Today we’d like to introduce you to Drew Linden.
Drew, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
The wonderful journey of a female tattoo artist! Where to begin! Well, I suppose at the beginning, I was born and raised in Carlsbad, California and after a year in college in Humboldt County, I longed to be back in the city again. I started working at a local tattoo shop in Oceanside, California as counter help in 2004. After a few years there, I left to seek an apprenticeship in San Diego. That was met with its own set of challenges. Being young and relatively naive, I walked into the first shop I could, didn’t mean it was the best fit for me and after a few months realized that. I left and started working at an art supply store and also serving at a local diner. By this time, I was so fed up at not having a solid apprenticeship that I entertained the idea of moving to Seattle to get my big break.
Around that same time, I was offered a counter position at Flying Panther Tattoo in Golden Hill and being overjoyed at the prospect of working with my friends who are both mega-talented Jackie Dunn Smith and Micah Caudle, I jumped on the chance. I realized after about eight months that I wouldn’t be able to apprentice there and begged for the blessing to go further down south to Flesh Skin Grafix in Imperial Beach and ask Mike Martin for a shot. I then put two and two together and realized that in a way Mike had offered me what I sought by coming into the art store I was working at and asked me to come to his shop where he said I would feel at home with the talented women he had working for him. At that time, I was still very naive and frankly had my head up my bum and didn’t heed his advice. So fast forward a year or so later and I’m showing up at his shop after working all day at Flying Panther to hang out and get to know everyone.
About three months in, I had painted a very large Our Lady of Sorrows for Mike and confessed that a year ago, I didn’t know what I was doing and that I was now ready to give tattooing my all. He accepted and my apprenticeship started at Flesh Skin Grafix in 2009. What an amazingly wild ride that was. I had never worked around so many women before and that was my first taste of how much tattooing had changed from the “Boys Club’ that it was back in the day of Sailor Jerry and Ed Hardy. I ended my apprenticeship in 2010 and quickly wanted to start traveling against the wishes of my Mentor. But I knew that I had reached the end of my learning with Mike and though I am and will always be forever grateful for the chance he gave me and the guidance he showed me I knew I needed to sink or swim. I got offered my first guest spot in New York and went. I then fell head over heels in love with the city and after returning back to San Diego made the decision to move. In August 2011, I arrived in New York and my life completely changed. All for the better I might add. I came to a place where I knew no one and had to start fresh. I knew I had to make my Mentor proud and I work hard at it every day. I worked at many different shops in New York and I even did move back to San Diego for a year and worked at Tahiti Felix Master Tattoo in the gaslamp, but all the while knew that I was destined to be in the Big Apple.
On returning to New York at worked at Eight of Swords tattoo where I met my soon to be business partner Zoe Bean. At this time, I also apprenticed with Cosmetic Tattooer Audrey Glass of Audrey Glass Cosmetic Tattooing in Los Angeles to be able to add cosmetic tattooing to my resume and have been microblading and tattooing faux freckles for Three Years now which is a lovely addition to be able to offer to my clients. After working at 8oS for four years, Zoe Bean and I desired a change and that is when The New Moon Studio was born. In July of 2018, Zoe and I ventured off to create a Safe Space where all bodies were welcome. We both had wonderful clients in the LGBTQ+ community and wanted to make sure that the studio they walked into felt like home. That was the best decision I have made in my life thus far. Striving to give professional clean tattooing to everyone in a safe environment.
Has it been a smooth road?
It has most definitely NOT been a smooth ride. Everyone’s journey is different in whatever they choose to do and more so in tattooing. When I was searching for an apprenticeship in the early 2000s, I think I only knew of three other women who were tattooing at the time. Misogyny is very real in tattooing and I was brought up in it to become like one of the boys. Rough around the edges and able to hold my own. It wasn’t until I started my apprenticeship that I realized that I didn’t need to be like that. I also realized that I was going to prove every single man who had ever told me I couldn’t tattoo or that I would never be good enough wrong. In a way that was the stuff that made me work harder. Tattooing is not for the faint of heart. It’s not for the person who has watched every single episode of Ink Master and decided they wanted to be a rock star. Tattooing is not just a job, it is your entire life. It is 24/7 work and I think a lot of people underestimate that about tattooing because of the false idea the media has put out there about us. My advice would be to work hard and don’t believe anyone who’s telling you you can’t do it because everyone is going to tell you to choose a job with a retirement fund and insurance. Also, to stand up for yourself and not to be silent when you see or hear things that are wrong happening around you. Draw and Paint as much as you can and learn the history of tattooing. Know who the forefathers and mothers of our craft are from east to west.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the New Moon Studio story. Tell us more about it.
As a Tattooer, I pride myself on being able to produce clean solid tattooing for everyone. This was the making of what would become The New Moon Studio I was brought up in tattooing being based in traditional and my style has since blossomed into traditional illustrative. I use a mix of bold outlines with finer line detail. With traditional tattooing, bright colors are a must and my color palates change from tattoo to tattoo but I love working in muted tones as well as traditionally bright colors, since moving to the East Coast and working with my clientele here, I have also started working in blackwork tattooing. Minimalistic geometric and floral designs. I also offer Cosmetic Tattooing such as Microblading (eyebrows) and Faux freckles. Tapping into my spirituality and empathic abilities I have been named an “Intuitive Tattooer’ by a friend who is a medium shaman. I am also Reiki attuned and have provided clients with energy work as well as tattoo work. I am proud to be able to offer this in tattooing as I have figured that the act of tattooing is really a blood ritual in itself. At The New Moon Studio, we strived to provide a safe and easy-going environment for everyone to feel comfortable while having such an intimate practice being performed. We also have some of the best coffee made in house and all the pretty plants to gaze at.
Do you have any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general? What has worked well for you?
Talk to everyone! Being social is number 1 in tattooing and a lot of this industry is about who you know. When looking for a mentor make sure it is someone you trust and feel comfortable being with. Also, make sure it is someone who’s work you enjoy and aspire to be like. Mentors come in all shapes and sizes and tho most people only talk about one person it does take a village. At least in my experience. I will always speak of Mike Martin as my Mentor but I also had amazing friends like Micah Caudle (American Tattoo in Vista, California) and Jackie Dunn Smith (Dallas, Texas) who really stood by me and helped me so much before during and after my apprenticeship.
Pricing:
- The New Moon Studio has a minimum of $200 and is $250 hourly
- When traveling my prices vary but are usually in the $200-$250 range
- My Cosmetic Tattooing also varies and can be seen on my website www.drewlinden.com
Contact Info:
- Address: The New Moon Studio
53 Bridge Street #403
Brooklyn, New York 11201 - Website: www.drewlinden.com
- Phone: (718)702-2753
- Email: Tattoos: appointments@drewlinden.com Brows: brows@drewlinden.com
- Instagram: Personal IG: @drewlinden Shop IG: @thenewmoonstudio
Image Credit:
Drew Linden
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