German tattoo artist- Andy Engel

Most of the personality of tattoo artist that we have seen are usually insolent and exaggerated. But I will introduce the next is different tattoo artist. Andy Engel, a German tattoo artist who has become one of Europe’s foremost portait and realistic tattoo artist, he is a rather quiet and humble man.
Amazingly, Andy Engle’s first passion was rock music and he successfully run a rock band . But several years later, he decide to put away his drumsticks and fully focus on his tattooing career at his own shop, Andy’s Tattoo, in a suburb of the Frankonian town of Kitzingen.
But his humble personality  had been a steep obstacle on his way to becoming a skilled tattoo artist, in 1994, he decided to start tattooing. Back then, established tattooists in this part of the world discouraged newcomers as potential competition, and any knowledge was treated as trade secrets, not to be given away, but sold to the highest bidder.
A friend, who had taken an extraordinarily expensive “tattooing course,” let him in on a few tricks and got him his first kit. A long and unsuccessful period of experimenting on friends followed. He went to conventions, but never dared asking any questions or approach anyone
Only in 1998, when he met realistic specialist Maik Frey from the Stuttgart area and Mattes of Bechhofen through DOT, a newly founded German tattooists’ association, that he made progress. He owe those people a lot. Finally, the very artists I admired actually helped him with his work. He could call them whenever he needed anything. The same with Tattoo Tomas from Erlangen near his home. Andy’s humble appearance, which for him has a lot to do with respect for his older and more experienced colleagues, is not necessary anymore. He has worked his way to the top of Germany’s tattoo scene and can now be considered one of the best portrait and realistic tattooists in Europe. His waiting list is usually capped at one to one-and-a-half years and demand is still rising with clients coming from far away.
This reputation is the result of hard work, always trying to improve himself and his tattooing skills, by slaving away in his shop and attending the best conventions (often just to watch a single tattoo artist for the whole weekend, as in London 2008, when Andy got tattooed by portrait maestro Bob Tyrrell for two consecutive days). Tyrrell, one of Andy’s absolute heroes, has agreed to let him work with him in his private studio in the U.S. Bob Tyrrell ,the American master expressed admiration for the determined German. He regard Andy as a talent
Andy’s portraits are determined by clear and deep shadings. Freshly tattooed, they tend to look a bit too dark, for which he, of course, already prepares his customers. Only when the tattoo is completely healed and settled in the skin does the image unfold its entire beauty and depth. There is no doubt that his sense for the proportions and expressions of the human (and animal) face is excellent. We can say he is a talent in tattooing.