years in the industry are defined by passion, precision, and an unwavering pursuit of artistic growth. From his roots in Valencia, Spain, to collaborative studios across Germany, Jesus masterfully blends Black and Grey realism with Asian-inspired fantasy surrealism, creating tattoos that are both visually striking and deeply personal. In this interview, he shares his journey through the challenges of staying at the top in a competitive industry, the joy of mentoring emerging artists, and his reflections on the evolving tattoo scene. With a focus on passion, ethics, and humility, Jesus reveals the philosophy behind his work, a philosophy that sees beyond the skin to craft experiences and legacies that endure a lifetime.
How would you like to introduce yourself?
Hi, my name is Jesus Arellano from Valencia,Spain. I’m a Realism Black and Grey/Colour Artist focused on Asian/Fantasy Surrealism but always enjoying and seeking new ways of expression.
Where can your customers find you? (Please specify a city and studio.)
I’m the founder and owner since 2023 of Nomad Gallery Tattoo in Valencia, Spain. and also can often find me in Germany at Amaz Ink Tattoo, the studio I have a Partnership with and we already have four different locations around Germany in major cities such as Nurnberg, Hannover, Hamburg and Bremen.
Do you usually do guest spots? If yes, what’s your experience in doing them?
Yes! Currently I have a partnership with one of the most promising studios in Germany which is Amaz Ink Tattoo where I travel one time a month to take care of my clientele abroad. Before that I used to travel doing guest spots everywhere, doing guest spots has taken me to meet incredible places and artists and learn most of my techniques based on other artists that I’ve been meeting through this journey.
I’ve done guests in countries such as Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Austria, Germany, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, England, Ireland, among others.
How would you describe the tattoo scene in your country these days?
Currently the tattoo scene in Spain is crazy high-skill. with new outcome tendencies everyday and hungry people seeking to stand out and innovate to build a name in this competitive industry.
How would you define yourself in one word?
Passionate.
What does tattooing mean to you personally?
Tattooing for me is everything. Is everything I do, everything I am involved with, everything that represents me, a way of life and the art that has allowed me to discover the world and have everything I have till now.
At what point in your life did you decide to become a professional tattoo artist?
Early on, probably since I was 15-16 years old and I used to assist to art school I knew that I wanted to tattoo, Always were fascinated by the fact and the adrenaline of paint over people’s skins with almost no chance to mistake, that’s probably what kept more my attention about tattooing so eventually later in life I just to the step and here we are.
As a Tattoo Artist, what does your daily working routine look like?
My daily routine begins at 9:00am after I finish all my tasks at home with my wife and kid. As soon as I get to the studio I have to prepare everything and set the station for the day session to start at 10:00am till 6:00pm approx. that’s my daily session normally and after that I take around 1 hour to check all the info that my assistant have for me about bookings and other related stuff and let everything prepared for the next day so I am leaving the studio around 8:00pm and after that go back home to start with my family duties again. like this 5 days a week.
How do you determine the price of a tattoo?
That’s a complex question I would say, my prices are determined by the complexion of the piece, amount of detail and country. Because having 2 studios in two different countries I have to adapt my prices into the actual economic situation of the people, I can’t charge the same in Spain where the salaries are lower than Germany where people have a bigger income but I try to set a fair amount for everybody always making sure that people will get the best result possible to justify the investment they are doing.
What tools and machines do you prefer to use?
I will not dig into brands, because I consider that these days there are so many good brands out there that any of them can offer you a top product, I personally think that when you know your technique any tool works. Currently my setup consists of:
1 machine with a powerful stroke like 5.0mm or 4.2mm for solid areas and lines and mark contrast areas.
1 machine with a very soft stroke like 3.0mm to create soft and smooth shadows.
and 2 kinds of inks, I have a special favorite for solid black and other for mixing and creating my own grey wash tones.
When it comes to colour tattoos my setup is completely different and I have my own hacks and tricks but nothing different from what is commonly known out there, like I said.. is more about your technique than your tools in my opinion.
How would you define your current tattoo style, and how did you end up focusing on it?
My style I would define it as Asian Surrealism with Fantasy influences. it comes from the love I have for the Asian cultures and the realistic skills I have, I always thought that I needed to find a way to mix them but adding complexion to the pieces and that’s where the surrealism enters in the room, giving it touches of fantasy and psychedelic vibes to the compositions.
How do you balance client requests with your artistic vision?
That’s one of the most challenging things on a daily basis. I would say that is a 50/50 negotiation with my client between what they want and how to take them into my field. but 99% of the time that negotiation is successful, mostly because my assistant makes something like a little filter of clients before booking anybody in order to know who knows and likes my work and style and who is just asking.
As a Tattoo Artist, what kind of tattoo ethics is really important to you?
