Funhouse Artist : FESTER

Fester can do portraits.

I have tattoo artist friends all over the world. My brother and I travel to tattoo conventions in places that most artists don't go to. For us, Mexico is a special place. We have been attending conventions in Guadalajara and Mexico City for the last 9 or 10 years and that's where we met Fester and Juan... and now both work at the shop. Most of you who have been to the shop or who subscribe to our blog might vaguely know who Fester is.

Celaya is a city in the center of Mexico, it's in the state of Guanajuato. That's where cajeta is from.. it's a caramel topping. F*ck, put it on your ice cream, your frozen waffles... cake. And it's the home of "pulque"... an alcoholic drink that "f*cks you up and makes you fat" - Juan told me that. That's also where Fester is from. He owns a shop there called "Ninety Nine Tattoo". He works at the Funhouse full time and flies back to manage his place once in a while. He has over a decade of tattooing under his belt. He is well traveled and can tattoo any style.

He does great script. So clean and precise. Look around... go to shops and look at their freehand script. Most of it sucks. Fester, Juan and Sasha have it down. This is a sort of chicano style. Lots of artists in North America, especially here, aren't exposed to this type of art. It's not in the culture. It's usually associated with gangs, n prison and there is a certain method to doing it.

More script and a traditional style rose.

The lines here are consistent and clean. To do lines this long and clean takes some real skill, which Fester can handle with his eyes closed. To get rid of that love handle is another story... looks like a side of pork with the skin still on! EW...

Huge patches of solid even grey shading is also a skill which not all artists have. It involves knowing and understanding your machine's function, the correct ratio of water to black ink, and years of f*cking up in order to perfect it. This piece is full of grey shades which are solid and even. Note: The realism of the shading to make this look carved out of rock, check out the "pits" in the rock.... it really does look textured!

This guy had his eye sewed shut and part of his lip...

Part human, part machine... that's what it looks like to me. That's one bloodshot eye!! Nice bright solid colors, clean lines... bold in parts to create depth and to "hold" those sections in. The white highlights really make this piece.

Come down, book with Fester. You won't regret it. He sits behind the wall between Sasha and Mark. 604-879-4114.