Episode 14: Sammie Chatwin

Sep 13

A photo of me in front on the mural I made for the Caffeinery completed in spring 2021.
Photo credit: Lauren Reber (co-owner of the Caffeinery)

I call myself a:

Tattooist & Muralist & Artist

What is your creative practice?

I am a Co-owner/Tattoo Artist at Black Sword Alliance Tattoo here in Muncie, Indiana. I create and apply designs to clients skin for them to enjoy for a lifetime. I work with all walks of people so there is really never a dull moment at the studio and that’s the way I like it. In my free time I enjoy making fun and vibrant colored pencil drawings on wood/paper. In the last few months I also have started dabbling in mural paintings for local hotspots in town. I have completed 3 murals so far so I am still trying to get some practice in and learn what techniques work best. My process with the murals begins with a hands-on design and consultation process specific to the wall(s) in the home/establishment followed by applying the image to the wall by hand with paint and brushes.

How did you get started in your practice?

I have always loved drawing from a young age but did not figure out that I would want to tattoo until I made it in to my Sophomore year of high school. I started getting intrigued with the craft and by the time I turned 18 I got my first tattoo and knew for sure that I wanted to become a tattoo artist. I liked the idea of having more freedom than a 9-5 would allow and to be able to express myself the way I wanted to sounded like a dream.

When graduation rolled around in 2013 I set out to go to cosmetology school so that I could have a creative job while I searched for an apprenticeship in the tattoo world. Luckily I would not need to be in cosmetology school for long because Sean King, the Tattoo Artist that had done most of my tattoos at this point, had offered to help me out like the angel he truly is. So I became a beauty school drop out and fell right into tattooing. I have been tattooing for 8 years now and could not be more thrilled with my career. For the first 2 years I was apprenticing I also had two part-time jobs at both SteaknShake for the night shift and working as a Home Health Aid when I could find the extra time before or after working at the tattoo shop. It was a wild time in my life but I made it out on the other side and I’m thrilled with the opportunities it has brought me. I could not have done it with out my supportive family, mentor, friends, and coworkers. Tattooing is what opened up the skills for me to begin my colored pencil designs and my Mural ventures! I use a lot of the same skills/techniques from tattooing and apply them to these projects.

Bent not broken tattoo done on my good pal, Mad

Are you an artist full time? If no, what is your day job?

Yes, full-time Tattoo Artist and muralist/artist in my spare time.

How do you find time to make your work?

When I am done designing my tattoos for the week (they take priority) I am free to work on my colored pencils drawings. Usually this happens in the mornings before work and less often after work. I like to do these projects in the comfort of my own home. As far as the murals go, I just do those projects on my days off from the tattoo studio when I happen to have a client. A mural really takes a lot of time to complete. The mural I made for Sea Salt and Cinnamon took 7 days 6-7 hours each day through out the course of a month. I get a stretched a little thin when I take on a mural and work full time at the tattoo studio so I do have to be careful not to burn myself out. I am pretty much creating art all the time and I have never really sat down to think about just how often I’m drawing until I answered this question.

“Legolas” colored pencil drawling on paper.

WHAT MATERIALS, INSTRUMENTS, OR TECHNOLOGY DO YOU USE IN YOUR PRACTICE?

I use so many tools and equipment for tattooing so I will just let you know what I use for the design process instead of getting in depth about all the different needle groupings and pigments I like. My preferred way of designing a tattoo is with tracing paper, a drafting pencil, and micron pens but when I need something done swiftly or if it needs to be perfectly symmetrical I use an IPad PRO, Apple Pencil, and the app Procreate. It really can speed up the design process so it helps when I am 10 minutes behind and my 1pm is in the lobby waiting to see their design that I haven’t even started yet. Hate to admit it, but I do get behind on occasion. These tools I mentioned above also apply to the designing of my colored pencil drawings and mural design process.
For colored Pencil projects I’ll use wood or grey toned paper. The wood needs to be sanded so that it doesn’t tear up my pencils, the grey toned paper helps make the colors really pop off the page, I just like that look. Prisma Colored Pencils are by far my favorite colored pencils and I pair them with the Prisma Color Markers to help with saturation. I use rubbing alcohol and a blending stick to really smooth the colors out and help blend them all together without burning the paper up. After the design is complete I spray the piece with a Matt finish to keep it protected, it also helps with the shine and pencil marks that are sometimes left behind. I’ll use epoxy resin on my wood pieces so that they look shiny and glassy, it helps keeps the wood from being damaged and looks really nice in my opinion.
Mural painting requires a whole bunch of equipment. The main things I would need though are my scaffolding, a variety of paint brushes, brush cleaners and of course lots and lots of paint.

Examples of colored pencil designs on wood sealed with epoxy.

Memorial tattoo for a clients beloved pet

What do you wish others knew about your practice?

No one just wakes up and is fantastic at the craft they have got into, it’s called a practice because you have to do just that, practice. It took me many years of practice to get to the point I am at now and I am far from perfect. That’s one thing that is great about art is there is no real end to your possibilities. The best thing you can do is get into something you enjoy regardless of if you are good at it at first or not and keep practicing, it will pay off one day.

Where do you find your inspiration?

I find a a lot of inspiration from nature. Animals, veggies, plants really get me excited about drawing. The people I surround myself with also inspire me. When my husband, Josh, or co-worker, Aaron, begins making a tattoo flash sheet or painting it makes me want to create something too.

Tattoo for Blue on my good friend, Amanda.

Where can people see your work or learn more about you?

I’m always posting fresh tattoos on my instagram page @sammiektattoos and any Murals I’ve done can be found on the same platform under @brushcrushmurals. My Tattoo website is tattoosbysamantha.com there you can find ways to get your own tattoo if you felt frisky.

Website: tattoosbysamantha.com

My first mural design made at my own home.

Sea Salt and Cinnimon Mural completed in June 2021

Muncie Arts