Daily Inspiration: Meet Tyler McCall

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tyler McCall.

Hi Tyler, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hey, My name is Tyler McCall and I am a Tattoo artist at Mantra Tattoo. But my artistic career really started when I was young. My family moved around a lot so it was nice having a sketchbook to pass the time on those long car rides. Once I reached high school, I was lucky to have an amazing ceramics teacher that took me under her wing. Then came college, where I graduated with a bachelor’s in Ceramics/Sculpture.

After a few years of taking a break from art, I started tattooing my friends out of my apartment. Being self-taught has its shortcomings but I have had a few great mentors along the way. Aries Rising, Clay McCann, and Jessie Ellerbe were huge influences in development as a tattooer. Currently, I tattoo at Mantra Tattoo, where I couldn’t be more blessed to be working alongside some of the best artists and people I know.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road to tattooing was definitely a tough one for me. It can be a hard industry to get into, and in a lot of ways, I’m glad it wasn’t easy. I learned so much about confidence, my creative process, and patience. I was guilty to fall in line with a culture of instant gratification that leaves people impatient and entitled. I thought, because of my artistic background, I would start tattooing amazing pieces of work with little effort. But that wasn’t the case at all, lol. The first year and a half were really rough, filled with lots of frustration mixed with endless trial and error. But I know for a fact that if I didn’t have that struggle, in the beginning, I would not be as patient and humbled as I am now. I believe the best things in life come from putting in the hard work and even under immense stress and frustration, sticking it out and seeing it to the end. There is no growth without struggle.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a tattoo artist that specializes is black and gray tattoos. I have a hard time defining my style to one or two specific genres of tattooing. I think that I’m still developing my style and for now, my ethos is Intentional tattooing. With a unique process that has a permanent outcome, I want the experience of getting tattooed by me to feel well-considered and intentional.

What’s next?
Currently, I don’t have any plans for the future. Now that things are opening back up again after COVID, I’d love to do some traveling. There are a few conventions and guest spots I’d like to do this year, so keep an eye on my Instagram for updates @tallmccall.

Contact Info:

• Email: Tallmccall.ink@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tallmccall/?hl=en