Meet Carlos Nunez

Today we’d like to introduce you to Carlos Nunez.

Hi Carlos, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers. 
I have always been fond of art. Whether it be in music. painting, drawing, or fashion. Growing up, I was always drawing or finding ways to express myself through art. Through Elementary all the way up to college I made sure to take art classes and expand my undressing of art within the times. After college is where I really started digging deeper into that part of me. I started off by making paintings and eventually translated them into clothing. I would sell clothes with my drawing or designs on them. I would take on commissions for customizing shoes and anything I could get my hands on. Eventually, around covid I sat down and had thought on how I could elevate that business or turn it into something more permanent. I figured people changed clothes every day or outgrew them, so eventually, my art would fade away within the same limits. I had the idea that tattoos are forever, and you wear them every single day for everyone to see. That sparked my interest in tattooing. And led me to buy a tattoo gun around 2020. In the beginning of 2021, I really started taking it serious and started practicing on fake skins. One day, I had the crazy idea of tattooing myself, as I had been practicing on the skins for a few months. I gave myself my first ever tattoo, which was 1998, my birth year, on top of my left knee. When I posted it on social media, everything blew up! Everyone saw I had been practicing and got around to tattooing myself, so everyone thought it was crazy but super cool. That led up to people hitting me up to get tattoos out of my house. I had built up a clientele while tattooing at my mom’s house that I didn’t even know was possible at the time. I still worked my normal 9-5 job, and eventually, I was losing money not tattooing by being at my regular job. About 4 months in tattooing, I quit my job to tattoo full-time since it was making me more money and taking up more of my time. At about 7 month in or so I was in touch with some artists in the city who were opening up a new shop. They later gave me the opportunity to work alongside them and get my license. The shop was later known as La Plaza. A year passed, and thanks to Esai Maya and Luis Ramirez, I was able to work at my first shop and got my license as well! Thanks to my social media presence and recurring customers, I stayed busy for months to come. Another year passed, and I eventually made a move to Rebel Muse, where I continued to learn and grow. I was at Rebel Muse for about 7 months before my partner Sam Roth and I decided to open up a shop together. We recently opened our doors in February and have been super blessed with the support and love from family, friends, and clients. We hope to keep growing and getting better at what we do. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Being a tattoo artist has lots of road bumps. You have to get licenses, permits, and approval from either social media or your peers. One of the big challenges we face is understanding that we don’t have a normal 9-5 job, so the security isn’t there; it’s what you make out of it. We don’t have retirement funds or a 401k, but we live doing something we love. There are days when you’re too busy to even have lunch, or you double-book someone and have to turn someone down. From an outside view people think being a tattoo artist is fun and all which it is, but it comes with a lot of responsibility. 

Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I love tattooing. It feels like I’m just drawing on people in my free time, but I get paid to do it. I specialize in fine line, black and grey, and micro realism. Not a lot of people in KC do fine-line tattoos or micro realism, which is what I think sets me apart. We all have different styles and approaches, which makes everything better and fun! Not one single artist is like the one before him. I feel like I have a real connection with most of my clients. I make you feel heard and understood when you come in. I want to give you exactly what you’re picturing in your head so you can walk out a new person full of confidence. A tattoo can change the way you look at yourself, which, to me, is worth much more than money. I feel like that comes across my work and experience you get when you sit in my chair. 

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
The tattoo Industry is always changing, which is great in the times we’re in right now. As an artist, you have to constantly be able to adapt or stand out. In the next few years, the styles will change, the regulations, and how the public views tattoos. I am thankful to have gotten in when I did. People nowadays are more accepting and actually glorify tattoos, unlike 10-20 years back. I feel like all of these changes make our jobs easier and allow people to express themselves with tattoos while not worrying if they can be employed. This is a big impact in both our industry and in the public view. Definitely a win-win situation 

Pricing:

• 150/hour for black and grey
• 200/hour for full-color pieces
• 170/ hour for micro/fine line pieces

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @nuneztattedme
• Facebook: Carlos Nuñez

Image Credits
Sonia Flacon Photos