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Tell us about your collaborations you've done, and what other artist would you like to collaborate a tattoo with?
When I first started tattooing, I did a few collaborations with my good friend TJ Zimmerman, but it wasn't working on the same image switching off and working on each others stuff, it was just side by side on our friend’s back trying to get a large area done fast.
I recently did a collaboration with Nick Baxter which was a lot of fun, Nick rocks! He can come up with ideas super fast. It was pretty intimidating working with him at first, but after the first 10 minutes I got the hang of it. I learned a lot during that experience.
Nathan and Nick Baxter
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Carson Hill and I have a few collaborations planned, I really can't wait for that. Carson has been one of my main mentors, and good friend, so I feel we are going to work together well. We really feed off each others excitement and do well giving each other critique, so we aren't going to butt heads at all.
Nathan and Carson's first collaboration 
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The person I would really like to do a collaboration with is Tim Kern, Tim can tattoo like crazy, I feel that both of our minds are equally twisted, actually his is pretty out there, but we could come up with something really odd. Plus he is just a fun guy to be around.
Do you use Carson’s Neumas at all? Any thoughts on air powered machines?
I have actually only used The Neuma once and really enjoyed it. If I were to switch over to using The Neuma a few aspects of my tattooing would have to change, but not that much, it is pretty easy to adjust to and I bet after a week of using it I would be use to it.
Air powered tattoo machines are a great thing that Carson has brought into tattooing. I know a few people who have been tattooing longer than I have been alive, and they always complain about there hands hurting and what not, so The Neuma is the solution for that. Also for ages there has only been a few very small improvements in machine building so it's amazing for someone to completely revolutionize machine making.
What's the last tattoo they got,and who did it?
Well that is really funny you ask, the last tattoo I got was from my wife. She does not tattoo what so ever, but she actually did a better job than I did when I first started tattooing.
Ha, funny. but you dodged the question! What was the tattoo?
Oh my wife did a tiny little skull and cross bones off of a sheet of flash that Scott Harrison sold me.
But the last major tattoo I got was from Nick Baxter. It's on the back of my forearm, between existing tattoos in a random place to fill. The image is of a child being brainwashed into religion. It continues the theme of my sleeve portraying my views and ideas of religion.
What are your views and ideas about religion?
Well.... Basically, I hate it. I feel it is an easy way out for weak people who can't find the strength within to make it through life. Probably more than half of the religious population are ex drug addicts or criminals, and they don't realize the only person that forgives them is someone who is fake and non existent. It's just another way to get money out of stupid people. I was never baptized as a child because every church my parents took me to the priest was accused of raping children, no joke dude, so early off I had a fucked up view of religion. I could keep going on for days about this, but it's kind of hard to sum up real quick, so that’s all I’m going to say. I don't want to offend to many people. Ahhhh fuck it, I fucking hate it.
What are the other images are in that sleeve?
My sleeve consists of the piece Nick did, and a tattoo of a painting my friend did that is of a ghostly fetal resembling the Virgin Mary with stick hands. It’s an awesome tattoo that takes up most of my arm, a few other things here and there. I am not going to get into explaining what it all means because that will take forever. But it is all well done work.
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Who are you excited to be in the new up and comer's class with?
This guy Ben Grillo who works at Good Time Charlie's Tattoo Land, this guy started in 2004, and his shit is amazing, fine line black and grey, really nice traditional work. This dude is doing portraits on peoples fingers, and they heal perfect, seriously. He is older but from Southern Ca like me, so I’m psyched to be coming up like him.
We will have to check his work out!
Yeah it's super clean and simple, there are a bunch of people right now that no one knows of and they are killing it.
Where did you get your first tattoo at?
I got my first tattoo in Newport Beach, CA by Joey Remmers. Actually in the shop I ended up apprenticing at, Skinworks Tattoo. It is of a columbine flower, there is no black in it, I knew nothing about tattoos at the time and hated black tattoos, little did I know black is the most important part in a tattoo at times. I went back every two weeks for a while to get tattooed, I was addicted. I’m actually in the process of lasering off some off my first tattoos.
How much lasering are you getting done?
