GALLERY OF HURTADO’S BEST TATTOOS FOLLOWS THE TEXT
After a lustrous career with a tattoo machine in his hand, the wizard of color realism is hanging up his tubes. “I’m done, I quit,” Hurtado says as he takes pictures of his machines to go up on ebay.com later today. “I’m sick of seeing teenage girls getting infinity symbols tattooed on their wrists, I did all that I could with a needle and now I’m pursuing a life of wellness—both spiritually and physically.”
For those who follow Hurtado on social media, they are keenly aware that of late he has been peppering in shots of himself at the gym between masterful tattoos. “I need to focus my time more on my body than other people’s body art,” he says. “Plus I have found more positive influences in my gym than I have in the tattoo community, yes, I have made really great friends in tattooing but the lifestyle has caught up on me and I need to walk away forever.”
His final piece, his swan song, was a layered sleeve that he applied to his dear friend Bili Vegas late last night. A single tear rolled off Hurtado’s cheek and onto the tattoo as he wrapped up his last ever piece. “There will be some things that I will truly miss but certainly not these bullshit late hours.” Without ever admitting it publically, tattooing for long sessions took a toll on his health. From slumping over clients, his neck had a crick that has only recently been remedied. Hurtado gives all the credit to his crossfit instructor for inventing “neck lunges” to specifically correct the crick. And you know his signature eyeglasses? He hasn’t always required corrective lenses, in fact, when he started out apprenticing for Mike DeMasi he had better than perfect vision. “Why I am walking away at this moment rather than finishing out my appointments is that my shaman has concocted a perishable holistic elixir that will restore my vision if I don’t strain my eyes any further. The base is chervil, which will be out of season soon so the time is now.”
Hurtado has tattooed stars such as Drake, Wale, Puff Daddy, Andrew WK, Cheryl Cole, Jenna Jameson, Jesse James and Kat Von D. The masses know him from appearances on TLC’s LA Ink and Spike’s Ink Master. Unsure of who should take over his shop Black Anchor Collective, he has decided that he will give the keys to the winner of next season’s Ink Master.
Marvel at his amazing work as there will be no more future tattoos from this genius. It is a sad day.
The post Nikko Hurtado: I Quit Tattooing appeared first on Inked Magazine.