Aakash Chandani is an established name today in the Indian tattoo industry. The self-learned self-made artist has inked some of the renowned names in the country. His love for tattoos is evident in the fact that he has inked most of the tattoos on his own body. The founder of the tattoo studio chain Skin Machine Tatto Studio had started tattooing in his early 20s. We tried to sneak into a day in this popular inking artist to know what it is that makes him so popular, his struggles, and a bit about the process.

Once he is at his super hygienic studio in the posh locality of Bhopal, he is totally focused on the artistic side of his profession. He recalls “Time was not the same when I started. From a struggling childhood to becoming a temporary tattoo artist at parties and events and then reaching here the journey has been captivating.” He admits “ The initial designs were not as good as expected, as It took some time to get adjusted to machine and understanding the technicality of designing tattoos on different parts of the body. Few parts are easy, but few like elbows are difficult.”

Now he has almost 11 years of experience and has some very intricately designed tattoos he designed on his own body. He has also made several signature desings for his clients that can be termed as his masterpieces. His iconic Shiva tattoo is particularly popular among tattoo lovers.

Traveling the world:

Traveling extensively is a part of his job. A resident of Madhya Pradesh, he traveled to Delhi to learn the art in a tattoo workshop. According to Aakash, moving around constantly to different cities is one of the reasons he loves being a tattoo artist. He can experience a whole new tattoo environment and learn so much from each one.
“Every artist and every studio is different. Some [tattoo shops] are more mellow, some are a party all day and some are people just painting all day,” Aakash said. “Everybody has different styles and so you pick up little tricks here and there. That to me is the coolest part, networking with other artists and meeting artists, and seeing all the great work that they are doing. He also enjoys Judging the tattoo competitions and meeting new talent”
Because he is only in each place for a short amount of time, Aakash pushes himself to do his best work each time.

Bhopal is home:

Aakash has been in Bhopal since his birth. He loves the environment and the pace of the city. He says “The city gives me the best of both worlds, life is not as complicated as in a metro city. I have been to various parts of the world for my work and otherwise, but I love the calm environment it gives me which is essential for my work. I find it convenient to manage my business as it is in the center and well connected to the rest of the country. Aakash has built two lavish tattoo studios and a training center here. His recent tattoo studio is one of the biggest tattoo studio-cum-training centers where he nurtures the budding talent apart from inking few of the finest designs on his clients.

Love for Art:

Aakash says his love for the art has given him everything he wished for name, fame and a thriving business. He has made some of his closest friends through his clients. People who come to the shop multiple times will come show them their finished tattoos, sometimes bearing gifts to just say hi and hang out with the artists. Aakash sums up. “Clients return to show us their healed tattoo, which is always cool. I love seeing big projects I really felt good about. It gives a sense of accomplishment”. Tattoos have