In Conversation

Mel Trender tattooer

fantasy and game culture tattoos

Mel trender is a tattooer and illustrator specialized in fantasy and game culture inspired tattoos, that requires a lot of manual skill.

Interview · Giorgio Fragiacomo

Giorgio Fragiacomo

Mel Trender Tattooer and Illustrator

Mel Trender tattooer

Mel is a tattooer and illustrator based in London, passionate of comics and games, such as Magic the gathering and Dungeons & Dragons.

Mel followed art studies and got a degree in illustration at University.

Mel worked as an illustrator in comics and role playing games. While working at the reception of the tattoo studio where now she is resident (Skunx Tattoo in Angel, London), she was invited to try tattooing because of her long and valuable drawing experience and skill.

Mel’s designs are drawn following just her illustration style, with an influence from the fantasy world of games and comics and art nouveau. As a tarot reader myself, I have been very impressed of her artworks about tarots.

Mel explained to me that is very interested in the esoteric imagery and told me that started reading tarot during the pandemic lockdown, after being involved into the magical world when younger.

That day I was observing doing a tattoo divided in 3 parts, representing 3 fantasy subjects.

The design, as all the readers can observe from the pictures, was full of little details, that requires a very precise skill of drawing and tattooing.

What I thought seeing Mel’s illustrations characters is that they have their own identity and they are not without personality.

However, I cannot hide that I caught a little bit of melancholy in some of them.

What impressed me was:

Who I recommend to be tattooed by Mel to:

Woman getting tattooed on her upper arm by an artist wearing black gloves, with tattoo outlines visible on her shoulder and upper arm.
Woman getting tattooed on her upper arm by an artist wearing black gloves, with tattoo outlines visible on her shoulder and upper arm.
A woman with long red curly hair shows her tattooed arm to a smiling friend with short dark hair. The woman is in the process of getting a tattoo on her upper arm.
A woman with long red curly hair shows her tattooed arm to a smiling friend with short dark hair. The woman is in the process of getting a tattoo on her upper arm.
A woman with long curly red hair looking at herself in a full-length mirror, smiling, with tattoos on her arm and leg, in a tattoo or beauty salon.
A woman with long curly red hair looking at herself in a full-length mirror, smiling, with tattoos on her arm and leg, in a tattoo or beauty salon.
A woman with curly hair gets a tattoo on her arm while seated in a tattoo parlor. She is being assisted by a tattoo artist who is wearing black gloves.
A woman with curly hair gets a tattoo on her arm while seated in a tattoo parlor. She is being assisted by a tattoo artist who is wearing black gloves.
A tattoo artist with short dark hair and tattoos on their arms tattooing a person's arm in a tattoo studio with black and white checkered floors, framed pictures on the wall, and various tattoo equipment around.
A tattoo artist with short dark hair and tattoos on their arms tattooing a person's arm in a tattoo studio with black and white checkered floors, framed pictures on the wall, and various tattoo equipment around.
Tattoo artist tattooing a woman on her shoulder in a tattoo studio.
Tattoo artist tattooing a woman on her shoulder in a tattoo studio.
Tattoo artist tattooing a person’s arm receiving tattoo in tattoo shop.
Tattoo artist tattooing a person’s arm receiving tattoo in tattoo shop.
Mel Trender tattooer, fantasy and game culture tattoos
Mel Trender tattooer, fantasy and game culture tattoos
Mel Trender tattooer, fantasy and game culture tattoos
Mel Trender tattooer, fantasy and game culture tattoos

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Mel Trender tattooer · fantasy and game culture tattoos

Interview by Giorgio Fragiacomo