Inked: The Personality Behind the Art

By Rachel Shapiro
December 6, 2008 

His hair is gelled into a faux-hawk, he has a metal ring through the septum of his nose, and "hell bent" inked across his knuckles.  His weapon of choice?  A tattoo machine, embellished with spider webs.  This 23-year-old, Oceana, W.Va., native has been in the tattoo industry for approximately three years and has already worked at five different shops.

According to the Board for Barbers and Cosmetology, tattoo artists in Virginia must meet several requirements to get their licenses.  The applicants must pass a specific approved examination, and to do so, must have completed an apprenticeship.  The sponsor for the apprentice must also qualify for the position. 

This is based on the status of his or her license and documentation proving they have practiced tattooing for at least five years and are "in good standing in all jurisdictions where the practice of tattooing is regulated," according to the tattoo regulations booklet provided by the Board for Barbers and Cosmetology.

Chris Toler has not always wanted to be a tattoo artist.  As a little kid, he was a self-proclaimed clean freak, watched a lot of cartoons and had a love for music and art. 

"I've been drawing since I could crawl," said Toler.  It was not until his freshman year of high school when he picked up his first guitar.  "I wanted to be a rock star for a while, but I realized that didn't pay well."

He first got into the tattoo industry through a recommendation from a friend.    "I've always appreciated tattooing and art.  I never honestly thought I'd be doing tattoos but it kind of just worked out that way and I've never looked back," said Toler. 

To practice, he would perform tattoos on grapefruits because they have seven layers just like skin.  "If you go too deep, it will squirt back at you."  Toler also studied art at Concord University in Athens, W.Va.

According to Toler, his first day as a full-time tattoo artist was his most memorable moment in the business.  It was April Fools' Day during a weekend and he was the only artist in the shop.  Between 12:30 p.m. and 2:00 a.m., Toler completed 10 tattoos back-to-back.

During his three years in the industry, he has received some interesting requests and heard some interesting stories.  He once had a customer get his aunt's name tattooed onto his fingernails.  "She had told him that he's got all these tattoos and if he doesn't get her name tattooed on him she was going to beat him down, so he got it on his fingernails so it wasn't permanent."

His favorite piece he has done was a tattoo of a hand with a banner of script for his friend, Busky.  "It's really big, and it's on his leg.  I made it looked like a decayed hand.  I got to use whatever colors I wanted and draw it however I wanted."

Toler has approximately 16 tattoos, three of which he tattooed himself.  He got his first tattoo as a memorial piece for his father when he was 19 years old.  His favorite tattoo is one on his right side on his ribs.  It is an adaptation of a king card from a deck of cards, with the words, "to love and lose" written across the middle. 

He decided to get it to represent an unsuccessful relationship.  "Everyone can relate to that," said Toler, referring to the script.  It has already taken 13 hours to do and he estimates it will take about 10 more.

His mother, Linda Shrader, describes his tattoos as "beautiful," and is "tremendously proud" of Toler for the work he is doing.  She said, "He has a heart of gold but is afraid to show it." 

His whole family is generally supportive of his career and personal style.  "This isn't really what she had in mind, but she is totally cool with it," said Toler, of his mother.  "I think the only one person that really shuns on it is my grandmother.  Of course, you know, she's old fashioned."

Toler started working at Danny's Ancient Art Tattoo Studio in Blacksburg, his current place of employment, in June of this year.  Victoria Rose, the manager and piercer at the studio, has worked with Toler since he started there. 

"From day one I could tell he was really professional when dealing with the tricky stuff, like cover-ups. On his first day, he actually took the time to explain to someone how to do a correct cover-up, which is kind of a big deal," said Rose.  "He is also really good at doing script and new-school color stuff."

According to Toler, his specialty is tattooing in black and grey, although the majority of his own tattoos are in vibrant colors.  He hopes to further his career so he can start traveling and doing guest spots at various tattoo studios all over the country.

In his spare time, Toler likes to hit the gym and does some kickboxing, and describes himself as a big movie buff.  He is also in a hardcore punk band, The United Waste.  To him, music is his home away from home. He wants to continue to play music in the future. 

As of now, he is content with the way things have been going in his life.  "I couldn't imagine myself doing anything else.  I have too much fun to want to do anything else."  As long as tattoos are a want and a need, he will be able to continue doing what he loves.  "I get paid to have fun.  I get to hang out with my best friends and draw on people all day."