Shane O'Neill at Graphicaderme
Shane O'Neill seminar in Avignon at Graphicaderme: experience report on realistic portrait tattooing, image construction and approach to tattooing.
Back to Basics
I had the opportunity to attend Shane O'Neill's seminar in Avignon, at Graphicaderme.
Shane O'Neill is an American tattoo artist recognised for his realism work, and known to a wider audience through his appearance on Ink Master.
He is a long-time friend of my father, Stéphane Chaudesaigues. Having grown up in that world, I had the opportunity to cross paths with him several times at conventions, in France and in the United States. When I was younger, I attended several conventions in the US, including one that stayed with me, held aboard the RMS Queen Mary in Long Beach, California, organised by the National Tattoo Association. We also had the opportunity to visit his studio, Inkfamous, when he invited us to Delaware.
A seminar organised as part of the Tatouage & Partage association. It was centred on realistic portrait tattooing, over two days: one more technical, the other more practical with a portrait tattooed live.
A Very Concrete Approach
What is interesting about this kind of seminar is seeing how a tattoo is actually built.
Not just the final result, but everything that comes before: needle selection, sketch preparation, contrast and volume management.
Everything is thought through in advance.
Watching It Live
Seeing a portrait done live changes things quite a bit.
You understand the stages better, the decisions, the adjustments. It makes the work much more concrete, and takes away the idea that everything relies solely on detail.
An Interesting Setting
The seminar took place over two days in Avignon, at Graphicaderme.
Other artists were also present, including Manu Badet and Julien Thibers, with different approaches but always centred around portrait and realism.
That is also what makes it interesting: seeing several ways of working around the same subject.
This is something I develop further in my article on artistic identity in tattooing.
What I Take From It
Above all, it brings the focus back to certain fundamentals: taking time to build, thinking before adding, keeping the reading clear — and of course continuing to improve technically.
That's something I keep working on, at Graphicaderme in Avignon, and wherever guest spots take me.
It is something I keep developing in my work — see my approach to tattooing in Avignon.
The seminar took place in Avignon, at Graphicaderme, as part of an event around tattooing and realistic portrait work.
What can you learn at a tattoo seminar?
A seminar helps you understand how an artist works: image construction, contrast management, technical choices and overall approach to tattooing.
Why is construction essential in tattooing?
A tattoo needs to remain legible over time. If the foundation is not solid from the start, the result can deteriorate over the years, even if it looks successful at first.
Observation is an important part. Understanding how a tattoo artist builds an image, makes decisions and manages contrasts already allows you to progress.
Beyond style, look at the coherence of the work, how pieces are built, and how they hold up over time.