That’s a very interesting point. I don’t want to dig in too much into it but I would say even though it sounds cliche, stay true to yourself, tattoo it’s a crafted art that involves creativity, passion, values and love. Sometimes people tend to get confused with the fact that tattoos are a well paid art/job with a business to only make money. Don’t treat tattoos like a thing to make money. I think that’s why these days there are people trying to sell a wrong misconception about being a tattoo artist trying to link it with money and fame other than art, connections and respect. So in a few words.. don’t lose your morals.
What’s the most challenging aspect of being a tattoo artist in 2025?
There are so many, these days it is not only about being a good artist. Tattoo career goes beyond that, now you have to keep yourself updated into the new tendencies, learn how to promote yourself in social media to reach the clients you want, learn how to stay competitive among other artist of your style, know how advertising works in different platforms, high knowledge about photography and video and many other stuff that I try to teach my clients everyday that they are not paying only for a good tattoo, is more than that, once you make sure they got it, you start to build a solid clientele.
Do you like to teach or mentor upcoming artists?
Absolutely, Matter fact I teach personal individual seminars to artists who are trying to improve technical skills or trying to improve in the creative process. I love to teach others because when I started I didn’t have the opportunity to learn from top artists, back in the day they were unreachable but today the tattoo industry has changed and I do understand that the best way to grow is also helping others to grow.
How do you stay at the top of your game?
There are no secrets, just hard work. Sometimes it is just being smart and analyzing what’s outside and what’s missing that you can bring into the game. but mostly hard work, when you think you have worked hard enough you can always give a little more and you will see results.
What’s your view on the rise of AI in tattooing?
I think it is a magnificent tool that should be used moderately. We shouldn’t being lazy and let the AI do everything for us but we can use it as a tool to improve our artistic vision in the matter of creating images in the position we want, or characters with specific details but no other than that, just to talk about the creative process because in general is a wonderful tool that you can use almost on everything.
Do you do other forms of art besides tattooing?
Yes, I love oil painting, drawing, sculpting and many others. I think it is a great way to study other artistic aspects that you can apply into your tattooing later on.
What’s your experience at tattoo conventions so far?
Always good, I would say that I always like the feeling of being in conventions, the nerve, the adrenaline, the good vibes, the interest of watching other artists makes me feel like I’m a beginner again, doesn’t have anything to do with win or lose, it is all about the experience of being there.
How do you usually prepare for a tattoo convention?
That really depends if my intention is to compete or to hang out, but when I want to compete I make several designs months before and select my potential canvas to study the designs that I have previously done, when the date is near I select the final design that will compete and try it in the studio to see different aspects like how does it look the stencil fits, how does it looks, what can I change, add or remove, it’s like when a musician makes previous rehearsals before the concert.
Have you ever had the opportunity to participate in any tattoo contests? You are welcome to specify your awards.
Yes Indeed, I have had the chance of being in several conventions but the latest awards that I have won just to name a few would be:
Bergen Tattoo Convention 2022 (Norway) – 2nd Place Best Black and Grey
Valencia Tattoo Convention 2024 (Spain) – 1st Place Best Black and Grey
Valencia Tattoo Convention 2025 (Spain) – 1st Place Best Healed Work
Do you collect tattoos from artists you meet at conventions?
I haven’t had the chance of getting tattooed in a convention but that’s something that’s definitely in the bucket list and an experience that every tattoo lover should live 100%.
Is there any tattoo that you have created in your career that you are particularly proud of?
Not really, I try to work in a way to improve on every tattoo I do. I’m proud of all my tattoos regardless of the result. My beginner tattoos obviously are not as good as my current tattoos but still I’m proud because at that moment I gave my best and gave me a valuable lesson.
What is your greatest accomplishment as a tattoo artist?
Besides the economic stability I would say my biggest achievement as a tattoo artist is being able to enjoy my daily routine because for me is not a job, tattooing it’s a meeting between my client and I where we share moments and build a relationships keeping in mind that I marking their skins for life and realize that after that we probably begin a friendship that’s very fulfilling.
What are your goals or dreams for the near future?
My personal goal is to be able to have a strong clientele that are fully interested in my style, having clientes coming from abroad looking for me would be a lifetime achievement for me beyond the economy.
I also see myself traveling, giving seminars and workshops around the world and sharing my experience with other artists that want to hear my story, for me that is how I picture myself in the near future.
What legacy do you want to leave as a tattoo artist?
I think of building a legacy every day with every tattoo I make, when in 20 years I walk out in the street and see my tattoos around and my kids can see my work on others, that’s what I would call legacy.
To close this awesome interview, what’s your last message to our readers?
If you read till this point, probably you are looking for an artist like me, so don’t think it twice.. hit me up and I guarantee you we can write a new chapter together. Cheers!
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