I am getting my entire left sleeve lasered. Everything except my hand and inner armpit area.
How do you feel the laser changes the permanence of tattooing?
Lasering isn't as simple as the world thinks, it takes a lot of dedication, time, and money to completely remove a tattoo. It is definitely changing the fact that people do not have to be stuck with shitty tattoos, but it's a lot of work to get it the way you want.
Do you feel like your "cheating"?
I’m not cheating at all, I have been giving a chance to fix a huge mistake, and I feel I deserve to wear an awesome sleeve.
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What are you going to get over your lasered skin?
Since I am taking a few years to get this all lasered that way it is healed and light enough to cover with what I want and not just anything, I have no idea what I’m going to get. It could be like 5 years until it's finally ready to get tattooed, and people could be doing even crazier tattoos than what is going on now, and some random kid from Egypt could be doing the best bio work anyone has ever seen, so I’ not settling on any artist at the moment or ideas.
Some of your favorite shop's to do a guest spot?
About 7 months ago I was working in Santa Barbara, CA at Golden Eagle Tattoo. Since I moved away I have gone back and done guest spots there, it's a lot of fun. I have a bunch of friends up there at the shop and my brother lives there, so I stay with my brother. Nick and I get to hang out with a bunch on non arrogant tattoo artists who really don't care about the industry. The town has some amazing vegetarian food, and it's right on the beach, but if I stay there for more than a week I don’t want to leave. That town will suck you in. Plus there is this disabled 38 year old guy named Gabriel that comes by the shop everyday, so my friend Corey and I go eat lunch with him and it's the most entertaining thing in my life. I love that guy.
You’re heavily tattooed for someone so young, though, your technical skills have progressed rapidly. How much of your technical ability came from lessons learned while getting tattooed?
I feel the only reason my technical ability has progressed is exactly for that reason, getting tattooed by people I look up to and asking questions. They were nice enough to give me the information back. It was amazing the first time it finally clicked in my brain how to do things right, I couldn't wait to do my next tattoo. I owe a lot to the people who have tattooed me, you know who you are, I’m not going to name all of you, but thanks guys.
It’s weird! I would normally suggest people take their time getting tattooed, cause you only have so much skin. Is all your coverage a double edge sword? Are you running out of skin already?
I know, I know, I tell everyone to take there time and only get good solid tattoos because there really isn't that much room, but the only thing I wish I could take back is my sleeve, but other than that I love all my tattoos and the knowledge they have brought. I have plenty of room, most of my left leg for some large scale stuff, one side of my head and neck, and my entire back and ass, so I saved the best for last, and then I have random spots all over for fun little stuff from friends or to get little trinket tattoos while I’m traveling.
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Do you feel like your in a spotlight?
Not at all. Not that many people know of my work. I feel lucky to get to travel and do guest spots, and to be able to attend some of the biggest conventions going on this year. Also I trip out that you asked me to do an interview for TattooNOW.com, that's the shit Gabe.
Ha. You've seen and know folks who certainly are. Are you preparing yourself for the life of a rock star artist?
Actually I’m preparing myself for the life of not being a rock star tattooist. I have seen it first hand go to peoples head. They change and there tattooing starts to struggle, I don't talk to them anymore. I’m planning to move away from horrible materialistic southern Ca and just tattoo. Hopefully have a clientele that allows me to live a nice life, and try not to let it go to my head.
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What do you envision for yourself in 20 years? 50?
Still tattooing, always tattooing. I will probably have long ass hair, hopefully I will be able to grow a beard by then, a bunch of hairless cats, maybe my wife will decide to tattoo by then.
Mainly I hope that my artwork will have somewhat of an impact on the tattooing community by then, I hope to inspire people and keep serious tattooing alive.
What are you doing now to achieve that goal? Want to hint at any projects or plans for the near future to help impact the industry at large?
Trying to find my own, you know doing my own style of things and imagery. It's really hard. Really no plans in the immediate future, I have a few sleeves in progress that I feel are something different and knew from me, but I have only been tattooing for 3 1/2 years so I still have a long, long way to go.
Check out NathanKostechko.com
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