Highlights
- Jeff Segundo began as a graphic designer and later found his passion for tattoos.
- The pandemic had a huge impact on the tattoo industry.
- Jeff currently creates his unique brand of art, combining portraiture with food for foodies, friends and food business owners.
"I think I was around 10 years old when I first started drawing. My family would get together after church. My cousins and I would watch cartoons and movies while we were drawing on a coffee table. It was like a weekly ritual."
From that weekly ritual, Melburnian Jeff Segundo found himself immersed in different forms of art - from graphic design to tattoos, to portraiture.
Before the pandemic hit, Jeff was working at Voodoo Ink in St Kilda as a tattooist. Source: Carlos Josue
Screen to skin
A graduate of graphic design, Jeff pursued the said art form for three years before starting an apprenticeship at Northern Tattooing, in Melbourne.
"I loved everything about graphic design, but everything was done on the computer. The thing I missed about drawing was using my hands.
"At that time, I got heavily influenced by the TV show, Miami Ink. It inspired me to become a tattoo artist."
While completing his apprenticeship, Jeff, who now specialises in Japanese tattoos, soon realised the vast differences between drawing on paper and drawing on skin.
Jeff as an apprentice. Source: Jeff Segundo
"Paper is flat. You can make mistakes; but with tattooing, you can't," he laughs, adding, "There's a lot of pressure involved. Also, you work with people, talk with them. You're drawing on them and need to cater to their needs. You need to figure out all the things to make the experience good for them."
For Jeff, making the experience enjoyable for his clients is an art in itself.
"Some clients might see a tattoo online that they want to emulate, so they come to me and ask me to do them," he says, adding that at times, designs may not be doable, culturally unsuitable or could be done better.
Jeff specialises in Japanese tattoos. Source: Carlos Josue
"I try to make sure that the customer feels comfortable even if I sell him a different idea. You need to win the customer's trust - after all, he's trusting you to draw something on him that he should be happy with forever."
Portrait of a foodie
Although Jeff thrived in creating permanent skin art as a tattooist for Voodoo Ink in St Kilda, he was forced to temporarily put down his tattoo gun when the pandemic hit.
"COVID greatly affected our industry. Even with the new lockdown plan which sees businesses opening slowly, we're one of the last industries to open because we deal with blood and have close contact with people."
The pandemic didn't just affect Jeff's professional career, but his personal life as well.
"COVID greatly affected our industry. Even with the new lockdown plan which sees businesses opening slowly, we're one of the last industries to open." Source: Carlos Josue
"My girlfriend and I were separated because of the lockdown and because she had to go back home to LA to tend to family members who got sick," he said.
"First thing I ended up doing was sending her a gift. I was good at drawing portraitures and we both connect through food - so I thought, 'Why not marry the two?' I gave her a portrait of herself with her favourite food to lift her spirits."
From the portraiture he did of his girlfriend, which she posted on her Instagram profile, many queries for commissioned work followed. The thoughtful gesture suddenly became a personal endeavour Jeff named Big Food Mood.
Separated by lockdowns and geography, Jeff decided to gift his fellow-foodie girlfriend with a unique portrait. Source: Jeff Segundo
"I owe the growth of the project to my girlfriend. I initially just thought of finding a good way to connect with her.
"For clients and friends, what I do now is I ask for their three main favourite dishes. I go through their Instagram or they send me photos for references.
"The idea evolves depending on the dish. It gives me an idea of how to position the subjects or how to make them interact with the food."
Aside from gaining clients in Australia and abroad, Jeff also teamed up with HashtagLunchbag, a global movement that urges people to share food and love messages to others through lunch bags.
Jeff creates portraitures with food under his endeavour, Big Food Mood. Source: Jeff Segundo
"The initiative helped me promote my work towards more food bloggers and restaurants. Now, I'm starting to work with a foodie community in San Francisco as well."
Having found his own distinct style in both tattooing and portraiture, Jeff shares that his evolution stems from the cartoons he drew growing up, the food he loves and, the need to connect with clients and those he holds dear.
Jeff does commissioned work for friends as well as business owners. Source: Jeff Segundo
"You just have to let your style unfold naturally. Be patient with it. To hone a style, you have to stay true to yourself - as basic as that is."
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