Rising Stars: Meet Rick Brown

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rick Brown.

Hi Rick, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers.
I grew up in Jamestown NC and in first grade, a drawing I did in class was picked to be used as part of a notepad to send home to the parents. My teacher Mrs. Dickinson always let me draw in her class and gave me that first push of positive reinforcement. From then on I was just drawing all the time, anything and everything but mostly comic stuff and skateboard graphics.

All my class notes at the time had drawings in the margins and my grades reflected it. I found painting in high school and had some nominal success with that early on but going to college as a painting major seemed kind of a joke. At that time an old friend of mine from skateboarding was getting into tattooing and from hanging out with him and going to the shop I just fell in love.

From there I started collecting tattoos from artists in town all the while trying to mimic the styles and colors in my drawings once I got home. Finally, one of them noticed and asked if I had any interest in learning. That was almost 22 years ago now. Since then I’ve been fortunate to travel the country and all over the world tattooing and getting tattooed. I settled here in Colorado about a decade ago.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
A smooth road… not exactly. I was young when I started, only 19 or early 20 so I all the same crap we all go through at those ages plus the responsibility of learning this new craft that happens to be permanent on people. All while trying to juggle acne, girls, debt, and all the trials and tribulations of being a young adult.

My apprenticeship went pretty easily though. I think I was a good student and my mentors weren’t awful like some of my peer’s mentors were to them. They’d have to wash their cars or cut their lawn with scissors or dress in a chicken suit in front of the shop for the day. My teachers luckily never put me through those paces. I apprenticed for about a year and a half and then set out on my own.

Moving out to Colorado was probably the next big challenge. I did that about 10 years into my career so I said goodbye to all those clients and friends that had helped me get to where I was and went west. That was pretty scary at the time but now has been in CO for the past decade there’s nowhere else I’d rather be. People here have been so gracious and welcoming and I’ve built up another amazing group of clients and friends here.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I started off doing all kinds of tattooing. That’s how it was when I began, you did what walked in the door. So I feel what has set me apart has been my versatility. I like a challenge and enjoy pushing the possibilities of the medium. For the past several years I’ve tried to specialize in the Japanese style of tattooing. Those are tattoos that pay homage to the large-scale full-body tattoos that started in Japan during the late 19th century.

So I try to use an abundance of references and other materials I’ve collected about that time and method and replicate it in a more modern way. I try to give my tattoos and drawings energy and power so they almost jump off the skin. I try to use dynamic poses and stories as well as the elements of fire water wind and rock to create powerful vibrant images in the skin.

What do you think about luck?
Someone once said “luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity” and I think that’s been very true in my case. If you ask me in general I think I have shit luck, but when I consider where I am and where I came from I’m forced to admit that maybe it’s not so bad. I try hard.

I’m not one of those fortunate souls who is just naturally gifted. It takes a lot of work and studies for me to do what I do to the level I want to, and most times I feel I fall short. So, I keep trying and that’s what I think has gotten me where I am. All that damn hard work!

Pricing:

• I charge $180.00 an hour for large-scale pieces. Smaller one-shot tattoos can be priced by the piece.

Contact Info:

• Website: Rickbrowntattoos.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/Rickbrowntattoos

Image Credits
Dave Freyta