Meet Edgar Rodriguez | Tattoo Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Edgar Rodriguez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Edgar, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I think that taking risks is necessary to grow as a person and an artist. It definitely plays a big role when starting your own business and being in an artistic career. While looking for an apprenticeship at a tattoo studio I knew I was basically taking an a second full time job. I wouldn’t be getting paid so I was taking a big risk by adding extra expenses to my life while making less money. There was no guarantees that I would successfully complete my apprenticeship, or that I would even have a job coming out of it. Once I completed my apprenticeship I had to make the decision of moving to a new city where I did my apprenticeship, or finding a new studio to work at in my home city of Dallas. Luckily, all of the risks I’ve taken since deciding to become a tattooer have paid off. I can say with certainty that I would not have grown artistically or in my career without taking risks.Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
When I first got into tattooing my favorite style was American Traditional. I loved the simplicity, the bold lines, the limited color palette and the timeless designs. The more I learned about different styles, the more I enjoyed Neo Traditional tattoos. Once I felt more confident on the technical side of tattooing I began experimenting with black and grey realism. My first few realistic tattoos weren’t bad, but they weren’t where I wanted them to be. I began researching different artists and their methods of tattooing black and grey realism and fell in love with the process of building tones of black and grey. After tattooing full time for about 2 years I had the opportunity to start working at Dallas Tattoo. It’s amazing what a difference it makes to work in a shop with creative people who strive to improve in their craft. It’s easy to get stagnant when your peers are content with their skill level and aren’t looking to grow. I think the hardest part of being an artist is to stay disciplined and continue to refine your abilities in whatever medium you are working with. Working alongside artists who are so focused on honing their skills is inspiring and keeps me on track to experiment more with large scale Neo Traditional designs and black and grey realism. While I love doing small tattoos I really want to push myself to create larger tattoos like full sleeves, torsos and back pieces. I strive to make every tattoo better than the last one and I hope that shows in my work.Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
There are so many great places to go here in Dallas. Unfortunately I haven’t been out in a while because of this pandemic so I have no idea what is even open. My favorite restaurants would definitely be Fujiyama in north Dallas. They have the best sushi around and their staff is so friendly I feel like I’m at home the moment I walk through the door. My second favorite food is definitely Pho. There are so many great Pho restaurants around here but my go-to is I Luv Pho on Preston rd. Their Brisket pho is amazing and I always gotta get those chicken spring rolls. I would definitely take this friend down town and ride around on those scooters. Deep Ellum is always a good time. Great restaurants, great bars and great music! We have the amazing Perot museum that is always fun as well. Close enough to Dallas is Six Flags over Texas. I haven’t been there in a few years but I do miss riding the Texas Giant. And right down the street is the new Rangers Stadium with Texas Live. They also always have great music, food and drinks!Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
A huge shout out goes to my best friend and fiancé Bri! I would have never had the confidence to begin my career as a tattooer without her believing in me. She has always been extremely supportive and and encouraging. I couldn’t have done it without you! I’d also like to thank all of my friends and mentors along the way. I had the opportunity to apprentice under and work with so many talented artists that taught me so much. And last but not least I would like to thank my clients for supporting my passion and trusting me with their skin. It is still mind blowing that I have the privilege to work with so many great people who love what I do.

Website: edgartattoos.com

Instagram: @edgar.tattoos

Image Credits
Kelly Tran