Michael Litovkin
Tattoo Artist based in Frankfurt Germany
The best way to get in touch with me is to send an email. Check your spam folder if you're awaiting a reply. Please include the following information:
General Idea.
Photo of the area you want to place the tattoo.
Reference pictures.
Reference to one of my tattoos' style.
After that we will set up the consultation meeting and discuss the ideas in person.
In general, my designs are based on realistic images and can be mixed with different color effects, patterns, brush strokes and freehand sketches.
I’m always open minded for challenging projects, so don’t hesitate to bring up your craziest ideas!
During the consultation meeting we can try to get a deeper understanding of your project and put together the ideas that will help me design your upcoming tattoo.
A tattoo session is an intense experience for the body. Have a good rest on the day before your appointment. Sleep well, eat a nice breakfast and bring some snacks and drinks with you. If it’s summer, try to protect the spot from the sun. You can also apply body lotion on the skin to soften it a few days before your session.
I was born on the island of Sakhalin, far in the east, located in the Sea of Okhotsk, almost touching Japan at its southern tip. In fact, at one point in history, this island was part of Japan and was known by the name Karafuto. My life has taken me to many different places. A few years after I was born, my family moved to Ukraine, then back to Russia. Eventually, we found our home in the Middle East, in Israel, when I had just turned 14. This move drastically changed my perception of life, introducing me to a completely different language, mentality, and customs.
I studied art in school, and it was during this time that I first picked up a tattoo machine in 1998. I was 16 years old when my girlfriend asked me to tattoo the word "Enigma" on her, using a single needle and pen ink. I didn’t have much mentorship and had to figure things out on my own. Many of my friends supported my new "hobby," which allowed me to practice frequently and gain my first experiences. Today, looking back, I realize how jumping into the unknown and trusting the process shaped my future journey.
I studied fashion design, dreaming of traveling the world. I kept tattooing as a side job, not yet knowing that it would be the ticket to the far lands I had always longed to visit.
In 2008, the tattoo industry knocked on my door again. This time, I was invited to work in a proper studio in Tel Aviv, in a completely professional setting. Tattooing had become so popular that I had the opportunity to learn a great deal, working on tattoos daily, often seven days a week. I was determined to master every aspect of tattoo art I could, step by step, gaining both knowledge and confidence. After six years, my work began to catch the attention of people across the ocean, and I moved to work in the United States.
In the U.S., I found myself attending countless conventions, which played a significant role in shaping my career. The conventions gave me the opportunity to meet and connect with many talented artists, exchanging ideas and techniques that fired up my passion even further. Though I never set out to compete, I found myself participating in many of them, as it was—and still is—a big part of the tattoo convention experience. To my surprise, I started winning, and some of those awards came from the U.S.'s most prestigious conventions. However, for me, the true value has always been in the opportunity to learn from others, improve my skills, and challenge myself with each tattoo.
These experiences, from conventions to guest spots, guided my journey across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and even Asia. The exposure to different perspectives and the opportunity to work with diverse clients and fellow artists opened my eyes to new ways of thinking about the craft of tattooing, which ultimately helped me grow both as an artist and as a person.
I eventually found my new home in Frankfurt, Germany, and in 2018, I opened my first tattoo studio. I’m still passionate about traveling and visiting new places, but it’s always a pleasure to return to my studio and work on the exciting projects I am blessed to be asked to take on. My approach to tattooing has evolved over the years, and the best way to describe my style is that I don’t have a particular style to fit my tattoos into today’s saturated tattoo industry. My focus is on creating a unique piece that both my client and I are happy with, and for this, I have all the tools and experience. Every tattoo is a journey, and I feel that tattooing is not just an art medium, but an everlasting diary, engraved in my soul and on the skin of those who wear it.