Tattoo Creepers // Noeko

Our Tattoo Creeper project is a way to collaborate with talented artists to add their spin on our creepers. We love working with creatives in any capacity & we want to see the world from their lens. To check out more of Noeko's work head to their Instagram 

Tell us about yourself & the shoes that you customized:

I am definitely a boots girl and the boots that I chose to work on perfectly fit my every day style and who I am. I painted each shoe to be similar but completely unique. On the inside of the right shoe are the letters T.U.K. but everything else on both shoes is completely abstract with a moon thrown in here and there. 

How would you describe your art style? 

My art style is usually categorized as dark/gothic lettering and it has evolved and grown to include abstract letterforms in different styles as well. A large portion of my artwork is built from a central circular design. I have never been someone who used color much in my work and that has continued on throughout my artistic and tattooing career. I definitely lean into the heavy black and dark pieces with splashes of red or yellow here and there on occasion.

Who or what is your biggest inspiration? 

My work is very influenced by heavy music and elements of nature like tree branches and spiderwebs. My go to musical choices while drawing and painting are TOOL and Danheim. Being from small town Nebraska has always fueled my creative process as well. I never felt like I fit in with my peers and once I found my voice as an artist I wanted to share my journey with those who might feel the way I did growing up and be an example of the possibilities that are out there no matter where you are from.

What’s your typical process of coming up with a new design? 

I don’t do a lot of prep work when I am working on a new piece. I don’t look at reference photos or any other outside visual influence while I am creating. I will decide if I want to start with a base shape like a circle or diamond for abstract pieces or what I have in mind stylistically if I am working on a lettering piece. If I do start with any sketches or drawings they are usually small thumbnail sketches with shapes indicating the direction I want something to flow or notes about adding color in specific places.

What piece of yours is your all-time favorite and why? 

That is such a difficult question but if I had to make a choice it would probably be my piece “Push.” When I finished that one I really felt like I had leveled up in my art style and created something that I hadn’t been able to before. One of my clients got that piece tattooed on his elbow as well and at the time he had one of my earliest designs and then my most recent and it was a really special moment to reflect on that journey together. 

What is your favorite thing about being an artist? 

Hearing others’ stories about how my art has impacted them or inspired them in some way always has such a deep impact on me. The ability to connect with other people through the things I create is something that will forever be motivational for me.