BOD: Hows it going there Mr. Marquez, Thanks for taking time to sit down and chat with us. How is everything after the holidays?.
EM: Hey guys, thanks for taking the time to interview me and the interest on my art. Everything is going great on my side ,how bout you guys ? holidays were crazy fun like always , family and friends came over to my place and had an awesome time,but the best part of it is seeing my kids enjoying their presents.
BOD: Rad, glad to hear that, could you give us a little bit about yourself?
EM: Well my name is Edgar Marquez I'm 36 years old and I was born in Jalisco Mexico and raised here in the US, Long Beach Cal, since i was 12 years of age.
I’m a local tattoo artist here in long beach , been tattooing for 11years and drawing since I can remember.
I remember trading drawings for treats in middle school lol , good times good times, so my passion for art always been there ,always drawing without any artistic school back ground till a couple years i decided to really respect and learn the right ways of drawing and painting and it’s been magical to finally realize how much work it (takes) on a simple sketch from a professional artist..
BOD: I see you do both tattoos and traditional art such as sketching and paintings, which are breath taking by the way besides the interest growing up what inspired you to carry it further?
EM: Thanks it’s really appreciated,
I was a welder before i stared tattooing, I come from a family of welders.
I started getting tattoos really young and people that were tattooing me at that time noticed that I kind of knew how to draw and they started to talk to me into tattooing. At this point I was really not interested since I was just a kid that wanted to get high and fuck around lol, but times changed and years later some other friends got me in to it.. it didn't become full time right away cause I had my welding job that paid me really well and had me traveling so i didn't really pay to much attention to tattooing , i did that for like 6 years , tattooing weekends sometimes and working full time welder, my clientele grew and started to get really demanding so i had to make the decision of quit welding and be a full time artist or not. So I went for it i partner up with a friend of mine and we opened our shop LONG BEACH INK ASSASSINS.
Being a shop owner give me a lot of time to tattoo and concentrate on art so i went to school and learned as much as i could and (always) study, study, study
BOD: You have a unique style that involves, the styles of traditional portrait work that meets oil with a dark twist, What brought that on?
EM: well thanks again for noticing the unique style.
it all comes from studying the old masters the way they know how to translate what they feel with what they know and put it on a canvas or paper so I'm trying to simulate the same approach of course with a more modern feel to it .and in this case its working for me on tattooing as well..
BOD: .When working on a piece or “doodles”, as you call them such as most on your Instagram having filigree. what do you focus on first and what do you strive for last?
EM: When I start sketching I just let go on what ever image pops in my head and i just start building it until i see something a form ,a shape , and then once i see something i start adding all of that flow filigree type of stuff. I like to use that so i can help my drawing or sketch to give it more movement on the image and to create more perspective on the design, I also like to use it on a way to help me push the values on the design as well.
BOD: What are some techniques that you’ve tried, heard and have worked/not worked over the years in achieving your style when it comes to the drawing and painting side of art?
EM: Honestly I see and think of my self as a very patient guy and i always try new stuff and mix with the old stuff until I see results that satisfies my brain, and the best technique that i think works for me is drawing and sketching first before i start painting or tattooing..
BOD: What do you use when it comes to paints, brushes and preferred tools of the trade?
EM: I like to use mix media a lot, but def oil painting is my favorite , i use rosemary brushes and rembrandt oils I like to use board panels way more that canvas i just like the results on them better..
BOD: Any techniques you have been trying to work on a bit more tattoo wise that fascinate or catch your attention?
EM: lol I'm actually going back to more traditional heavy saturation of color and line work , just trying to keep it more simple and readable to the viewer ..
BOD: What is something you try to focus on when it comes to your clients and pushing ink into skin like brush to canvas?
EM: When it comes to pushing ink to my clients the first think that comes to my head is satisfied their needs on the artistic side of tattooing and always be polite to their believes on what their getting. So in the same matter I always try to satisfy my needs (as well) in art when it comes to my paintings or sketching, always respect what i feel so it can show in my work.
BOD: There is always hype on, “loyal to the coil” to “Rotary is the way of the future” do you try to avoid this and keep an open mind or feel, Respectively, passionate about one side.
EM: I keep open minded and respect everyones believes on this subject , my intake is that i love to evolve with technology and its happening in tattooing also so why not take advantage if it?
At the end the machine is just a tool to put what u really know in your head , what I'm trying to say is that even if u have the best equipment on tattooing and u don't know anything about art you're tattooing won't be as strong as an artist tattooing with a coil machine or rotary.
BOD: Where do you plan on taking yourself and your art in the next 5 years?
EM: Hard to say, I think art will take me where ever it wants .. of course I would love to be a fine art painter, a humbler person, a tool to teach art and educate more people on this subject of art. So more people can appreciate the beauty of it and to notice what it takes to create a real piece of art
BOD: Any shout outs or people you’d like to share their work with everyone?
EM: I’m really passionate bout figurative painting , so one of my favorite painters would b Joshep Todorovich u should really look him up ..
BOD: I def will, If people want to get ahold of you how do they go about it?
EM: The best way to get a hold of me would b on my email edddiablo2@yahoo.com or on my cell (562)480-2741 and to look at my stuff my Facebook page and Instagram..
BOD:17. Thanks again for being part of our artist of the month and hope to see more of your work soon!
EM: once again thanks for taking the time to notice my stuff and doing an interview about it.. To see more of his work please visit him on instgram @ediablo