Conversations with Eric Bell

Today we’d like to introduce you to Eric Bell. 

Hi Eric, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Growing up, I always had an interest in art; almost to a fault. I always found myself drawing as a way to not only escape the world around me, but to figure out who I was and as a way to relate to people around me. 

I was always influenced by comic books and animation, and so I found myself drawing and copying everything from old Tex Avery and Disney cartoons to Marvel, DC, and Image comic books. 

I kind of just fell into tattooing…I loved the medium and styles and incorporated everything from American and Japanese traditional to “new school” and realism into my art. My original mentor saw my work and gave me an opening into the industry (for which I am forever grateful) 

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It’s always a struggle, but that’s not a negative. 

Working on living tissue as a medium is insanely hard… very different from working on canvas or paper or a wall; skin is unforgiving and you can’t just erase or paint over mistakes. 

I also moved around a lot as a military spouse, so I had to restart my career several times over, which was a huge struggle. 

Now as a shop owner, I’m presented brand new challenges daily. 

At the end of the day, it’s always been worth it, though…part of life is being able to accept those challenges to better yourself, I think 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am proud of being able to tackle any project my clients bring to me, but the biggest accomplishment is cultivating a clientele that has become family to me. 

At the end of the day, I’m not just drawing pretty pictures on people, I’m creating long-lasting relationships… and that’s something money can’t buy. 

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
I’d just like to thank anyone and everyone who helped me get to this point, you are all loved. 

Contact Info:

• Email: Tattoosbyeric@gmail.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/tattoosbyericbell