UCLA student makes his mark as tattoo artist

Juan Garces used to think tattoos were taboo. Now, he has tattooed more than 150 students.

Garces, a fifth-year Spanish and community and culture student, has been tattooing students at UCLA since he transferred here three years ago.

After his younger brother pursued a tattooing apprenticeship and began working at Cali Life Tattoo in Newport Beach a few years ago, Garces’ view on tattoos changed. Inspired by his brother’s work, Garces, who also goes by his lifelong nickname Juanito, asked his brother to teach him and has been balancing school, tattooing and rugby at UCLA ever since.

“(Tattooing) became this thing where it’s the ultimate art form, the ultimate form of self-expression for someone,” Garces said. “It just says so much for someone’s very own persona, not necessarily for the world, and that’s what I really fell in love with.”

Garces said it was also an opportunity to reconnect with his first love, art, which he abandoned in high school while juggling school and sports. Tattooing gave him another chance to practice drawing and sketching.

Then, when he first started learning proper needle techniques, etiquette and equipment sanitation, he decided to tattoo his first piece on himself.

“I decided if I was going to mess up on anyone, it would be on myself,” Garces said.

He tattooed a Quetzalcóatl, an Aztec feathered serpent, on his right thigh. Since then, Garces has gotten his brother to tattoo roses and the Virgin Mary, a tribute to his Catholic faith, on his right shoulder.

Although Garces focuses on gray-scale pieces, which are tattoos without coloring, Garces said he admires the Americana style of tattooing, which is an old Western style of tattooing with bold black outlines and limited color.

However, he said he would like more opportunities to practice tattooing realistic designs, although his UCLA clientele does not typically ask for this. Typically, Garces says he tattoos the types of tattoos one would find on Pinterest.

Since he started attending UCLA, Garces has obtained a solid UCLA client base, mostly through word of mouth.

He also has more than 650 followers on his Instagram, where he posts pictures of his designs and tattoos.

When designing his tattoos and pieces, Garces takes into consideration his own style and his clients’ visions.

“I definitely try to appeal to my client and make it their own design and unique to them,” Garces said.

Patrick Douglas, a recent UCLA alumnus, had three pieces done by Garces. Garces tattooed a motorcycle on his left triceps with a banner that says “Dad,” pine trees with pixel dots on his left arm, and the Roman numeral three on his collarbone as a symbol of his being a triplet.

Douglas said the experience with Garces was different from most tattoo artists because Garces tattoos out of his apartment, instead of at a shop.

“It was chill; I was just laying on his bed,” Douglas said. “I was just in his house, and it was comfortable. It was a unique experience in that regard.”

Sarah Barritt, a third-year English and political science student, had two of her tattoos, a tree that fades into birds on her back and a date in Roman numerals, done by Garces, who does not charge a minimum fee for his work, but tries to charge a fair amount.

“They’re both just really personal, meaningful tattoos to me. I really like tattoos and I went to Garces because he was recommended to me by a friend on the rugby team,” Barritt said. “When I heard he was giving discounts to UCLA students, I thought, ‘Why not?'”

Barritt advises students thinking about getting a tattoo to ensure that it is something they really want.

“Don’t think ‘Oh, I want to get a tattoo’ and then decide on the design afterward. Have an image in mind so strong that you have to get it tattooed on your body, because it’s permanent,” Barritt said.

Garces, who has seen hundred of students and their ideas, also advises to keep things simple.

“You don’t always have to try and be too unique,” Garces said. “Less is more, and simplicity usually takes over complexity. You don’t need to put everything into one thing.”

Garces is currently applying to graduate school for an arts in education degree, and is not following professional tattooing as his career. He plans to teach at the high school and collegiate levels, and eventually become a professor. However, Garces said that he is not against doing a tattoo apprenticeship.

“I guess in my mind, I definitely have a dream that even if I’m not tattooing, then I’ll open (for) my brother his own tattoo shop and we can do a family business,” Garces said.

For now, Garces said he enjoys tattooing in his spare time as well as the artistic and financial perks it provides.

“If you decide that you want to pursue something like tattooing, definitely pursue it with everything that you’ve got,” Garces said. “Learn from someone who knows and be passionate about it.”