“My drawings only feel complete when they’re tattooed onto the skin.”
From the beginning, Tuno has remained committed to working exclusively from his own original drawings. His style evolves naturally alongside his artwork, yet consistently centers on illustration-driven compositions enriched with oriental influences.
Known for distinctive frog motifs, blackwork foundations, and selective red accents, his tattoos translate personal illustration into permanent form with clarity, restraint, and a quietly playful intensity. Whether creating custom pieces shaped by a client’s story or expressing his own vision through flash, his process is rooted in listening, refinement, and respect for the fact that the wearer will carry the work for life.
Tuno reflects on discipline, physical endurance, and the importance of externalizing ideas through constant drawing. He speaks thoughtfully about inspiration, the role of AI, and why technical skill alone does not define greatness. His work serves as a reminder that tattooing is not just about execution, but about giving drawings a final, living form. One that resonates beyond the artist and into the lives of others.
How would you like to introduce yourself?
I am Tuno, a tattoo artist based in Toronto. Currently, I mainly focus on illustration-based tattoos, with a particular interest in frog motifs.
Where did your fascination for tattoos come from?
The most appealing part of this profession is the feeling that my drawings are only truly ‘complete’ when they are tattooed onto the skin.
That sense of finality is what drew me in.
At what point in your life did you decide to become a professional tattoo artist?
After graduating from high school, I was unsure about what I wanted to study at university. While thinking about my future, I remembered my friends casually saying that being a tattoo artist would suit me well. I decided to learn the craft, and it turned out to be the perfect fit for my aptitude, which led me to start this career professionally.
How would you define yourself in one word?
Frog.
How would you define your current tattoo style, and how did you end up focusing on it?
Since I started tattooing, I have always focused on working with my own original drawings. My style shifts naturally depending on how my art evolves, but generally, I specialize in illustration-based blackwork with red accents. I also enjoy incorporating many oriental elements into my designs.
Please walk us through your process when you start a new tattoo for your customers.
I begin by listening to the client’s story through Instagram or in-person consultations. From there, we engage in a continuous exchange of feedback to refine the ideas until the final design is ready.
How do you stay creatively inspired?
I find inspiration in many things throughout my daily life, it could be from other artists’ work, or even from dramas and animations. What’s important to me is the act of ‘externalizing’ those ideas; when an idea comes to mind, I keep drawing it to get it out of my head. That process of constantly bringing ideas into the physical world is crucial for staying inspired.
How do you balance client requests with your artistic vision?
I express my own artistic vision primarily through my ‘flash’ designs.
For custom tattoos, however, I put in my best effort to meet the needs of the client, as they are the ones who will live with that art on their body for a lifetime.
As a Tattoo Artist, what does your daily working routine look like?
There isn’t anything too extraordinary. I head to the studio on days when I have appointments, and on days when I don’t, I spend my time drawing at home or at the library. Because this job requires staying in a fixed position for long hours, I also make sure to exercise regularly to ensure I can keep tattooing for a long time.
What is one surprising aspect of being a tattoo artist?
Because it’s a job that requires constant, intense focus, it consumes a surprising amount of stamina even though we aren’t moving around much. The physical exhaustion is much higher than it looks on the outside.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a tattoo artist?
Occasionally, clients come to me with a very special story they want to turn into a tattoo. Seeing how much they love the final result is the most rewarding moment for me.
What do you think separates a good tattoo artist from a great one?
I believe a good artist is someone who simply has excellent technical skills. However, a great artist is someone who goes beyond technique and has the power to inspire many other people through their work.
What’s your view on the rise of AI in tattooing?
If an artist can use AI to design and has the technical skill to execute that design with high quality on the skin, I think it’s fine to use. But as someone who loves tattooing my own hand-drawn art, I personally don’t use it for anything beyond generating reference materials.
What advice would you offer to someone considering a career as a tattoo artist?
It’s a truly attractive profession. Instead of starting alone, I highly recommend joining a proper studio to learn the right mindset and hygiene from experienced artists. Also, being open to feedback is more important than anything else if you want to grow.
Is there any tattoo that you have created in your career that you are particularly proud of?
I love all my work, but if I had to pick one, it would be the custom piece from 2024 that combined a Samurai with a Fire-bellied toad. It was a project where my personal style and the ‘frog’ theme truly hit their potential for the first time. It was also the first tattoo that received a lot of public attention, so I feel a special attachment to it.
What legacy do you want to leave as a tattoo artist?
I want to leave behind as many great tattoos as possible, pieces that can be admired and praised by my clients and the people around them.
To close this awesome interview, what’s your last message to our readers?
Thank you for listening to my story. I look forward to seeing you all again with even more interesting and cool tattoos in the future.
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