FK Irons strives to innovate products that will revolutionize the industry, so artists can focus on what’s really important - the craft. So occasionally we host a couple of our ProTeam artists here at FK Irons Headquarters to bounce ideas with our engineers, and founders, to pinpoint artists' needs to continue to develop practical, quality products.
Recently, Ink Masters Season 11 contestant, Jess Cavazos, flew all the way from Corpus Christi, Texas, to share his 11-year journey within the industry.
“Man, the way I got into tattooing - I kind of fell into,” he said. “I had a job as a receptionist, then it led into an apprenticeship, and that’s basically how I fell into it.”
Cavazos specializes in color realism and portrait, but also will dabble in surrealism and pop culture themed pieces.
“I get inspired by all types of art,” he said, “digital art, painters, other tattooers that are killing it in the game. You really can’t put a price on inspiration.”
Cavazos has been an FK Irons customer since he first purchased the Spektra Edge X, and was able to break it in at an expo.
“Everything I wanted it to do - it did it,” he said. “It made me concentrate more on the art than actually having to worry about the technical side of tattooing.”
The Spektra Edge X was the machine that introduced Cavazos to FK Irons, but it ultimately helped him find his go to machine - the Spektra Flux.
“I love the Exo too, but I just keep finding myself coming back to that bigger stroke,” he said. “It really is the four millimeter stroke that does it for me.”
Not only does the stroke “do it for him,” but he also finds that the Flux’s longer stroke allows him to achieve heavy color packing, and it provides him with solid saturation.
"I like to run my machines low and slow,” he said. “You don’t have to run your bachines balls out for solid saturation.”
Cavazos hopes to run his own shop one day, and hopes it would have a reputation for being one of the best in his state. He hopes to put together a team of world class artists that won’t work under him, but instead beside him.
“Set your goals high,” he said. “Because you can achieve anything you set your mind to, especially in this industry.”
