Today we’d like to introduce you to Kris Herschel.
Hi Kris, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
When I was five years old, my aunt got my cousin Disney coloring books and she wasn’t as interested in them as I was. I kept coloring and coloring in them until my cousin got upset with me and my aunt finally got me some of my own, and that kind of sparked my interest in drawing. Then when I was in my freshmen year of high school, I was kind of the quiet, loner kid who didn’t have many friends because we had moved around a lot. Art was the only class that I had paid most attention to and I began to focus a lot more on sketching and drawing, and I made friends with people who were also into art and taught me painting and different techniques that I began using in my own art. I was about 16 years old when I went with my dad to watch him get tattooed, and I was soaking in the different techniques and styles that they were doing, For many years, I had a lot of friends and family that were always pushing me to go to art school, but there wasn’t anything that made me more passionate about my work other than actually tattooing and focusing more on my art. It wasn’t until I turned 19 when I was working at a gas station, working paycheck to paycheck, that I finally walked into the nearest tattoo shop trying to get an apprenticeship. This was difficult at first, considering I wasn’t as confident. But with some time and convincing, the owner asked me to bring in a portfolio and sit down with some of the artists. I was very new to art within the last few years so it was nerve-racking starting out, but they helped give me that boost of confidence to learn a new form of art and I apprenticed with them for a few months, very, very slowly getting a small following and working outside my comfort zone with different styles and focusing more on my painting and drawings. There are still a lot of things I know I could learn and always find new techniques and improving on what I already know, but I found my passion and love within black and grey realism, as well as color realism. Now at 23 years old, I decided to take one of my big step in opening my own tattoo studio, so I can hopefully influence other artists that we can all learn from one another.. Thus became Evermore Tattoo Studio, now located in Orlando, Florida. I am super excited to see where this journey will take me.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Definitely not a smooth road. They say when you love what you do for a living, it doesn’t feel like work. And while this is true, one of the hardest things to do is separate work from play, wanting to work more than I typically would with another job because I love what I do. One of the biggest struggles would be knowing that you are doing the best you can not only for yourself, but also for the people that support my artwork by wanting to get tattooed by me, or buying my artwork and knowing that they love it just as much. It does get difficult when you’re pushing yourself to always learn new techniques, styles, and history when it comes to tattooing.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a tattoo artist that specializes in black and grey/color realism. I am best known for my tattoos and artwork. I am most proud of being as dedicated as I am to my artwork, I am proud of myself, proud to have people in my life who are supportive and care to see me grow not only as an artist but also as a person. I believe what sets me apart from others is believing that each person is unique & offers something in their own way, and also knowing that I am very driven, motivated, and focused when it comes to my artwork outside of tattooing. I spend my free time focusing on my paintings and drawings, as well.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I like that Orlando is so close-knit, the community is always looking out for everyone, no matter what you believe that you are divided by. There are plenty of cities that do not come together, but I believe Orlando is one of the proudest to say that they stand together. As far as disliking the area, I don’t have anything negative to say.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: krisherscheltattoos
