Mish (@mish_tattoo) is a talented realism tattooer working out of the world renowned shop Ship Shape Tattoo, located in the beautiful city of Auckland, New Zealand. 

Mish is gifted at doing both black and grey realism as well as color realism pieces as well.

One of the people Mish learned from was one of the all time leading black and grey artists, Matt Jordan (@mattjordantattoo) (as well as others at the shop). 

To tell you just a little of what I know about their studio, Ship Shape (@shipshapetattoo) is a place full of artists who excel in many different aspects of art, starting with their top notch work ethic. They also all take pride in creating work that is built to stand the test of time, much of it being unique large-scale pieces made to fit different entire body parts such as full fronts, backs, arms, legs, etc. They also love using custom and unorthodox imagery, stuff you definitely do not see everyday (check out  https://reference87.com for incredible tattoo reference inspiration).

I got the opportunity to ask Mish some questions, and we talked about a variety of things including built-to-last realism work, some of the underrated difficulties of tattooing, tattooing and its impact on artists mental health, and more. Hope you guys enjoy the read!

First of all I just wanted to hear a little bit about the dynamic between you and the squad over at Ship Shape.  It’s known by many to be one of the very most all around talented shops on the entire planet. Can you talk a bit about what goes on around there, what exactly is in the water at your guys studio so to speak?

First of all, as Ben said – we’re fucking awesome! And, thank you! We are all quite close friends here – there’s really not a hierarchy.  We all recognize each other’s strengths and weaknesses and try to be quite open and honest with each other.  It’s a very nurturing environment, we all feel quite comfortable to critique each other’s work and are very open to sharing any knowledge with one another.  If I have a question, I can ask.  There is always going to be advice and answers available from everyone in the studio.  We all have the same goal: we just want to do the best tattoos we can.  As soon as I walk in the door, I feel inspired to push myself to produce good work. 

What are a few things you have learned are especially important in order to create a built-to-last black and grey tattoo?  And what about the same question but for color realism/surrealism?

Picking a strong reference image is very important.  One that has  enough contrast and structure.  For the longevity of a tattoo, contrast and structure is crucial.  Also, understanding the type of skin I am working on and adjusting my techniques to work with different types of skin in order to achieve the maximum effect – be it dark or light skin. 

How many years in the game are you right now, and what has been the toughest but most valuable lesson you’ve learned since your time tattooing thus far?

I have been tattooing for 9 and a half years.  It’s all tough! Throughout my career and throughout many peoples – there are always going to be new challenges.  Mentally, being happy with my own work is very difficult.  I am still not 100% happy with my work, and I am unsure if I ever will be.  This can be really hard. Sometimes I do think about finding something easier to do!  I can find myself struggling with this. Pushing through the mental block for me, is definitely the biggest challenge. I remind myself how fortunate I am that I can do this for a job. It is a super fun job and extremely rewarding when I create something for a client that they absolutely love – it makes it all worth it!  At the end of the day, making clients really happy is an amazing feeling and very important.  It helps me to do the best I can and reminds me to have fun with it! 

What are three aspects of tattooing that you would say are underratedly difficult?

-Placement/composition

-Pain management

-Communication between the client and artist.  It’s not so much about the act of tattooing, but it is still a huge part of tattooing. Working with people to get the best result. 

Number one best overall piece of advice you could give all of your future clients?

Trust me!  But also, be straightforward and honest with your opinions and thoughts.



Since the time you’ve been tattooing, what have been some changes you’ve seen along the way in the industry?  Any big changes you may hope to see or predict to see?

I think the attitude towards tattooing has changed. It has definitely become more fine art driven.  More and more artists are starting to branch out and absorb ideas and concepts from outside of tattooing!  I hope COVID ends soon and we can all get back to doing conventions and travelling! 



How can clients who may be new to the tattoo world tell what is real vs what is fake these days online? Any advice for that?

Man, the only way is to go into a tattoo shop, talk to the tattooists.  Nothing beats first hand experience!  See how it works on skin. We can see amazing tattoos on the internet, but it may not look the same on your body.  The only way to find out is to go out there and start getting tattooed!



Could you pick out one of your absolute your favorite moments since becoming a tattoo artist and talk a bit about it?

When Matt asked me if I wanted a job at Ship Shape, when he was tattooing me!  Matt was tattooing a portrait of my dog, I was working part time between studios and halfway through our session, he asked me what my plan was. I told him “I dont know!  I am trying to spend more time painting, and kinda finding myself” and he asked if I wanted to work here.  Then I told him I’d think about it haha.  But you know, I was secretly very excited. 



How has tattooing impacted your mental health?

It is up and down!  There are good and bad, as I mentioned before you know, being not content with my work can be really depressing and difficult.  But, on the other hand, tattooing gives me an instant validation that I have never experienced in any other creative industry. I get to produce a piece of work on that particular day, and get the validation from the client and co workers. That is pretty important, it gives me a purpose and makes me feel good about myself. Also, people want my work!  Selling paintings is hard! I have sat and stewed if my paintings have been good enough in the past, with tattooing people book in because they like my work. That is really validating. 



Best piece of advice you have received along the way? Who was it from?

 

“Take your time and think about what you are doing” – Matt Jordan 🙂 



Thanks to anyone who took the time to read this, and a special thank you to Mish for taking the time to answer these questions for us. Be sure to follow him on Instagram @mish_tattoo, as well as their shop page @shipshapetattoo.

