Today we’d like to introduce you to Eric Branchfield.
Hi Eric, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My mom was a hairstylist and was cutting a woman’s hair, she was with her boyfriend who was a tattooer. My mom mentioned that I drew and wanted to be a tattoo artist. After talking for a little bit he realized that he actually knew me and we went to high school together. He told my mom to have me come to the shop and talk to the owner about getting an apprenticeship. That was pretty much how I got my foot in the door. From there, I apprenticed for about nine months. My wife and I decided to move to Texas to be closer to her side of the family. I got hired at a shop out there and started tattooing full-time since October 2008. I worked in Texas for half of my career and have been back tattooing in Southern California since 2016. I’ve worked in Long Beach, Los Angeles, and am currently working in Temecula.
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?
It hasn’t always been smooth. I am a paraplegic so I’ve been in a wheelchair my whole life. I’ve never been able to walk so adapting to do everyday things can be challenging at times. I have had chronic back pains since I was 17, tattooing adds to my back issues but I love tattooing so I can’t see myself doing anything else. Driving, putting my chair in and out of my car, pushing a shopping cart. I have three young kids. I couldn’t really push a stroller so I would have my oldest stand on my wheelchair behind my back. My middle would be sitting on my feet and my youngest would be on my lap. It worked out perfectly. As far as tattooing, when I went to my first shop to apprentice the owner told me he wasn’t sure about me working there because of the wheelchair. He suggested that I found a tattooer in a wheelchair and ask him how to do it and then come back. I didn’t know many tattooers at that point let alone one in a wheelchair. My friend Brandon, he was the one that told me to come in told me to apprentice in the first place told me to just tell the owner that I found one and he said he would help if I had any questions. Tattooing can be hard at times. Moving shops sometimes it feels like starting over building clientele so every time I moved it was like a reset. A lot of my career I’ve been the walk-in guy. I never mind doing that but it can be difficult relying on walk-ins if it’s slow while you’re still in the process of building clientele. Balancing family life and work life can be challenging as well. Work as a tattooer isn’t over once we leave the shop. There’s so many hours a day working on drawings for upcoming appointments, answering emails, booking clients, etc.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I do tattoos. I feel like I’m pretty well-rounded. I love doing American traditional. dot work, Illustrative, pop culture, new school, script, and anime tattoos. I’m probably known most for doing bold and colorful tattoos but also being able to do fine lines as well. What sets me apart from others? I’m in a wheelchair.😂 In all seriousness, I think what sets me apart is that I will continually push myself to try new things for my clients without losing the fundamentals of a solid traditional tattoo.
What are your plans for the future?
I don’t have too many future plans. I try to stay focused on what’s in front of me immediately. I recently moved to a new shop (Dedicated Tattoo) so my main focus is to continue to build clientele and work on my art/tattooing.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ericbranchtattoos.as.me/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/ericbranchfield?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Image Credits
Photo of me tattooing is taken by Jessica Reese her Instagram is @jessicareesephotography
