As we all know, every October is Inktober; or shall we say the time when artists challenge themselves to do an ink drawing each day? In celebration of this, we decided to feature a different artist every week for the rest of the month. However, we’ll be shedding light on tattoo artists, in particular, and each week, the artist will share their ‘inkspirations’ that got them to where they are now.

We’ll be starting with Moheeb, a tattoo artist at heart who started his drawing journey at the age of 23. He first worked in the advertising field as an art director, but his heart always pulled him towards staying up all night tattooing. Because of his unique style, we sat down with Moheeb to explore his relationship with inking, what it signifies to him, and to learn more about Tezerd, a platform he started in 2018.

Even though he always had a connection with drawing, Inktober was actually the trigger behind his ‘inkspiration’. What makes Moheeb stand out from other artists is that his style is very distinct; it’s raw and not polished. He uses many lines to portray an idea, and he does not lean on overly-processed work. Moheeb’s work is all original, and he doesn’t ink other people’s designs.

When Moheeb first started drawing, he instantly became more inclined towards inking. He continued to experiment with different drawings, sensing a hole in the market that was his to fulfil. Through that, he gained the courage to get the tattoo machine to explore his passion further. Before its arrival, he spent his time watching YouTube videos to train himself for his first tattoo. It didn’t feel like a duty or a burden, but rather a happiness he was always ready to wake up to. When the machine arrived, he practised on himself before he later started inking others.

The bond with a client, initiated through leaving his mark on their skin forever, left him with this sense of purpose. As the tattoo means something to the client, it also means something to Moheeb. It makes him part of the client’s story somehow, and for him, that’s something to keep him going and moving forward.

Every artist has their own thrilling moment, and for Moheeb, it’s the high level of pressure he undergoes every time. He explained that mistakes were not an option. What comes out wrong can’t be fixed. “Having that high level of responsibility is both consuming and exciting at the same time,” Moheeb told us.

“There’s a lot of energy, input, creativity, passion, and most of all trust, that is placed into it,” Moheeb said about inking. After all, tattoos are not temporary; it’s there forever. So, take your time to make up your mind. In the end, it’s not about looking “cool”; you will live with it, so you might as well be smart about it.

Stay tuned for the next “inkspiring” tattoo artist to continue our series of Inktober!