 

When I returned to tattooing, I had a mascot which was a mushroom that would wear different stuff on its head as a cap. I built an entire career of this character called the Mushie. It may not be an animal, but it definitely encapsulates the spirit of what I do. I used to have a pug mascot before the Mushie, so if mushrooms dont count, then a pug. I have a lot of health problems.

Can you describe your first tattoo experience? How old were you? What was it of & Who was the artist? 

It was 13 years ago, I was 19 getting an anchor tattooed by Old Man Donovan from Autumn Moon. I was so nervous to get it tattooed that I had not eaten or slept for two days. Needless to say, I immediately felt sick and lightheaded. One sip of a pepsi and I was back in action. I learned very quickly that when it comes to pain tolerance, I have none, but a strong will is all you ever need to get through ouchies. I have tonka-toughed it out through quite a lot of tattoos now.

Top 3 artists you admire? Can you give us a brief description? 

My number one would have to be Adam Hathorn, aka Honkey Konger. Not only is he an incredible craftsman, he has created an extremely recognizable style and has branched out into many avenues to grow his creative empire. He is also a family guy, shop owner, and super rad dude. A great role model!

Second would have to be Timmy B, his illustrative prowess has blown me and many other artists away. I love his use of color and texture to make such dynamic new school designs. His mastery of color theory gripped me from my apprenticeship all the way to today. He also is extremely friendly and gracious. A solid dude, for sure!

Lastly, during my apprenticeship, I stumbled across Jean LeRoux out of the UK. He was finishing his apprenticeship at the time I believed but he was already a killer illustrator and graphic designer. The way he would plate his flash and pieces would blow my mind. I spent hours trying to dissect his work and how his thought process worked. Still stumped, but to this day, I love seeing his stuff on my feed~ There are at least twenty more I can think of off the top of my head, but alas, the show much go on.

What are some funny tattoo moments you have? 

I have so much fun with my clients, laughter is a huge part of my life. Ridiculous conversations about Yak headed cults and Canadian foreskins stick with me to this day. I need to write down some of this stuff and do story time on tiktok or something!

If you were to choose a band to describe your artwork, which band would you choose and why? 

Oooh this is a tough question. After much deliberation, I would say that Bilmuri is an artist I resonate with a lot. He has an impressive discography, hitting a lot of different emotional notes in his music. He uses humor a lot in the way he presents himself and how he names his songs. He will sometimes sample things from shows or memes and plug them seemlessly in his music. I feel like my art and the way I approach it is similar in a lot of ways to his music. Good stuff!

If you were to win best tattooer in the world who would you thank and why? 

I would have to thank my girlfriend, friends, and mentors who support me the most of course! However, I think more than anyone, I owe everything to my clients. The people who put their faith in me to change their body forever will always be the biggest MVPs in my life. Everything I have is due to people loving what I love and I wake up every day grateful for this life.

Secret hidden talent? What is it? 

I don’t know if it is very good but very few people know that I am an amateur poet. It’s a very personal experience and it is mostly about love and loss. I draw a lot of my feelings, but there are a few feelings I need to write about instead.

What is your kryptonite? 

My own memory. I cannot remember anything I do not write down or leave for me to stumble across. It blows.

Any person you would like to change places with for the day? Who would it be? 

I grew up dabbling in music a lot and being a part of a few bands. I was never really good at anything and I never got many chances to take to the stage. So I think it would be cool to swap places with a cool music artist and have fun up there. My second vote is to trade places with someone who’s body is working right.

What book or movie would you say everyone should read or watch? Why would you recommend that specific one? 

There is a book called ‘The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse’ that really made me feel something. It is a very healing book for those who are going through something. As far as movies go, I am a huge cinephile so I could list quite a few, but one I recommend a lot is called ‘Swiss Army Man.’ It gets mixed reviews a lot because of its crass and raunchy nature, but beneath all that I think it has a lot to say about people who struggle with fitting in as well as loneliness. It also has an amazing soundtrack.

Which state are you located in? What do you like most about where you live and why? 

I am located in Southern California and the two things I struggle to cope with in other places are food and weather. California has nice weather pretty much year round! We also have access to some of the most incredible food on the planet due to being a hub to so many ethnic groups with fantastic cuisine arts! I cannot handle the cold and I cannot handle mediocre food. I am spoiled.

What is something weird you do before bedtime? 

I treat the end of the day as a crunch. I will set impossible goals and then try to find a way to get it all done even though it’s impossible. Terrible idea, terrible plan. Somehow works out?

What would you say is the best way to deal with stress? 

I don’t think I have ever lived without it, I will die at 50, I will not survive the winter. Send help.

Do you have a moment that changed your life? Do you mind sharing? 

I think my apprenticeship overall changed my life in a huge way. It taught me that I was coddled and never had real responsibilities. I was a baby before and I came out of it as a baby still but with a patch of hair on my chest. I owe a lot of my future successes to the work ethic I developed as an apprentice.

Who is the most unique tattooer you have ever met? 

The co owner and original founder of Black Umbrella, Kurtis Gibson. He is the most unique HUMAN I have ever met. He is a visionary and weirdo, it mashes together into an odd aura that everyone seems to always want to be around! I feel as though I am somewhat of a kindred spirit and I owe most of the career I have today to Kurtis’ faith in me. I love that guy!

With having to promote yourself on social media, how do you maintain a positive mindset? 

I have faith that everything unfolds as it does. I try my best. I put in the time it takes to maintain my momentum and my career, I never go to sleep with regrets. If it works out, it works out, why worry. I am stressed, of course, nothing seems to come easy, but this life and this gig is everything to me. I believe I belong here and I will put my everything into whatever I need to do to keep it.

Make sure to follow Justin on all of his platforms!