Nick Lessard — MURKADO

What motivated you to get tattooed in the first place?

I’ve always had an interest in tattoos, and it was something that I really wrestled with internally. The permanence of it all really weighed heavy on me, and it was something that my older cousin and I talked about quite a bit.
Until one Christmas, when my cousin came to dinner with almost a full sleeve outline done. Once I saw how cool that was, it was only shortly after that when I got my own.

What was your first tattoo and how did you select the design? Who was the artist? How old were you?

My first tattoo was a snake head and body curling around a staff. It’s a modified symbol for the Staff of Asclepius, which is often used as the medical alert symbol.
I chose that design because I have needed to wear one for a lot of my life, but I wanted it in a such a way that didn’t exactly copy it. Heath Smith (@heathsmith) did it in 2016 and I was 25.

How many tattoos do you currently have?

How do you decide on what type of tattoo design(s) to get prior to booking an appointment?

Sometimes it’s an idea that I let the artist bring to life that has semblance to me, other times it’s just a cool idea, and occasionally I like to get flash.

What were some of the most painful spots to get tattooed for you?

Do you have any favourite tattoos?

Who are some of the artists that you've gotten tattooed by?

Heath Smith, Sarah Keeley (@sarahkeeley), Jack Candlish (@jwcandlish), Victor Vaclav, and Jeroen Van Dijk (@jeroenvandijk).

What do you like about the particular style(s) of tattoos that you've chosen to get done?

I’ve usually stayed within the style of American traditional. It’s nice and clean, with bold lines and heavy colour. What’s not to love?

What artist(s) would you like to get tattooed by in the future?

Oh man, Kyler Martz (@kylermartz) out of Seattle. I have my whole left arm saved for that dude.